Irvine Board Approves $20.45 Million in Grants

Our Board of Directors approved $20.45 million in grants at its quarterly meeting last week. Of the 52 approved grants, 35 are in the Arts, 12 within California Democracy, and five in our Youth program.

Here are some highlights from these new grants:

Exploring Engagement Funds — We added 33 new grantees to the Exploring Engagement Funds as part of the Arts program's goal to promote engagement in the arts for all Californians. Grand Vision Foundation and Company of Angels are examples of grantees that are exploring new practices that deepen and expand connections with their communities.

Community Partners — Our California Democracy program made six grants to organizations engaged in the Future of California Elections (FOCE) project. For example, Community Partners is receiving a $1 million grant to expand voter participation and support election reforms. Together, these grants will build networks and expertise to advance the FOCE project goals.

ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career — Our Youth program promotes Linked Learning as a new approach to high school education that combines strong academics with real-world experience in a wide range of fields. Several grants support the advancement of Linked Learning including a $5.7 million grant to ConnectEd to extend support and provide technical assistance to the California Linked Learning District Initiative.