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-Editorial
Every year, The James Irvine Foundation recognizes nonprofit leaders who are making significant strides in addressing California’s most pressing challenges. This year’s award recipients, tackling issues from environmental justice to political empowerment, exemplify the power of grassroots advocacy and community-driven solutions. Each recipient’s organization will receive a $350,000 grant to further their impactful work.
Despite political and economic uncertainties, these changemakers prove that meaningful progress is possible. They bring innovative solutions to the forefront, influence policy discussions, and inspire the next generation of leaders.
In Fresno, Nayamin Martinez, Executive Director of the Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN), has spent nearly 25 years fighting for the rights of immigrant communities, particularly farmworkers. A Mexican immigrant herself, Martinez has dedicated her life to ensuring that those working in agriculture are not overlooked.
“If you know the Central Valley, you know that’s one of the main occupations for people who look like me—who come from Latin America, speak English as a second or third language, and who are oftentimes ignored and discarded,” she said.
Her work with CCEJN has led to tangible policy changes, including a state audit of Cal/OSHA’s enforcement of workplace protections and a groundbreaking plan to reduce pesticide use in California by 80% over the next two decades. The organization also provides direct assistance, such as distributing water filters in areas with contaminated water and air purifiers for families affected by wildfire smoke.
Despite shifting federal immigration policies causing fear and instability among farmworkers, Martinez remains committed. “Our communities have been resilient for decades. This is just another obstacle that motivates me to work harder,” she said.
On California’s northern coast, Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy, Co-Director of the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute, is redefining environmental stewardship through Indigenous science.
“Western conservation often sees humans as separate from nature,” she explained. “Our knowledge teaches that humans are a part of nature, and our responsibility is to ensure balance.
Located at Cal Poly Humboldt, the lab integrates Indigenous ecological knowledge with scientific research to address modern environmental and food security challenges.
Indigenous communities in Northern California, including the Wiyot and Bear River Rancheria, have long resisted efforts to erase their knowledge and traditions. Dr. Risling Baldy sees recent political attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as part of a long history of challenges Indigenous peoples have faced.
“Our ancestors ensured that knowledge was passed down, despite treaty violations, broken promises, and outright bans on our cultural practices,” she said. “They refused to be erased, and so do we.”
Her vision for the future is rooted in reclaiming Indigenous self-sufficiency. “We know what it looks like when everyone has food, a home, and a sense of belonging because we lived in that world before colonization. That’s what we’re working to restore.”
For Helen Iris Torres, CEO of Hispanas Organized for Political Equity (HOPE), the fight for Latina representation is both professional and personal.
Raised by a monolingual Spanish-speaking single mother who struggled to navigate healthcare and education systems, Torres turned her experiences into a lifelong mission. “I decided I could either keep bearing witness or do something about it,” she said.
HOPE has championed policies promoting pay equity, access to healthcare, and Latina leadership in government. Despite Latinas making up 20% of California’s population, they continue to face disparities in wages and political representation.
Torres emphasized the need for women to take leadership roles in decision-making spaces. “If you’re not invited to the table, set up your table,” she declared. “I believe women are going to lead the effort to strengthen democracy—they already are.”