James Irvine, a California agricultural pioneer, established the Irvine Foundation in 1937 to benefit the people of California. Over the last 67 years, the Foundation has met the objectives of its founder by providing more than $900 million in grants to over 2,700 nonprofit organizations.Following a process of strategic planning undertaken during 2002–2003, Irvine board and staff took a fresh look at the people of California — who they are, where they live, and what their prospects are. As a result, the Foundation refined its mission and its grantmaking program, focusing on the notion of expanding opportunity as the guiding principle in all of our activities. Whether we expand opportunity by helping youth to navigate critical transitions in their lives, by fostering creativity and nurturing a rich cultural environment in our state, or by improving decision-making related to the critical issues facing California today and into the future, our vision is a state where full and active participation by all Californians becomes a reality