The Irvine Foundation launched the Just Prosperity initiative in 2022, with a broad focus on advancing policies that reflect the priorities of low-income workers and their families in California. Since then, the initiative has invested approximately $107 million to ensure our economy works for all Californians. 

The work of our community partners is inspiring, and I am excited to share that Irvine’s board has approved another $185 million over the next seven years to support and expand the initiative’s work. Just Prosperity will support policy research and advocacy, community organizing, and bridging sectors and ideological perspectives, so low-income workers and their families can have more influence on the decisions that impact their lives. 

The cost of living in California is growing faster than wages, and income alone can no longer guarantee economic security. Research from PPIC found that workers and families report making tough trade-offs to pay their rent, pay their bills, and have adequate food, healthcare, and childcare for their families. In spite of challenges, communities are also at the forefront of solutions for a bright future. 

We are proud that Just Prosperity grantees’ efforts so far have helped inform, protect, and expand more than 400 policies and budget proposals since the initiative launched. Grantees contacted and organized approximately 2.6 million low-income Californians, and identified and trained close to 40,000 community residents, who are now local leaders ready to mobilize on a range of policy needs. These efforts led to tangible improvements in the lives of workers and their families, helping vulnerable renters stay housed, increasing paid sick leave, and expanding supports and tax credits that put more money in the pockets of low-income families.  

The strategy for the next phase of Just Prosperity builds on that progress while factoring in what we learned in phase one, grantee input, and external pressures facing low-income communities. Over the next seven years, the initiative will focus on the following grantmaking strategies:   

• Policy research, advocacy, and evaluation to inform the public and policymakers about promising solutions and to ensure policies deliver their intended outcomes to improve affordability for low-income households. 
• Strengthening community organizing to ensure that low-income workers and families have voice, power, and representation in influencing the decisions and systems that affect their lives. 
• Bridging different sectors and ideological perspectives that strengthen coalitions, align interests, and increase the impact of efforts to build power and change policies. 

We are grateful to our partners and the organizations who were part of the advisory committee to develop this next phase of the initiative. We look forward to sharing initiative updates along the way.