At Irvine, we believe a healthy democracy depends on decision making informed by the views and experiences of a broad cross-section of our communities. That’s why we’re heartened by the many public officials and civic leaders who place a high value on public participation and are interested in exploring new strategies to engage the public in decisions affecting their future

A new study, commissioned by the Irvine Foundation, shows that public officials and civic organization leaders have much more in common in their views of public engagement in local decision-making than we might assume. In the study of more than 900 elected and nonelected public officials and more than 500 leaders of civic and community-based organizations across California, Public Agenda found the following:

Two years ago, the Irvine Foundation joined a group of nine other foundations in a collaborative effort to increase civic participation among communities of color and other underrepresented populations in four California counties – San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside. The work, led by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, aligns closely with Irvine’s focus on civic engagement.

The collaboration, called the California Civic Participation Funders, has several unusual aspects. For one, its members are quite diverse. Participating foundations run the gamut from large to small; focus on a wide range of issues, from community health to economic justice to women’s rights; and include both 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations. Another distinctive aspect is its approach, which allows a high degree of autonomy among participating funders, while pursuing a common strategy and goals.

As of January 2012, the California Civic Participation Funders had invested $1.2 million to support nonprofits in the target regions so that they can more effectively mobilize and engage underrepresented populations in public decision-making. A new report, Bolder Together, examines lessons from this ongoing effort that other funders might apply in their work.

Read Bolder Together.

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.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 15 grants totaling more than $17.6 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.)

Advancing Innovative Ideas and Initiatives

Grants approved as part of the Arts program were made as part of the Arts Innovation Fund, which supports the state’s larger, established arts institutions, and included the Berkeley Repertory Theatre ($1 million), the Pacific Symphony ($850,000), and the San Francisco Ballet Association ($900,000). Irvine’s Arts program seeks to promote a vibrant and inclusive artistic and cultural environment in California.

Fostering Informed Public Involvement and Decision Making

Grants approved as part of the California Democracy program align with its Civic Engagement priority, including a grant to TransForm CA ($550,000) to engage diverse communities in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California in major land use decisions. Irvine’s California Democracy program seeks to advance effective public policy decision making that is reflective of and responsive to all Californians.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 12 grants totaling more than $4.4 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.)

Deepen Cultural Participation in the Arts

Grants approved as part of the Arts program include grants to American Friends Service Committee ($200,000), Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana ($180,000) and New Conservatory Theatre Company ($200,000) for a variety of audience engagement efforts. Irvine’s Arts program seeks to promote a vibrant and inclusive artistic and cultural environment in California.

Involving the Public in Local Decision Making

Grants approved as part of the California Democracy program include a $450,000 grant to Environmental Health Coalition to provide opportunities for San Diego County residents to participate in public decision making on land use and environmental health issues. Irvine’s California Democracy program seeks to advance effective public policy decision making that is reflective of and responsive to all Californians.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 26 grants totaling more than $11.5 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 Active Arts Engagement

Grants approved as part of the Arts program include a $500,000 grant to Los Angeles Philharmonic Association for support of the YOLA Neighborhood Project, which would provide high-quality music and music making opportunities for families and community members in underserved Los Angeles neighborhoods. This grant is aligned with the goal of Irvine’s Arts program, which seeks to promote a vibrant and inclusive artistic and cultural environment in California.

Expanding Opportunities for Voter Participation in Redistricting

Grants approved as part of the California Democracy program include a $600,000 grant to Common Cause to expand voter participation in elections and public participation in redistricting through policy development, public education and coalition based projects. This 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.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 15 grants totaling nearly $8.6 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 Innovation Among Major Arts Institutions

Grants approved as part of the Arts program include $3.7 million to five major California arts institutions through Irvine's Arts Innovation Fund (AIF). The Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco, the La Jolla Playhouse, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Music Center in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Symphony will each receive grants to support creative audience development approaches and/or innovative programming plans. All of the organizations are previous AIF grantees and some will receive funding to further institutionalize projects that were previously funded; others are proposing new innovations that will be developed. 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.

Establishing a Linked Learning Center

Grants approved as part of Irvine’s Youth program include a $750,000 grant to the Los Angeles Small Schools Center to establish a regional Linked Learning Center in Los Angeles. The center would support Linked Learning practice at Los Angeles Unified School District's Local District 4 while also providing specialized support to other Los Angeles area Linked Learning District Demonstration sites. The center will also identify potential new Linked Learning districts within LAUSD over the next two years. Grants made as part of Irvine's Youth program seek to increase the number of low income youth in California who complete high school on time and attain a postsecondary credential by the age of 25.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 13 grants totaling more than $9 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 $9 million, $4.5 million will fund the expansion of the California Linked Learning District Initiative as part of Irvine’s Youth program. $750,000 from the California Democracy program grant will fund Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education to conduct outreach related to state budget and fiscal issues. Additionally, a grant in the Arts program provides $300,000 to the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts to expand programming and audiences following the renovation of its facility.

Expanding the Linked Learning Approach

Irvine’s Youth program seeks to increase the number of low-income youth in California who complete high school on time and attain a postsecondary credential by the age of 25. Grants approved as part of Irvine’s Youth program include a $4.5 million grant to ConnectEd to develop, expand and support the California Linked Learning District Initiative, which supports nine high school districts to implement systems of Linked Learning pathways, which bring together strong academics, demanding technical education and real world experience in a range of fields such as engineering, arts and media, and biomedicine and health.

The following op-ed article by Jim Canales, Irvine's President and CEO, ran in the San Diego Union-Tribune on February 8, 2010

Historically, state legislators had been in charge of the redistricting process, drawing the district boundaries in which they and others would run. The passage of Proposition 11 places that district-drawing power in the hands of a 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission, chosen from a pool of citizen applicants with a history of regular voting.

Many experts agree that if the new redistricting system is to succeed, it will require a broad-based pool of applicants to the new commission that reflects the state’s diversity, as well as broad public participation to inform the commission’s plans.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 23 grants totaling more than $7 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 $7 million, $755,000 will fund arts service organizations as part of Irvine’s Arts program. Another $1.2 million California Democracy program grant will fund the Institute for Local Government to develop civic engagement practices among local public officials. Additionally, a grant in the Youth program provides $400,000 to the Green Dot Education Project to help restructure Alain Leroy Locke Senior High School into nine small schools.

Sharing Civic Engagement Practices Among Local Public Officials

Irvine’s California Democracy program seeks to advance effective public policy decision making that is reflective of and responsive to all Californians. Grants approved to advance this goal include a $1.2 million grant to the Institute for Local Government (ILG) to develop and disseminate case studies and self-evaluation tools, host workshops and provide technical assistance to city and county officials. ILG will target leaders in the San Joaquin Valley, Inland Empire and other regions where public engagement in local policymaking has been limited.

The goal was to understand how we could focus our grantmaking for greater impact, based on what we had learned over the previous five years and considering changes in the political and policy environment. As part of this re-examination, our program staff engaged in a series of discussions with our board, grantees and leaders in communities across the state.

The result of this process, announced in May, is a modified program design and a new program name — California Democracy. The program’s essential mission has not changed; it is still focused on advancing effective public policy decision making that is reflective of and responsive to all Californians. And the new name is simply a better description of the grantmaking that we had already been doing.

Irvine’s grantmaking under the California Democracy program will focus on two major areas: Governance Reform and Civic Engagement. And within these areas, we’ve targeted our grantmaking in ways that we think take best advantage of our resources and opportunities and will make the greatest difference for the people of California.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 21 grants totaling more than $21 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 $21 million, $3.3 million will support four California arts organizations that are developing innovative ways to deepen their engagement with audiences. A $750,000 grant through the California Democracy program will fund the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment to promote the systematic inclusion of low-income residents in Tulare, Kern and Kings counties in land-use decision making. Additionally, a grant in the Youth program will provide $11.3 million to implement comprehensive multiple pathways programs at various school districts within California.

Developing New Approaches to Attract Audiences for the Arts

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 $3.3 million to support four California arts organizations through Irvine’s Arts Innovation Fund (AIF). The American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, the Armand Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) and the Oakland Museum of California will each receive grants to support creative audience-development approaches and/or innovative programming plans. The grants fund new innovations at ACT and MCASD and help the Hammer and Oakland museums to institutionalize and sustain innovative practices that were funded by Irvine in 2006 as part of AIF.

San Francisco — The Board of Directors of The James Irvine Foundation has approved 11 grants totaling more than $11 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 $11 million, Irvine will make its largest ever grant with $7.5 million to ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career. A $400,000 Arts program grant will fund Dance/USA for an audience-engagement initiative. Additionally, two grants in the California Perspectives program provide a total of $850,000 to the Common Cause Education Fund and Working Partnerships USA to support electoral and budgetary reforms.

Advancing Multiple Pathways Programs

Irvine's Youth program seeks to increase the number of low-income youth in California who complete high school on time and attain a postsecondary credential by the age of 25. Grants approved as part of Irvine's Youth program include its largest ever grant of $7.5 million to ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career, to increase the availability of high-quality multiple pathways programs. ConnectEd was established in 2006 with a $6 million grant from Irvine. ConnectEd is a hub for innovative practice, policy and research to expand the number of education pathways that prepare students for college and career.