Since the Institute’s founding, the Irvine Foundation has been a vital partner and funder, supporting our work in equitable economic development. The UC Santa Cruz news team sat down with Jessica Kaczmarek, Priority Communities Initiative Director at the foundation, to learn more about how and why her organization has chosen to fund the Institute for Social Transformation over the years and the impact of this collaborative work together.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the foundation’s overall philanthropic goals?
A: The James Irvine Foundation is a statewide foundation that invests exclusively in California, and we are committed to a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. That’s our guiding North Star.
Under that, we fund four core initiatives that work towards that goal, from strengthening worker organizing and workforce development systems to supporting community-driven, inclusive economic development efforts in six communities across California – Fresno, Stockton, Merced, Salinas, San Bernardino, and Riverside – that have been systematically under-invested in by philanthropy and public systems.
Q: Where did the James Irvine Foundation’s work begin with the Institute for Social Transformation, and what has made the Institute a good partner organization?
A: We met the Institute for Social Transformation team and Chris Benner when we began our work in the Central Coast and in the Salinas Valley. We were familiar with their work in partnership with USC’s Equity Research Institute around Solidarity Economics.
Our partnership really began in the Salinas community as part of an initiative we helped to support through the Community Foundation of Monterey County called the Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative (SIEDI). This cohort of community-based organizations was dedicated to enhancing their understanding of the Salinas Valley’s economic system and advocating for and informing better outcomes for working people in Salinas.
What sets the Institute apart is its commitment to data and research to help others understand how to support community and worker organizations and apply best practices to influence agendas and communities.
The Institute and Chris Benner’s team have really helped build out the capacity of their community-based partner organizations to understand how economic decisions are made in the region and the power that shapes community outcomes.
They have been able to translate this kind of work in ways that are highly accessible to communities, which we see as a real value. While they are academics, they are deeply rooted in the community and committed to helping folks learn how to use data to inform their work.
Q: How has the foundation’s relationship with the Institute grown, and what have you seen emerge as a result of this work that is most energizing and exciting?
A: After our SEIDI collaboration, our relationship with the Institute deepened to include our work with the Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI), which has been critical to building capacity for folks across California to better understand how to inform inclusive economic development statewide.
Then, we sponsored the Institute’s work in the Lithium Valley, a region undergoing significant transformation. We knew that if we wanted to see more inclusive economic development outcomes, we needed to build community capacity to understand both the opportunities and the threats of a new industry. Having partners like the Institute who are really trusted by the community has helped build that capacity.
And as we look forward, through our Priority Communities initiative, we have funded the Institute to be our partner in what we’re calling a “community of practice” to support all six of our Priority Communities in coming together to learn from one another on best practices.
Each of the cities faces similar economic challenges and opportunities, and we’re excited to see more conversation and learning that will scale community-driven practices. We hope it will lead to more worker and community-centered outcomes, fewer exploitative practices, and greater wealth and financial stability for working people.
Q: Why would you recommend other foundations and donors to work with the Institute?
A: Sometimes, one of the most challenging things for funders to find is an organization carrying out research and academic work that can be applied.
The work that the Institute does is not theoretical or conceptual. If funders are looking not just to assess what’s happening or the concepts of what might be happening in a community, but to actually help build capacity for folks to take action, the Institute is the kind of partner that uses research to change outcomes.