A new study by KIWA, the UCLA Labor Center, and AAPI Data looks at the working conditions of supermarket workers in Koreatowns across Los Angeles and Orange County and highlights ways to create fairer working and living conditions.
Check it out at: bit.ly/4kVJ4Zt
The stagnant job market makes it harder for unemployed workers to find their next job.
One in four jobless workers is considered long-term unemployed, meaning they have been looking for work for more than 27 weeks, the highest rate since the pandemic.
capitalandmain.com/ai-hiring-sc...
“The Californians Powering America” exhibit spotlights immigrants' often-overlooked contributions through powerful visual stories.
On view at the San Fernando Library & La Cañada Flintridge Library through March 31. Free & open to the public.
@capitalandmain.bsky.social: bit.ly/4rtfsFo
Meet the 2026 Leadership Award recipients!
Their work is driving positive change in youth mentorship and mental health, civic engagement, higher education research, housing, and support for the frontline homelessness workforce.
This year marks 20 years of the #IrvineAwards. In that time, one thing has remained true: Leadership rooted in community is what moves California forward.
Congratulations to this years recipients!
Powerful photos capture the lives and work of California immigrants whose contributions often go unseen or underappreciated.
A selection of images from an exhibition at Los Angeles County libraries shows the range of visual stories on display through March.
capitalandmain.com/photo-essay-...
Curious how foundations and nonprofits are thinking about using AI?
Join us on March 4 in San Francisco to learn about the Center for Effective Philanthropy's AI With Purpose report and insights from funders navigating AI in the field.
Register now at: bit.ly/4rbF3Sx
A worker weeding around blackberry bushes
"Bonita" it's hard at work removing weeds with a hoe. She works 6 days a week 8 hours a day. "This work is important because it helps the plants grow clean and strong and the bushes will produce lots of fruit." #WeFeedYou
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Interested in learning about #ImperialValley nonprofits organizing at the intersection of environmental, labor, and immigrant justice as the region’s role in lithium extraction grows?
Join Irvine, The LIFT Fund, and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees on Feb. 24: bit.ly/4aN9F6G
We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards, whose work is driving positive change in youth mentorship and mental health, civic engagement, higher education research, housing, and homelessness.
Learn more about them here: bit.ly/4rWaqRF
Interested in reading about what we’ve learned through our investments in housing affordability?
Check out the Advancing Housing Affordability in California playbook at bit.ly/4r9xFrA and read about Irvine’s Housing Affordability project at bit.ly/4tr1t4m
Check out this piece from the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab to learn how we can ensure the three things Californians depend on to achieve economic stability—education, employment, and digital connectivity—are available to all residents: calmatters.org/sponsored/20...
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The Courage Project honors individuals and organizations—like PICO California—that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level: youtu.be/SYzI-NTIMHY?...
Do you know someone who is standing up for their community? Nominate them now at thecourageproject.org
In this new blog post, Irvine’s Rajib Guha reflects on our Housing Affordability project, shares encouraging signs of progress in the field, and introduces the Advancing Housing Affordability in California: A Funder Playbook: bit.ly/4tr1t4m
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We’re happy to see how much progress the Linked Learning Alliance has made across California!
Their work shows what’s possible when districts, educators, students & partners come together to prepare young people for college and high-opportunity careers: d985fra41m798.cloudfront.net/resources/20...
State of Engagement Fellows. For California state government leaders interested in civic engagement, participatory policymaking, and community outreach. Deadline to apply: February 15, 2026. Possibilitylab.berkeley.edu/Fellows
Are you a mid-to-senior leader at a California state department or agency who oversees civic engagement, participatory policymaking, and community outreach?
Apply now to the State of Engagement Fellowship to bridge the gap between government and community for policy impact: bit.ly/4qdoxRb
Wages lag behind rising costs. According to @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, between 2017 and 2025, earnings rose by 38%, while childcare, healthcare, and housing costs increased even more.
Addressing the affordability crisis requires ensuring access to jobs with family-sustaining wages. bit.ly/4bzp4ti
The workers fueling AI say they’re hamstrung by a lack of control over their work process, which could result in lower-quality work and, in turn, higher-risk AI systems.
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AI is increasingly being used to make decisions about where you work and where you live—but how reliable is this technology?
One answer lies in the conditions under which it’s built.
Learn how we’re working to strengthen California’s workforce ecosystem amid AI-driven shifts, and read about the AI-related efforts of our grantee-partners in @insidephilanthropy.com: bit.ly/4riCvST (2/2)
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“Both the technology and the policies around AI are still taking form, giving us a chance to influence how AI affects economic power before norms become harder to change. It’s critical we act now.” – Don Howard, Irvine CEO
bit.ly/4riCvST (1/2)
A huge bin full of oranges
"Arnulfo" shares, "This in my first season harvesting tangerines in Fresno, CA. I fill two 900 lb crates a day. It's hard work going up and down ladders and carrying the bag full of tangerines to empty it." #WeFeedYou
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The OpenAI Foundation is now the largest nonprofit in the U.S., but because it's not an actual foundation, it's not required to meet the 5% annual payout rule that applies to most large foundations.
@chronphilanthropy.bsky.social highlights how this could set a troubling precedent: bit.ly/4jV0K71
As we kick off the new year, we’re excited to welcome Maria Anguiano as our new board Chair!
Maria has been an invaluable member of our board since 2016, bringing insights from her career dedicated to making education a pathway to opportunity for others.
Hear more from Maria: bit.ly/3LNIy2L
We know our state will thrive when all Californians earn family-sustaining wages. However, the reality is that many working Californians often have to juggle multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
More in @ppicnotes.bsky.social: bit.ly/4q7N3U5 (2/2)
“I work full time, and I can’t afford to live. I’m not saying I want to be rich and live this lavish lifestyle. I just feel like if I’m working 60 hours a week, I should be able to go to the doctor.” – San Diego worker
bit.ly/4q7N3U5 (1/2)
In this new blog post, Don reflects on how last year’s political and economic climate affected Californians, the need to recapture the Californian Dream, and how Irvine grantee-partners fuel his optimism for the year ahead: bit.ly/4qQvGrm (2/2)
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“Charting California’s next chapter is the fundamental task before us. It’s time we define our future, a future where we recapture the California dream, where everyone — particularly low-income workers — have the power to advance economically and thrive.” – Irvine CEO Don Howard 1/2 bit.ly/4qQvGrm
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We’re happy to share that The LA Local’s expanded newsrooms are now live!
The LA Local, which Irvine is a founding supporter of, is dedicated to covering the stories of our neighborhoods with a team of local reporters and editors.
Visit TheLaLocal.org to learn more.
Interested in learning more about Californians' perspectives on why their jobs fall short and what they think could be done?
Join @ppicnotes.bsky.social on January 15 to hear about key insights from conversations with low-wage and middle-wage workers about their economic challenges: bit.ly/45K3iyZ
