Healthcare District and RAP Foundation create $200,000 COVID-19 recovery fund for second round of grants for valley nonprofits
March 1, 2021 - District Staff
The boards of both agencies recently approved contributing $100,000 each to a new $200,000 collaborative fund for a COVID-19 recovery effort. The priority for the collaborative fund is to provide operational/capacity support to the community-based organizations serving vulnerable populations. Examples of vulnerable populations could include, but are not limited to, seniors, children, and families/individuals earning a low income.
Grants of up to $10,000 will be available through the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation's grant application process starting March 1 and concluding at 5 p.m. March 12. The grant time period is three months, beginning April 1 with a project end date of June 30. Please access the grant application here.
"Nonprofit organizations in eastern Riverside County have experienced significant decreases in revenue," said RAP CEO Leticia De Lara. "The Recovery Funds are intended to address funding gaps, which are much higher than a single funder like RAP currently has the capacity to resolve, but we are, most importantly, demonstrating our joint support of our nonprofits' continued efforts to provide much-needed health services." (De Lara also serves as Board president for the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation; she recused herself during the Board's vote on the collaborative fund.)
These new grants are a continuation of the collaboration that began last year between the District and Foundation and RAP. In early 2020, shortly after the global outbreak of COVID-19, the District and Foundation Board approved a $1.2 million response to the virus. It included $100,000 in emergency operating support for community-based organizations, which was matched dollar-for-dollar by RAP. Applicants who received funds last year are eligible to apply this year.
“Since the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation has responded to meet the needs of the Coachella Valley, but we haven’t acted alone,” said Conrado Bárzaga, District and Foundation CEO. “By combining our resources with the Regional Access Project Foundation, which we also did last year, we’re able to assist the nonprofits that continue to face challenges from this pandemic. Many of these organizations also serve the valley’s most vulnerable and traditionally undeserved residents, which supports the District and Foundation’s mission.”
Reporting requirements will be minimal, with information collected about the numbers served, impact on the community and/or nonprofit operations, along with the receipts showing how the funds were expended.
About the Regional Access Project Foundation
The RAP Foundation is a public benefit corporation that was established in 1992 to address unmet needs in health, mental health and juvenile intervention for residents of eastern Riverside County through grants and technical assistance to not-for-profit service providers. Funding of the RAP Foundation is primarily through unique cooperative agreements between the foundation and Riverside County; and between the county and the city of Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency.
About the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation
The Desert Healthcare District is a local government agency formed in 1948. Its mission is to achieve optimal health at all stages of life for all District residents. The District includes more than 400,000 residents and encompasses the entire Coachella Valley. It is funded primarily through a portion of Riverside County property tax collected in the Coachella Valley, as well as public and private donations and lease revenue.