The James Irvine Foundation (San Francisco, CA)

The James Irvine Foundation announced a new initiative that dramatically expands and deepens its investments in four California communities—Fresno, Salinas, Riverside, and San Bernardino—and expects to add Stockton in a future phase of grantmaking in 2021. The goal: to create local economies that work for all residents. This task is more important than ever as California communities seek to rebuild their economies after the fallout of COVID-19. Before the crisis these cities had a disproportionate number of jobs that paid low wages and offered few protections or opportunities to advance; now there is an opportunity to build more inclusive economies that are both equitable and better prepared for the next crisis.

To that end, the Irvine Foundation approved $135 million over seven years for Priority Communities, Irvine’s third initiative focused on its goal of a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically.

The initiative builds on 15 years of Irvine’s support for incredible leaders and organizations in the San Joaquin Valley and Inland Southern California, and it grows out of a pilot strategy it began in 2018 in Fresno and Salinas, California.

The goals of the initiative are to:

  • Create more good jobs that offer a family-sustaining wage, benefits, and opportunities for low-wage workers to advance economically
  • Ensure more low-wage workers obtain good jobs and the necessary training to land these positions
  • Support effective, community-based approaches to increase the spread of good jobs
  • Leverage Irvine’s dollars by catalyzing public, private, and philanthropic investment

Tufts Health Plan (Watertown, MA)

Tufts Health Plan announced $50,000 in funding to five community organizations. These grants were made through a program involving Tufts Health Plan’s five business resource groups (BRGs). Each BRG recommended an organization aligned with its affinity to receive a grant from the Foundation. The organizations include:

  • Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center ($10,000)
  • The Carroll Center for the Blind ($10,000)
  • Crossroads Rhode Island ($10,000)
  • New England Center and Home for Veterans ($10,000)
  • Women’s Lunch Place ($10,000)

Tufts Health Plan Foundation committed an additional $1 million to support organizations responding to the coronavirus crisis. An additional $110,000+ has been donated to community organizations through a 2:1 match program available to employees and board members who donate during the pandemic. 

Contacts:
Alrie McNiff Daniels at 617.301.2715 or alrie_daniels@tufts-health.com;
Kathleen Makela at 617.480.9590 or kathleen_makela@tufts-health.com.

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