San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 24 grants totaling nearly $8.8 million in support of the Foundation's mission of expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. (For a list of approved grants, click here.)

Supporting Central Coast Arts Organizations to Increase Financial Stability

Grants approved as part of the Arts program include $3.7 million to 13 leading arts organizations along the Central Coast as part of Irvine's Arts Regional Initiative, which seeks to increase organizational financial sustainability and cultural participation. This round of funding represents the second phase of the initiative in the Central Coast. Irvine's Arts program seeks to promote a vibrant and inclusive artistic and cultural environment in California.

Fostering Civic Engagement in State Policy Activity

Grants approved as part of the California Democracy program include a $600,000 grant to Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy to support civic engagement efforts involving thousands of traditionally underrepresented residents in dialogues with public officials. Irvine's California Democracy program seeks to advance effective public policy decision making that is reflective of and responsive to all Californians.

Second Phase of Irvine Foundation’s Arts Regional Initiative Continues Commitment to Leading Regional Arts Institutions

San Francisco — The James Irvine Foundation today announced $3.7 million in grants to 13 arts institutions in the Central Coast that are committed to broadening and diversifying their audiences and strengthening their financial sustainability. The organizations selected this year for the Arts Regional Initiative are planning to use the grants to advance financial sustainability within a challenging economic environment and to increase cultural participation from underrepresented communities. While each institution is developing specific plans, initiative participants are implementing operational changes to recalibrate for the current economy, strengthening and diversifying board leadership, and developing culturally relevant artistic programs to attract diverse audiences and deepen their relationships with existing audiences.

"These Central Coast arts organizations are vital anchor institutions within their communities and provide an array of important opportunities for people to engage with the arts," noted Josephine Ramirez, Arts Program Director for the Irvine Foundation. "These grants represent our continued commitment to them as they explore new ways of achieving financial sustainability and attracting culturally diverse audiences."

The organizations represent a mix of artistic disciplines, including music, dance, opera, theater, visual arts and multidisciplinary arts. The grants will be awarded over three years and grantees will share resources, best practices and lessons learned. A complete list of grantees follows:

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 31 grants totaling nearly $21.4 million in support of the Foundation's mission of expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. (For a list of approved grants, click here.)

Improving Sustainability of Leading Arts Organizations

Grants approved as part of the Arts program include nearly $3.8 million to 12 leading organizations in the Central Valley that are participating in phase two of the Arts Regional Initiative. Each grantee proposes projects that would address the dual challenges of building organizational capacities and financial stability, while improving programs to increase cultural participation. These grants are aligned with the goal of Irvine’s Arts program, which seeks to promote a vibrant and inclusive artistic and cultural environment in California.

Advancing Reforms to Improve California’s State Governance and Fiscal Systems

Grants approved as part of the California Democracy program include a $6 million renewal grant to California Forward that provides support for the organization to advance reforms to improve California’s state governance and fiscal systems. California Forward is a bipartisan organization bringing Californians together to advance governance and fiscal reforms that lead to a more responsive, effective and accountable government in California. The grant is aligned with Irvine’s California Democracy program, which seeks to advance effective public policy decision making that is reflective of and responsive to all Californians.

Second Phase of Irvine Foundation’s Arts Regional Initiative Continues Commitment to Leading Regional Arts Institutions

San Francisco — The James Irvine Foundation today announced $4 million in grants to 11 arts institutions in Southern California that are committed to broadening and diversifying their audiences and strengthening their financial sustainability. The organizations selected this year for the Arts Regional Initiative are planning to use the grants to advance financial sustainability within a challenging economic environment and to increase cultural participation from underrepresented communities. While each institution is developing specific plans, initiative participants are updating their strategic plans to recalibrate for the current economy, strengthening and diversifying board leadership, and developing culturally relevant artistic programs to attract diverse audiences.

“In this tough economy, we want to underscore our commitment to these regional arts organizations as they explore new ways of achieving financial sustainability and attracting culturally diverse audiences,” noted James E. Canales, the Irvine Foundation’s President and CEO.

The organizations represent a mix of artistic disciplines, including music, dance, theater, visual arts and multidisciplinary arts. The grants will be awarded over three years and grantees will share resources, best practices and lessons learned. A complete list of grantees follows:

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 26 grants totaling nearly $10.2 million in support of the Foundation's mission of expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. (For a list of approved grants, click here.)

Of the $10.2 million, nearly $4 million will support 11 California arts organizations that are addressing challenges of building organizational capacities and financial stability. Another $905,000 California Democracy program grant will fund KQED’s statewide radio news coverage of significant policy and governance issues focused on California. Additionally, a grant in the Youth program provides $500,000 to strengthen the District Leadership Series of the California Multiple Pathways District Initiative.

Addressing Challenges of Organizational Capacities and Financial Stability

The goal of Irvine’s Arts program is to promote a vibrant and inclusive artistic and cultural environment in California. Grants approved as part of the Arts program include almost $4 million to support 11 California arts organizations through Irvine’s Arts Regional Initiative (ARI). These organizations will receive grants to advance financial sustainability within a challenging economic environment and to increase cultural participation from underrepresented communities.

It was something Jovel did with his sister, for free, in order to pass on important cultural traditions and give youth of Salvadoran descent a sense of collective identity. But as the price of gas rose, it became too expensive to make the roughly 80 mile round trip, and Jovel had to stop.

"I couldn't afford it. I didn't have the money. I was doing it from my pocket," said Jovel, adding that he would continue teaching but for the cost. "I have a list of 24 kids who want to learn."

Jovel is just the sort of local cultural role model who should receive more support from established arts organizations and grantmaking institutions, according to a thought-provoking new study recently published by The James Irvine Foundation. Titled "Cultural Engagement in California's Inland Regions," the report is an effort to better understand culture and community in California's San Joaquin Valley and Inland Empire.

Daniel Foster often feels like he's running a marathon at a sprinter's pace.

As the executive director of the Riverside Art Museum in the booming Inland Empire region, Foster feels constant pressure to keep up with the region's rapidly changing art demands. He speaks of the need to develop a "much larger regional sense of identity" to appeal to an ever-expanding populace of 4 million residents. And he echoes a theme common to arts organizations across the state of having insufficient resources to meet evolving demands as technology and other changes have intensified competition for consumer attention.

Foster's efforts to further develop the museum's recognition as a leading arts organization in the Inland Empire is now supported by a $300,000 grant from the Irvine Foundation. The museum is one of 12 arts organizations located in Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Orange counties that received grants as part of Irvine's new Arts Regional Initiative, which aims to support the artistic leadership of regional arts organizations.

With the initiative, Irvine is focusing on regional arts organizations located outside of the state's major metropolitan areas. The initiative specifically targets leading arts institutions that may be under-capitalized and vulnerable to decreases in government and donor funding. The grants support an array of capacity building activities such as programming, technology, institutional governance, and communications.