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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.

Supporting Policy and Leadership Trainings for Central Valley Residents
Grants approved as part of the California Democracy program include a $550,000 grant to PolicyLink to support Central Valley organizations involving residents in public decision making on infrastructure issues. PolicyLink will help organizations and residents to address the lack of basic infrastructure (such as water and sewer systems, streets and lighting) in many low income unincorporated areas of the Valley and will support policy and leadership trainings to help residents advocate on behalf of their communities. 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.

About The James Irvine Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. The Foundation’s grantmaking focuses on three program areas: Arts, California Democracy and Youth. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided over $1 billion in grants to more than 3,000 nonprofit organizations throughout California. With $1.4 billion in assets, the Foundation made grants of $67 million in 2009 for the people of California.