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Over the course of 15 months, the inaugural cohort of California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise (CA RISE) delivered transformative value to communities and businesses across the Golden State.

The CA RISE program, launched in 2023 by a pioneering $25M investment from the State of California, provides funds to employment social enterprises (ESEs) — revenue-generating, mission-driven businesses across the state that offer jobs and support for people who have experienced barriers to employment, like justice system involvement or homelessness. The goal here: to help Californians across the state gain access to pathways to quality jobs.

Over the course of the program, participating ESEs generated more than $155.9 million in new earned revenue, hired 3,887 new employees, and secured 83 public-sector contracts and grants totaling more than $38 million. More highlights:

• 70% of participating ESEs increased earned revenue
• 75% increased employee compensation
• 66% expanded training and upskilling opportunities
• 61% increased supportive services for employees
• 87% grew their knowledge of public-sector funding and support systems

Read the evaluation summary, or explore the full evaluation report.

And get ready for CA RISE 2.0! The California State 2025-2026 budget includes $17M for the next round of CA RISE programming. Applications for the second cohort are expected to open in summer 2026, with programming beginning in the fall. Read more details here.