The Build Coachella Valley Fund through Inland Empire Community Foundation has distributed several mini-grants in an effort to advance a broader story around education and lifelong learning.
IECF’s charitable giving officer for the Coachella Valley, Michael Hinkle, said organizers have also been “getting our game plan ready” to launch the next iteration of other grants, which will be decided later this year.
In the meantime, the committee selected three Coachella Valley organizations for mini-grants, which were distributed to Codex Creation Committee, which strives to empower communities through free educational programming and health initiatives, convening and creating space for growth, thoughtfulness, collaboration and celebration; The Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs, which provides a safe place for children and teens to learn, play and connect with caring mentors; and Tools for Tomorrow, which offers free after-school arts literacy programs that integrate everything from creative writing and visual arts to music appreciation and theater for children ages 7 to 11.
“Each of these organizations brings different approaches to working with younger kids and young adults,” Hinkle said. “We thought this was a good way to start to really tell the story of this next iteration of the fund.”
Tizoc DeAztlan, executive director of Codex Creation Committee, expressed gratitude for the funding, saying, “The emergence of the Build Coachella Valley Fund has established a critical source of support for local nonprofits that provide important services and direct impact for local residents.”
BCVF was established in 2023 to support the critically urgent social, environmental and economic resilience of the Coachella Valley. Organizers kept one thing in mind: that real, sustainable progress and lasting change comes from investing collectively in “effective, mission-driven organizations that uplift well-being and build prosperity for all residents.”
“When BCVF was first launched in 2023, at that time, it supported food insecurity,” Hinkle said. “But every two years, the leadership committee picks a different vital condition to champion, and we support organizations that are doing something around those conditions, like education, food insecurity and housing. All the things that people need to thrive. That’s behind the work we are doing.”
That kind of framework gives organizers a clear roadmap for building thriving communities.
“It’s a simple approach that everyone can understand, and we want everyone to thrive,” Hinkle said. “It all comes down to removing the boundaries around the difficulties people face. It’s important that everybody understands that housing issues, food insecurity, and education need to be addressed. Everybody should have access to all those things.”
To that end, the recent mini-grants will assist the three nonprofits in responding to community needs right now.
“As you know, in the desert, things kind of slow down a little bit in summer,” he said. “But children still need to be active. They need to be busy, and they need their young minds to continue to develop those critical thinking skills. These three organizations provide that kind of space right now.”
Margaret Keung, executive director of Boys & Girls Club Palm Springs, said, “We are incredibly grateful to the Inland Empire Community Foundation for its investment in our Triple Play Summer Program, which helps local youth stay active, build healthy habits, strengthen friendships and develop the confidence they need to succeed.”
The 2026 awards encourage innovation and collaboration.
“The three grantees are all working under the education umbrella, but they’re meeting different audiences in our valley,” Hinkle said. “And that’s exciting. It’s a small investment that can create a big impact.”
Looking ahead, BCVF will use the next few months to gauge the impact of the mini-grants, followed by a unique way to honor what has been accomplished.
“In November, we’ll gather these organizations and celebrate the grants’ impact and what it meant to them and how it helped them,” Hinkle said. “Ultimately, the grants are here to create permanent resources that will strengthen our community for generations. We have to cover as much ground as we can.”
Hinkle came on board at IECF a year ago. Since then, he says he’s “recognized the critical role that IECF can provide” to amplify the impact and support of the work being done to provide a legacy of giving.
“The future of the Coachella Valley isn’t going to be built by one organization,” he said. “It’s going to be built through partnerships, and that’s with residents and nonprofits, businesses, the government, and philanthropy. We are all working together.”
The Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Visit iegives.org.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Build Coachella Valley Fund’s mini-grants target local education
Reporting by Greg Archer, Inland Empire Community Foundation / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Greg Archer, Inland Empire Community Foundation | USA TODAY Network
