RAP Quarterly Newsletter Vol. 25 - January 2020
In This Issue:
Welcome Karina Rios, Newest RAP Team Member

We would like to introduce our newest RAP Team member, Karina Rios. Karina started with RAP as the CNA Services Manager this month. 

Karina will be focusin g her ti me on addressing Immigration Rights as part of The James Irvine Foundation grant. Her first priority will be to learn about current services that exist and the gaps relating to immigrant resources in the Coachella Valley.
Karina recently earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino. She worked as an Administrative Support Assistant at California State University, San Bernardino - Palm Desert Campus for 4 years where she had the opportunity to interface with students, parents, faculty and staff. She has also volunteered her time with College of the Desert Alumni Association, Alas Con Futuro at College of the Desert, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) Pathways to Success program, as well as interning with the Coachella Valley Women's Business Center. Besides volunteering with CVEP, Karina also worked with them as an Assistant Project Manager supervising 20 students who conducted business survey interviews for CVEP's Economic Blueprint.

Karina grew up in the eastern Coachella Valley and currently lives in Thermal with her husband Ernie and son, Ernesto.

When asked what interested her in this position, Karina said "I'm excited for the opportunity to work with an organization that has had a significant impact on improving the lives of residents across the region, as well as working and learning from local leaders that are helping advance the RAP Foundation's mission. I'm equally excited for the opportunity to maximize the impact of the funding provided through the James Irvine Foundation by build partnerships with organizations committed to bridging the gap in information and resources for immigrants in the Coachella Valley."

Grants Corner
By Eva Guenther-James, Grants Manager

Happy New Year! Hope you have had a great start to 2020!

Results Based Accountability (RBA)

RAP Foundation Board of Directors has embraced the use of Results Based Accountability (RBA) as the framework for its grantmaking. RBA was introduced to the organizations who attended the Health/Mental Health Initiative Request for Proposal Bidders meeting. The introduction to RBA framework was to assist potential applicants to the definition of RBA as well as understand the direction of future RAP grant opportunities that incorporates this process of community impact.

RBA is a decision-making framework that helps nonprofits, foundations, communities and governmental agencies improve the lives of children, families and communities by delivering long-term, measurable impact. It is a process that offers a disciplined way of thinking and taking action to improve the conditions of the people being served. The approach starts with RESULT and works backward towards means-strategies for getting there. Also, importantly. It is a data-driven decision making process.

I look forward to sharing more with you in the next newsletter!

Best,
Eva
CNA Corner

By Stephanie Minor, CNA Director

We are excited to announce the launch of the Center For Nonprofit Advancement's new membership model! Please visit www.CenterForNonprofitAdvancement.org to find out more. As member of CNA, you receive MANY benefits. You will be part of one of the best online and live communities for nonprofit leaders, board and staff. You'll have exclusive access to outstanding resources including deep dives into fundraising, leadership, developing your Board of Directors, nonprofit marketing, and materials and information to help your nonprofit organization "go" and "grow!"

You will also receive access to several in person/live events taught and led by nonprofit experts. Some of these events are free with your membership, and you will receive significant discounts on registration for those events that are not free, as a CNA member.

Please take some time to find out more. Our new membership model's doors open on February 1, 2020. It is a simple process to sign up, and it will make a REAL difference for you and your nonprofit!
Desert Legal Foundation

The Desert Legal Foundation (DLF) was originally formed for the purpose of helping people-middle management people, especially-who had been treated unfairly by their employers; it evolved into an organization which potentially helped anyone who was being taken advantage of by an employer. A modest funding amount set up by former County Supervisor Patricia "Corky" Larson, founding Board Member Richard Cromwell III, and investor/philanthropist T. Boone Pickens, was parlayed into legal interdiction by the Foundation.

Although DLF disbanded, their Board of Directors made up of Corky Larson, Aurora Wilson, Richard Cromwell III, Sue Stedding and Michael O'Connor voted unanimously to give their remaining funds of approximately $40,000 to RAP in the hope that the money will be used by nonprofits facing legal issues.

This grant will allow RAP to increase its Center for Nonprofit Advancement Program (CNA) resources meant to develop nonprofits' capacity to serve their clients. While CNA currently provides full or partial financial assistance for consultants with expertise in a particular area (for example: Strategic Planning, Human Resources, Marketing Nonprofits, etc.) up until now its consultant pool did not include attorneys.

However, a nonprofit can now apply to CNA for financial assistance if it is in need of addressing legal issues such as, but not limited to: Formulating Bylaws, Addressing Nepotism, Conflicts of Interest, Creating MOUs to Merge Nonprofits, and Board Development.  Feel free to contact CNA Director Stephanie Minor by email SMinor@RAPFoundation.org for more information.
Supporting Nonprofits' Search for Grants

Besides having a lending library of many books in nonprofit topics, RAP provides free online research services at our facility.

The Foundation Directory Online delivers detailed grant information, description of grants awarded and types of grantmaker funding support and so much more.

This online resource service is available to nonprofits and can be easily viewed at the RAP office. Contact CDeMonaco@RAPFoundation.org   or call at 760 674-9992 to make a reservation.


Center for Nonprofit Recently Recognized by Big Horn Cares!

RAP's CNA Program was one of many local organizations which was a recipient of one of this year's annual grants.

The $6,000 award will be used to purchase technology that will be used to support our capacity building services offered at our Center for Nonprofit Advancement facility. It also allows us to collaborate with a local funder to support our nonprofit community.

Big Horn Cares annual grant total is nearly $500,000.
 
Stephanie Minor and Kelly Levy, Big Horn Cares' Charities and Marketing Director 

CEO Report
Lety De Lara, CEO

Happy 2020! A new decade, a new year and so many new things to look forward to in our community.

Association of Fundraising Professional's (AFP) National Philanthropy Day
On November 8, 2019, RAP was recognized as AFP's Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation of the year at their annual Awards Luncheon attended by over 700 people. RAP celebrated this notable recognition along with the other honorees:
Outstanding Philanthropists: James and Carol Egan

Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer: Sally Berger

Outstanding Nonprofit Founder: Jo Rosen, Parkinson's Resource Organization

Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy: Keystone Club/Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs

Outstanding Fundraising Professional: Judi Olivas
 
The RAP Board and Staff appreciate the honor and look forward to serving our nonprofit community to achieve our mutual goal of enhancing the quality of life of our residents.
 
RAP Foundation Board Members Jan Pye, Tori StJohns and Leticia De Lara, CEO

Immigrant Rights
The RAP Foundation is pleased to announce a grant award from The James Irvine Foundation in the amount of $400,000. We plan to re-grant funds and provide capacity building services to support nonprofits addressing Immigrant Rights in the Coachella Valley.
 
"The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation's grantmaking is committed to a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since 1937, the Foundation has provided more than $1.87 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout California. With about $2.3 billion in assets, the Foundation made grants of $95.9 million in 2018."
 
We plan to start the process to administer the grant this month and look forward to making the funds available as soon as possible.
 
Mental Health Request for Proposal
As previously announced, RAP released the latest Request for Proposal in November. We were pleased by the positive interest we received as demonstrated by the number of representatives who attended the mandatory bidders meetings held before the deadline to submit the required Letter of Intent (LOI). We look forward to working with the organizations which submitted the LOI and guiding them through the application process to provide them with the opportunity to be considered for approval by the RAP Board.
 
Recent Grants
The RAP Board recently allocated grants to the following organizations:
  • Neuro Vitality Center's Adult Day Health Care Community Based Adult Services
  • Colorado River Senior Center
  • Desert Sands Educational Foundation's CAMFest 2019 event
  • Martha's Village and Kitchen
  • HARC, Health Assessment and Research for Communities
  • Hidden Harvest's Senior Market Project
  • California CareForce's 2 Day Free Clinic in Indio March 27-28, 2020
  Wishing you the best and bright outlook for the future!
Sincerely,
Lety De Lara, CEO


Lety De Lara with Beverly Greer with Neuro Vitality Center
COACHELLA VALLEY NONPROFITS WIN $64,500 IN CASH GRANTS FROM THE RAP FOUNDATION!

On November 20, 2019, the Regional Access Project Foundation, through its Center For Nonprofit Advancement, presented the Desert Fast Pitch at UCR Palm Desert.
 
The annual event is a Shark Tank-style, high-energy, quick-fire presentation in which nonprofits powerfully communicate their story and make a 3-minute pitch for funding. Seven nonprofits made it to the finals and competed for cash grants of $64,500.00 awarded by the Regional Access Project Foundation (RAP). They delivered their pitches to a panel of judges and an audience of approximately 275 philanthropic, business, civic, and nonprofit leaders.
 
This year's finalists were Dimitri Halkidis for Boo 2 Bullying, Cathy Teal for FAIR Foundation, Connie Golds for Desert Best Friend's Closet, Irene Rodriguez for Cabot's Museum, Colin Barrows for Friends of the Desert Mountains, Debra Ann Mumm for CREATE Center For The Arts, and Pamela Grogan for Coachella Valley Housing.
 
The Best Pitch Award went to Desert Best Friend's Closet for $20,000.00. Boo 2 Bullying received the award for Most Innovative Pitch, for $15,000.00, and Friends of the Desert Mountains was awarded $10,000.00 for Audience Choice.

Through RAP's Center for Nonprofit Advancement (CNA) program finalists engaged in a 6-month training and mentoring program that included marketing, branding, and speaking training so that the nonprofits can effectively raise the funding they need to be self-sustaining. The program culminated in the live, Fast Pitch competition.
 
This year's judges included Palm Desert Mayor Susan Marie Weber, Bryan Gallo of NBC Palm Springs, Shaun Clark of the 4 Shay J Foundation, Judi Olivas President of AFP, Aurora Wilson Board Trustee for College of the Desert, and Van Tanner RAP Board member.
 
          We were fortunate to have Dr. Michele Borba as our featured "Inspirational" Speaker for the event.   Dr. Borba is a national known speaker and award winning author of 22 parenting and educational books.  She was also gracious enough to provide a book signing after the event with a free copy of her newest edition  Unselfie.  
 
    For more information on participating in next year's event contact Christine DeMonaco at CDemonaco@RAPFoundation.org
 
Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, participants and CNA Team for making this event a great success! 
 
Save the Date:  Next year's Desert Fast Pitch event is scheduled for October 21 at UCR Palm Desert from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.  
 
   2019 Winners:  Boo 2 Bullying, Desert Best Friend's Closet, Friends of the Desert Mountains


Dimitri Halkidis , Connie Golds and Colin Barrows



Thank you to our Presenting Sponsors:  First 5 Riverside, Clinicas de Salud Del Pueblo and Health Net

City of Palm Desert's Outside Agency Funding Notice 2020/2021

The application can be found on our  City of Palm Desert  page. Please visit site to learn about criteria.
Application and all supporting documents are to be submitted to Patty Leon, Finance Department, City of Palm Desert, 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260, NO LATER THAN NOON (12:00 P.M.) ON FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 to be considered for funding for FY 2020/2021.



From Top Left to Right : Stephanie Minor (CNA Director), Joyce Corporon (Accountant), Mireya Reyes (Facilities Manager), and Eva Guenther-James (Grants Manager)

From Front Left to Right: Christine Demonaco (CNA Community Services Manager), Leticia De Lara (CEO), Angie Nieto (Office Assistant), and Ruth Christian (Volunteer)



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