Priority Communities Workforce & Mobility is sponsored by The James Irvine Foundation. Supports initiatives in California that help low-income workers advance, which often includes addressing transportation and mobility barriers to employment.

Priority Communities - The James Irvine Foundation About Us Our goal is a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. About Us Our Focus A California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically.

Our Focus Fair Work Advancing fairness, dignity, and respect for California workers Better Careers Connecting Californians to good jobs with family-sustaining wages and advancement opportunities Our Approach A singular goal unites all our work Our Approach Our Initiative Model Our grantmaking initiatives have specific goals, budgets, and timelines to, collectively, achieve the impact we seek.

Partnerships To better serve working people, we partner with nonprofits, funders, employers, labor, and policymakers. Impact Assessment and Learning We seek to inform the foundation’s strategy, enhance impact, and share knowledge with our colleagues and the field. Our Grants Supporting efforts to ensure all low-income workers in California have the power to advance economically.

Our Grants Current Grantees Find reporting and application information here. Grantseekers We are not accepting unsolicited inquiries for our initiatives or current grantmaking at this time. Transitioning Grantmaking Impact Assessment and Learning Building Inclusive Economies Priority Communities Grantee Insights We support community efforts in six cities to create an economy that works for all residents.

We envision local economies where workers and their families — including those harmed by discriminatory policies and practices built into many institutions — have the power to drive economic change and influence public systems and employers for good jobs, economic development, and self-determination.

The Priority Communities grantmaking initiative launched in 2020 with a focus on five cities (Fresno, Stockton, Salinas, San Bernardino, and Riverside) that are critical to California’s future given their growth, diversity, and role in the state’s economy.

Since 2020, the initiative has invested approximately $125 million to strengthen the ability of communities in each city to improve the quality of jobs and create thriving economies, including helping leverage $1. 2 billion in opportunities that will prioritize community needs and local workers.

In December 2024, the Irvine board approved an additional $220 million, through 2031, to add Merced as a sixth city , and to focus on three interrelated and complementary areas: Strengthen worker and community power Invest in community-led and -owned economic development models, including workforce pathways and the small business ecosystem Respond to emergent community needs and opportunities Read more here about what we now fund.