Priority Communities: Fostering Inclusive and Resilient Economies
In 2020, The James Irvine Foundation launched the seven-year, $135 million Priority Communities initiative to support five California communities—Fresno, Salinas, San Bernardino, Stockton, and Riverside—with the goal to create good jobs and foster inclusive economic development that benefits all workers. The initiative has achieved notable progress in its first four years despite major events like the pandemic, racial justice uprising, and significant social and economic turmoil. The Engage R+D evaluation report highlights noteworthy examples of progress as well as challenges and tensions inherent to initiatives that involve diverse stakeholders, sectors, and other complexities. It explores what it takes to transform local economies and includes examples from each community to provide more nuance. Key findings include:
Support from Irvine has significantly shifted the composition of regional economic development tables, with a substantial increase in participation from grassroots organizations that represent worker and community voice.
Robust cross-sector partnerships are reducing silos and promoting collaboration, resulting in billions of dollars in new investments from federal, state, and philanthropic sources.
Regions are piloting innovative projects with promising initial results that pave the way for new jobs in emerging sectors.
Regional partners are building credibility, new narratives, and political will for more inclusive and equitable economic development that leads to the creation of good jobs.
