The James Irvine Foundation

From health care to green energy to advanced manufacturing, many industries in California struggle to find workers trained for hard-to-fill positions. This is especially challenging for businesses in emerging sectors and/or located outside of urban employment hubs. Solving this collective challenge requires cross-sector collaborations. Over the last few years, Irvine and Joby Aviation have been part of a collaboration with local economic and education organizations to match employer and workforce needs, offering a blueprint for how California employers can create high-quality jobs while also building an inclusive, future-ready workforce. Ninety percent of the apprentices from the Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program (AMAP)—an “earn and learn” model that trains local workers for high-quality, advanced manufacturing jobs Joby needed to fill—have transitioned into permanent positions at the company. AMAP has created an effective, replicable training program that enabled Joby Aviation to find and retain local talent while spurring economic growth in the region. While communities and employers may have different motivations, the success of AMAP shows that cross-sector collaborations can effectively advance good jobs and economic growth. In Silicon Valley Business Journal, Irvine CEO Don Howard and Joby Aviation President of Operations Bonny Simi highlight AMAP’s success and ways employers can build local economies and workforces that benefit everyone: https://irvine.ly/40MpxRM #AdvancedManufacturing #PriorityCommunities

For over 12 years, Monica Vasquez made the trek from her home in South L.A. to her jobs in Pacific Palisades. To Monica, the families she worked for weren’t just her “patrones” or bosses—they were people who put their trust in her and made her feel like family. After the Palisades Fire, she found herself among the many domestic workers left without work.   Domestic workers—nannies, gardeners, attendants for older adults—are a huge part of the region’s economy. More than 100,000 work in L.A. County, many of them immigrants who are often forgotten when it comes to resources. In LAist , Brian De Los Santos highlights the impact of the Palisades fire on domestic workers and shares resources for those affected: https://lnkd.in/d4w9FqQD 

In honor of #BlackHistoryAndFuturesMonth, we are spotlighting some of the leaders and organizations Irvine is privileged to partner with.  First up is Dr. Cassandra Little PhD, MSW, CEO of the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce (FMBCC), a grantee partner of Irvine’s #PriorityCommunities initiative! FMBCC is committed to nurturing and expanding Black entrepreneurship through providing access to capital, business education, and mentorship, as well as advocating for policies that support business development. The organization reinforces the importance of diversity in business and ensures that the community benefits from increased job creation and innovation.  Hear more from Dr. Little at https://lnkd.in/gKQ2Dt8R and learn how #entrepreneurship contributes to the prosperity of the Black community at: https://irvine.ly/3xxp2Af You can also learn more about FMBCC by visiting their website: https://irvine.ly/4hJnt3G #BlackHistoryMonth

Each year, the Leadership Awards recognize Californians advancing innovative and effective solutions to pressing issues facing our state. On February 10, seven inspiring leaders will be announced as the recipients of the 2025 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards.  Join us next Monday for the livestream of the reception! RVSP now: bit.ly/irvineawards2025 #IrvineAwards 

As Californians navigate the impacts of natural disasters and recent government actions, we stand with our fellow philanthropic leaders in remaining committed to advancing the resilience, renewal, and unity of the communities we serve. We will not be defined by fear or division—we are committed to protecting our communities and ensuring that every person has the foundation for a good life.    The California Dream belongs to all of us, and we won’t stop until it’s realized. We are proud to stand with the California Community Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Latino Community Foundation, Liberty Hill Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation, The California Wellness Foundation, Weingart Foundation, and The Rosenberg Foundation.    Read the full statement: https://irvine.ly/3WGuYAz    #UnitedForCA #EquityForAll #UnitedForChange #UnityAndProgress #CAValues #PhilanthropyForChange #Philanthropy

New data briefs from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute, and UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies highlight the impact of the wildfires in #LosAngeles County on Black and Latino communities. In Altadena, a historically Black community, at least 2,800 Black households were forced to evacuate within a day of the Eaton Fire’s outbreak: https://lnkd.in/gtWG4eRb. Forty-eight percent of Black households/units were destroyed or majorly damaged. Among Black homeowners, 45% are cost-burdened (spending over 30% of their household income on housing costs) and 28% are severely cost-burdened (spending more than 50% of their household income on housing), meaning it will be more difficult for them to rebuild and financially recover. Meanwhile, at least 35,000 jobs held by Latinos were at risk of temporary or permanent displacement due to the wildfires: https://lnkd.in/eYKYX-PC. In the Palisades Fire Zone, Latinos hold 34% of jobs despite making up only 7% of the local population. The impact is particularly high in more affluent evacuation zones like Pacific Palisades, where many domestic workers are Latino. As the LA community rebuilds, the data briefs underscore the need for inclusive and equitable disaster response and long-term recovery efforts that fully address the unique needs of Black and Latino communities in the county.

In these challenging times, when millions of #immigrants are being demonized and threatened with deportation, it is crucial to understand the rights of immigrants, connect people with rapid resources, and avoid sounding false alarms.  In Convergence Magazine, Xiomara Corpeno shared actionable ways to support immigrant communities, such as conducting or attending Know-Your-Rights (KYR) sessions: https://lnkd.in/gHihaChc. Several great KYR resources have been created by trusted organizations, including those from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Irvine grantee partners, CHIRLA and the National Immigration Law Center. UCLA Labor Center, another Irvine grantee partner, has also begun compiling a list of resources to support immigrant communities: https://lnkd.in/guX-wNuA

The 2025 #IrvineAwards recipients will be announced soon! The leaders are a group of innovators working on a wide range of issues including maternal health, environmental justice, media inclusion, leadership development, information access, and community empowerment. Want to join us in celebrating them? Join us on Monday, February 10, at 6 p.m. PST for a livestream of the reception. RSVP now at: bit.ly/irvineawards2025 Follow The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards to say up-to-date.

Our goal at Irvine is for all low-income #California workers to have the power to advance economically. The events of the first few weeks of 2025 have magnified the challenges low-income workers are facing. It’s heart-wrenching to see the devastation from the L.A. fires and the threats to millions of undocumented immigrants.     We at Irvine are supporting three funds that are providing relief for some of the workers, small businesses, and communities most affected by the fires. These include: the Immigrant Fire Relief Fund, organized by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network; the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund, organized by the California Black Freedom Fund and California Community Foundation; and the Small Business Strong, LA Wildfire Relief Fund, organized by TMC Community Capital and the Latino Community Foundation.     We also remain committed to protecting immigrants’ rights and supporting immigrant integration in California. Our CEO, Don Howard, shares more in this blog post: https://irvine.ly/42nDFTM This includes providing $1 million to the Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund to offer technical assistance to nonprofits engaged in advocacy and services tied to federal actions.     The events of the past few weeks will only exacerbate the inequities in our economic systems, structures, and policies, which threaten both working Californians and our democracy. We have a lot of work to do, and Irvine remains steadfast in our commitment to fairness and equity for all California workers in these challenging times. 

As we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy yesterday, I was reminded of his commitment to the idea that justice for Black communities is not possible if their economic futures are not secure. Throughout his life Dr. King emphasized that we cannot have a just society without economic security for all. Today in California, this mission remains urgently unfinished. One out of every three working Californians – about 4.3 million people – wake up and go to work at jobs where their paycheck doesn't cover basic needs like rent and groceries. This burden falls heaviest on workers of color, who make up 76% of low-wage workers in our state. Further, Black and Latino families are overrepresented at lower income levels, earning $0.58 and $0.52 respectively for every $1 that white families earn. Realizing Dr. King's vision requires all of us working together: supporting worker voices, investing in underserved communities, and ensuring equitable access to good jobs for workers of color. While the challenges can feel daunting, I'm inspired by the countless individuals and organizations — especially The James Irvine Foundation grantees — showing us the way forward through concrete action and unwavering commitment to justice. I'm grateful every day to those carrying forward Dr. King's legacy of economic and racial justice. The work continues. #MLK #Equity #California