For some of the students the office serves, it was a life-changing opportunity.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the grant,” said Summer Steele, Executive Director of the Office of Pre-College Programs. “We were impacted by the Department of Education when they defunded some programs last summer.”

One of those programs was CSUSB’s High School Equivalency Program, which offers instruction and wraparound support for adults who are migrant, seasonal farm workers who did not complete their high school diploma or GED or High School Equivalency Test (HISET).

“We had a great cohort of students who were doing phenomenal,” Steele added. “Some of them graduated and received their HISET and their High School Equivalency Diploma. But there were several who were two or three tests away from actually completing everything and having their high school equivalency when the notice came that our program was going to be defunded.”

Suddenly, the office found itself searching for other options.

“We were so close, and the students were so close to the finish line,” Steele said. “We asked ourselves what we could do to support the students who were currently in our course. A former director, and also the current director of the camp, actually spent his evenings and weekends online, still providing instruction. He did this on his own because all the staff was let go.”

At that critical juncture, providing volunteer instruction for the students and staying in contact created a powerful ripple effect. When the IECF grant opportunity became available, Steele and the team believed it was the perfect opportunity to hire a success coach, who would then continue following that small cohort of students and provide them with the resources they needed to complete the program and receive the high school equivalency.

That included supplying such things as testing fees and supplies.

“We’re excited to continue serving those students, because there’s nothing worse than seeing so much progress than having the doors closed on your kids,” Steele said.

Moving through those hurdles mark another milestone for the Office of Pre-College Programs, which offers nine different and dynamic programs. Its services reach more than 5,000 students from San Bernardino, Rialto, and Colton Joint Unified School districts as well as students in the Coachella Valley.

These programs are designed to assists participants and their families with educational and personal support services with a goal of increasing high school graduation, college enrollment, persistence, and college completion.

Combined, the services encompass everything from academic tutoring to personal and leadership development, and many things beyond and in between.

“The entire purpose of the pre-college programs is to help folks get connected to higher education,” Steele said. “And it doesn’t have to be Cal State San Bernardino. It could be a community college. It could be trade school. We just want to provide those resources.”

“We have 14 different projects that work throughout the Inland Empire,” she added. “Programs like The Federal TRIO Programs, which includes something like the Upward Bound Program. Other projects help us work through the California Student Aid Commission to make sure students are getting their financial aid applications and their Dream Act application submitted.”

Other programs work specifically in key areas such as foster youth, increasing enrollment, increasing math and English fluency, and the College Corps program, which centers around community service.

The latter finds students required to complete 450 hours of community service in exchange for up to $10,000 living allowance and educational benefit/reward at the end.

“We remain committed to providing equitable access to folks throughout the region,” Steele said “If someone wants to obtain a higher education, regardless of their status, regardless of age, regardless of ability, there’s no reason why they should not be able to reach those goals.

“We want to do whatever is in our power to help students,” she added.

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, March, 2026.

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“This will lead into our annual Affordable Housing Mixer with affordable developers, and investors and private investors, as well as local cities, where there’s opportunities to make connections across county lines,” Steele added. “It’s wonderful to see developers and city leaders meet each other and understand their needs for different projects. This helps all of us.”

The event is one of many standout initiatives playing out underneath the ISHC umbrella. A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) through their Community Impact Fund is yet another opportunity for ISHC to expand its impact and reach.

“The grant helped us expand across all our working pillars,” Steele said. “The Collective has four pillars, but there are three foundational ones where we look at for policies.”

There’s the Educate and Advocate for Public Policy pillar, which organizes and strives to gain public will and political support for region-specific housing policies and solutions related to such things as zoning changes, A.D.U./ancillary units, enforcement of SB 35-inclusionary units, workforce housing, and more.

Educating individuals on the housing landscape, market trends, and housing platforms also factors into the mix.

“That pillar can be improved to expand ways to produce affordable housing and attract funding to our region,” Steele added.

Wealth Building and Preservation is another pillar.

“We look at what wealth-building tools exist here to ensure that generational wealth is being created as well as preserved,” Steele said. “Banking and first-loan access falls into that.”

The Expansion of Housing Solutions stands out in the ways it explores the innovative solutions for housing that exist and how the organization and the community can learn from it.

“The IECF grant allows us to be driven in these working groups, not just for us as an organization but for the area and the people,” Steele said. “The grant helps us build out in that way so we can be more committed, do the research, and create thoughtful agendas, invite in speakers, and facilitate the working pillars to really move these strategies.

“It builds our capacity to put things into action for both San Bernardino and Riverside County,” she added.

Another organizational pillar that is active year-round is ISHC’s Increasing Regional Involvement pillar. It strives to create a unified voice on housing solutions in the area and identify marketing strategies to attract and leverage new kinds of funding and investments.

Membership acts as a kind of collective change agent, establishing a united front fully committed to enhancing the region’s reputation.

“Collectively, especially with just general housing, it’s so vast,” Steele said. “Therefore, we look at anything from shelters and emergency shelters to building market rate housing and everything in between.”

Steele is enthusiastic about the road ahead and ISHC’s ongoing mission to “advance collaborative strategies and present innovative solutions to create and preserve safe, decent, and affordable housing in the Inland SoCal region.”

“Every voice is needed in our space,” she said. “You don’t have to be a developer or a non-profit housing service provider, or someone that’s part of the community care. It’s more than that.

“The organization has folks from different foundations—from healthcare, education, cities, transportation—that are a part of the change,” she added. “There’s real value of working together. Everybody can have a voice here. Everybody can contribute.”

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, February, 2026.

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PSPLF recently reached a major fundraising milestone in its capital campaign, nabbing its first $1 million toward revitalizing the Palm Springs Public Library. That means it has successfully met the full $1 million match that was pledged by library’s Board of Trustees, which manages the Library Trust Fund and oversees long-term planning.

Raising a total of $2 million now marks a pivotal if not early success of PSPLF’s $7 million goal that will support the community-driven elements of the library’s $52 million major transformation.

“It’s an exciting time,” said Jeffrey Norman, board member and one of PSPLF’s Capital Campaign co-chairs. “Having $1 million matched by the library trustees, we’re well on our way toward $7 million.”

Recent grants from the FitzDell Gifting Fund and the Jane Lykken Hoff Endowment Fund via Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) create yet another win for the project.

“The IECF grants will also help get things accomplished beyond just the building’s infrastructure, which state and city money pays for,” Norman said, expressing his enthusiasm for the interior improvements, which will enhance “people-centered” outposts, such as the community room.

“We’ll have state-of-the-art equipment, making it easier for many community organizations to come in and use the space—everything from the film festival to something like a string quartet,” Norman said.

There will also be placemaking activities spaces for teens and children who can create and connect with others.

“The Foundation Board has really stepped up to the plate to bring us to this point where we finally understood what the needs were and could speak about it publicly,” Norman added. “We’re grateful to the board for doing a great job and the recent grants are incredibly beneficial.”

These new milestones accelerate the progress on all enhanced spaces, innovative programming, and a long-term endowment to ensure sustainability for future generations.

In addition to the IECF funding, recent donors include: Friends of the Palm Springs Public Library; Karla Kjellin-Elder & Jeff Elder; the Lamb Family Foundation; Jim Gray and Bernard Rottner and Betty Rae Smith; David Engen and Ken Pengelly; and Deborah Schwarz.

An anonymous gift of $100,000 filters into the mix alongside dozens of other donations ranging from $50-$50,000.

The Next Chapter campaign launched in October 2025. The renovation will modernize the 35,000-square-foot main library building and the 4,000-square-foot JC Frey Building, while preserving its architectural significance.

Every year, the Palm Springs Library serves 20,000-plus cardholders, and welcomes more than 140,000 unique visits.

Mark your calendars. The estimated reopening is Summer 2027.

“The library has been so important to the civic life of Palm Springs,” Norman said. “The donations and grants will help bring us into the future,” Norman said, stressing how vital the library is as a place that offers more than just books.

“Sometimes people look at Palm Springs and say, ‘Oh, it’s a very wealthy community,’ or ‘Why do people need to go to the library when they have their own Wi-Fi and their own books and DVRs,’ and what have you,” Norman said. “But there’s a considerable percentage of children whose families live below the poverty level here. The library has become a huge resource for them.

It has also been a cooling space during summer and a warm place in the winter.

Not to be left out: job seekers, who walk in and, with the help of trusted librarians, learn to navigate the various job sites or get help preparing their resumes.

“There are more than 300 programs a year at the library,” Norman beamed, “and now, even in our temporary space, we’re still hugely active.”

Bill Wylie, PSPLF board president, added: “Palm Springs has a long tradition of generosity and civic pride. Our community has always championed the institutions that make this city unique, and our library is definitely one of them.”

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, March, 2026.

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A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation through its Community Impact Fund will allow the nonprofit organization to strengthen its work on that front and continue empowering individuals, communities, and local governments to help free systems from racist and discriminatory roots. 

Janice Rooths, CART’s executive director, credits the non-profit organization for using a combination of systems change, community action, and youth engagement to generate real social change.  

Partnerships are key here. 

“We are always collaborating with other organizations,” Rooth said, noting that the nonprofit provides racial equity tools and resources which can assist policy makers in reaching “enlightened decisions.” 

“We also appreciate people who want to volunteer,” she added. “Depending on their interests or concerns, we will try to find ways to work with them and perhaps point them to other community organizations that might specifically be doing something that falls under their concern. 

Individuals interested in volunteering can submit an email on CART’S website. 

Meanwhile, the broader view finds CART’s collaboration with various organizations to be instrumental in its progress. 

“We’re currently working with several organizations in the City of Riverside, including Antiracist Riverside, Starting Over, and Fair Housing to organize and try to retain the $20.1 million in Homekey+ funding from the state that four city council members decided to decline,” Rooths said. 

On Jan. 13, the Riverside City Council voted 4-3 to nix a state grant designed to convert a Quality Inn into 114 units of supportive housing for the homeless and low-income seniors. 

“It’s a shame because it’s gone through an entire process,” Rooths said. “The state says, ‘We are going to give this money to the city of Riverside,’ one of five locations in the state that got the funding, then city council members say they didn’t want any of it.  

“It’s a terrible thing,” she added, “but it feels like a trend. Because my work is across the region, I’ve seen it happening in different places like the Unified School District declining $7.7 million from the Board of State and Community Corrections for disinvolved youth who are in the Palm Springs Unified School District.” 

Five community-based organizations collaborated with the district to write the proposal and send it to the state.  

“Then it comes back, and someone internally decides they’re going to decline $7.7 million,” Rooths said. “It feels like there’s some kind of ideology operating out there.” 

CART’s various programs and educational arms may offset any perceived setbacks. 

Various events, such as the Inland Empire Annual Antiracist Summit, also create opportunities for CART to expand its reach. In 2025, the organization featured social justice icon, scholar, and author Dr. Angela Davis, who addressed her book, “Are Prisons Obsolete?” and the importance of Restorative Justice. 

On that note, the nonprofit encourages individuals to consider its antiracist library, which features the works of other impactful writers—Ibram X. Kendi (“How to Be an Antiracist”), Richard Rothstein (“The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America”), and Howard Zinn (“A People’s History of the United States”), to note but three. 

Looking ahead, Rooths is hopeful for today’s youth, who can morph into true change agents. 

“Many of them are graduating this year, and they understand,” she said. “They care about having youth public spaces where they can congregate, and they care about community concerns are.  

She cites one group, the Perris Youth Coalition.  

“They’re a totally independent group,” Rooths said. “Our job is to support them in their work. We provide training and have meetings to help them to reach out to public officials. On March 3, they’ll be talking to Perris City Council member David Starr Rabb about their concerns and desires around youth public spaces and public transportation. 

“I find young people to be extremely caring and concerned about everything that’s going on,” she added. “They want to do something about it. They just need the opportunity and support to make it happen.”  

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, March, 2026.

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To be sure, the nonprofit’s ongoing mission to provide quality guide dogs is significant, but so is maintaining general operating expenses. 

A grant from the Hemet Lions Club Endowed Donor Advised Fund via Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) will help on that front. 

Robert Maher, Executive Director of Guide Dogs of the Desert, says the IECF funding will factor into “everything we do here.

“For instance, in 2025, we had 77 puppies, which is wonderful,” he added. “However, those wonderful puppies go off to volunteer puppy raisers for 18 to 24 months, which is fantastic, but all of those puppies need training equipment.” 

Maher is referring to toys, balls, leashes, harnesses, and other items that fall under the “general operating expenses” umbrella.  

“People may not know that each of those dogs are valued at about $100,000, which is what it costs us to bring them through the three-year training process,” he said. “It’s basically 24 months to three years of getting those dogs trained from the time that they’re a puppy to the time that they’re being placed as a guide dog.” 

He also noted the high success rate of puppies that become guide dogs.  

“It’s about 55 percent, which is higher than a lot of the national average,” he said. “And that really speaks to the high quality of our volunteers and what they’re able to provide us as well as our direct guide dog training staff.” 

The organization has several puppy trainers and those who work with the volunteer puppy trainers. Collectively, the dogs are taught basic dog obedience.  

“It’s much more than most of us do for our own house pet,” Maher said. “Our dogs are taught to go to the bathroom, even on command. After that initial puppy-training period, the dogs come in for formal guide dog training, and those are done by formal guide dog trainers here.” 

Those individuals are called Guide Dog Mobility Instructors. At this point, they work with the dog for another six months for formal training.  

“The thing that I always try to emphasize with people is the next time you’re standing on a street corner, close your eyes and say, ‘How am I going to get myself across the street?’” Maher said. “If you were visually impaired, and if you had a white cane with you, do you feel comfortable stepping out into the traffic with that white cane to get yourself across the street?  

“But when you know that you have this dog by your side, you know you have the complete trust, confidence, and ability in that dog to safely walk you across that street,” he added. “And that’s just a life-changing experience to have that comfort level.” 

Guide Dogs of the Desert’s operates from a six-acre campus that includes a 12-bedroom dorm. A common area for socialization creates other opportunities to learn and bond. The facility’s 400-seat multi-purpose room also serves as an auditorium where graduations take place upon completion of training. 

Meanwhile, an onsite kennel complex can accommodate up to 25 dogs while they’re moving through training or if they require any medical attention. The Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle Foundation Wellness Center provides yet another space for health and welfare matters for puppies and dogs during their formal training. 

Maher said there are many ways the public can learn more about the nonprofit. 

“Our graduations are held here on campus and those events are free and open to the public,” he added. “People can check our website for upcoming events. But everybody is always welcome to participate in a scheduled tour of the campus and facilities.”  

In the meantime, mark your calendars for the nonprofit’s special event on March 25 at Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge in Palm Springs.  

“It’s an exciting Easter bonnet auction party,” Maher said. “People in the community are making Easter bonnets that we’ll auction off. There will also be a silent auction. This is a really fun event where everybody gets together and has a good time.” 

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, March, 2026.

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Recent funding from the Community Impact Fund via Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) is offering TEC new opportunities to strengthen its mission to promote tolerance, respect, and understanding while also eliminating hatred and bigotry.  

“The recent grant has been very impactful because it helps us with our regular programming and the mission of the organization,” said Nancy Kaye, head of Marketing and Development at TEC. The resources from the Community Impact Fund directly help us do that.” 

TEC has long been a change agent in Coachella Valley, providing knowledge through education and engagement in the hopes of fostering a mindset that, according to TEC, “rejects prejudice, challenges stereotypes, and celebrates diversity.” 

Kaye says the grant arrives at an ideal time. 

“The Center has really found its footing in the past year since reopening after the pandemic,” she said.  “We’re adding in more regular programming and bringing in more students. That’s what we really hope to focus on in the coming year—the education of students in the Coachella Valley middle and high school students. We want to teach them about tolerance, stability, respect, and understanding.” 

Founded by Holocaust survivor Earl Greif in 2006, TEC opened doors to the public several years later in 2009. (Greif passed away in 2016).  

The goal of eliminating hatred and bigotry seemed grand, however, through TEC’s various programs, activities, and exhibits, it has provided ample educational opportunities for students and the community at large to not only learn to see and understand prejudice, but to also practice critical thinking. 

Feeling empowered to take active roles in the community also factored into the equation with the idea of creating, “a more just and humane society.” 

The organization’s variety of programming and events stand out. Kaye says that when middle and high school students visit TEC on field trips, they often will hear first- or second-generation accounts of Holocaust survivors. Power, strength, and resilience shine through most of these testimonies, making for a truly illuminating experience. 

Shining light on other atrocities and genocides is also key. To that end, TEC hopes its visitors leave the center with a mindset that can reject hate and prejudice, but also deeply question stereotypes. 

Mark your calendars. Upcoming events include a presentation/book signing with Jana Zimmer, author of “Chocolates from Tangiers,” a Holocaust replacement child’s memoir (Feb. 8), and a film screening of The Rape of Europa, dubbed a “whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe” (Feb.17). 

One special event is also of note. “Violins of Hope” (March 8) features a collection of more than 70 instruments that were played by Jewish musicians in camps and ghettos. These instruments were found and collected, often in battered or beaten conditions. They were later restored to prime quality, then played by top violinists across the globe, each instrument carrying its own unique tale. 

“What I particularly like about being part of the organization is the encounter with people who have incredible stories to tell about resistance and courage,” Kaye said. “It’s only through an organization like this one that we get to meet Holocaust survivors and their descendants, and learn about unbelievable—and believable—accounts.  

“We have a unique opportunity here to learn from these people about creating a more just and humane world,” she added. “Through these encounters with survivors and their descendants, we come face to face with authentic, first-hand oral testimony that is rare and impactful.” 

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, February, 2026.

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A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation’s Community Impact Fund will offer new opportunities for the nonprofit to expand its work, particularly with schools and students. 

“The grant was a blessing and it’s significant,” said Krystle Joseph, RMC Charity Executive Director. “We can’t stop our programs just because we don’t have the funding for it. This has been such a gift, literally, to know that we can continue with programming and still work on funding in other areas, because these programs just don’t stop.” 

Specifically, the grant will help the organization fuel its Ripple Effect programming, made up of free interactive bullying prevention workshops for elementary, middle, and high school students. The unique offering educates students on how their actions and reactions generate ripple effects out into the community and with each other.  

“It’s a wonderful program,” Joseph said. “We go into the schools and talk to kids about emotional regulation and kindness as ways to combat bullying. It’s supplemental to the social and emotional learning already happening in the classroom, but they get to hear it from a fun community partner that comes in for a school or classroom assembly to complement what the teachers are already doing.” 

These events have been well received and Joseph feels the organization has helped generate positive shifts in perspectives.  

“We used to do all our programming under the context of bullying prevention and anti-bullying—those were the words we led with in the past,” she said. “Over the past 18 months, we changed that messaging so that we don’t lead with that negativity. We lead with the positivity.  

Therefore, addressing kindness is key. 

“It’s such an easy word to receive no matter how old you are,” she said. “You can understand ‘kind’ versus unkind behaviors. All this is registering with the kids. They’re already hearing it from their teachers, but we’ve also been getting a lot of nods from the teachers because it resonates with them as well.” 

One unique component finds teachers guiding students in something called “notice it.” Students are asked to notice something, name it, map it, and talk about their emotions.  

“That way, when a negative thing happens, first you recognize and name your feelings, then create that path of positivity to how you react to your feelings,” Joseph said. “A lot of times, the teachers are like, ‘Oh, I can take a breath before I react in the classroom.’ And the kids can recognize that. Maybe they’re angry or frustrated that day because they didn’t eat breakfast. Maybe they skipped breakfast and they’re hungry, right? That hangry feeling.” 

Other engaging activities complement those methods. 

These efforts comprise a greater network of intentions and the nonprofit’s broad reach. A recent Kindness Works workshop, for instance, helped individuals use practical tools, listen to inspiring voices, and spark connection and belonging.  

RMC Charity is also involved in National Bullying Prevention Month, which unfolds in October. 

Elsewhere, the organization has teamed up with the Riverside Fire Department to offer vital life-saving technology to Riverside. The tech, PulsePoint, allows Emergency Communications Center staff to alert registered responders of individuals in need of CPR in their vicinity. It also informs callers of nearby lifesaving devices, like AED units. These Public Safety Answering Point telecommunicators are significant links in the cardiac arrest chain of survival. 

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, February, 2026.

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The Palm Springs structure, reconceived by architect Susan Secoy Jensen, recently reopened as the new locale for Dezart Performs, and the buzz is building—for the property and the performing arts enterprise. 

A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) through the FitzDell Gifting Fund is yet another boost as Dezart creates a new path into the future. 

“We spent last spring, into the summer, and into early fall converting the church into a theater performing arts space,” said Michael Shaw, Co-founder and Artistic Director of Dezart Performs, noting that the organization was grateful to receive a grant from The FitzDell Gifting Fund through IECF.  

The Donor Advised Fund was established at IECF by donors Jack Fitzsimmons and Walter Gendell to support various causes in in the region. 

“We’ve been receiving gifts along the way to help this transition, and it’s been a big campaign,” Shaw said. “But the FitzDell Gifting Fund was the first who gave to the campaign for the church and the renovation. Additionally, through the fund, a gift was made towards a naming opportunity—including name on the seats of our new theater chairs, which will be installed during Phase Two of this project.” 

There have been many opportunities for patrons and donors to support the renovation, Shaw added—from lighting aspects and a new stage to seats, equipment, and ADA-compliant modifications. 

The new 6,000 square foot playhouse will help meet the expanding needs of the company’s continuous growth and serve as a hub for diverse activities, community events, and cultural engagement.  

Shaw says the new playhouse will increase the excitement of the local arts scene, creating more opportunities for a variety of voices and talents to represented and celebrated.  

One-hundred-fifty seats will occupy the fully equipped theater. There are dressing rooms, a rehearsal hall, meeting rooms, and lobby with box office and bar.  

“The transformation of this stunning Albert Frey-designed church into a state-of-the-art professional theater is not just a dream come true; it’s a profound honor,” Shaw noted last year in a statement. “We are privileged to have this unique and rare opportunity to breathe new life into this architectural gem.” 

The theater opened in November last year. Shaw said Phase Two of the revamps begins in April. In the meantime, there’s plenty of theater to be had.  

Dezart recently wrapped production of “Eureka Day” Jan. 25. Up next: The West Coast Premiere of “Destroying David” by Jason Odell Williams, which is set for Feb. 26, and will run through March 8. The production revolves around an art restorer/docent, who gives the audience a private after-hours tour of Michelangelo’s David at Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia.  

“Jason is a wonderful playwright and has become a dear friend,” Shaw said. “We held the regional premiere of his ‘Church and State,’ about eight years ago at our original location, and it did very well. ‘Destroying David’ is a fascinating piece; a powerful one-person play that is very interactive with the audience, who become ‘tourists’ touring the gallery.  

Look for a unique relationship to form between the docent and the audience. 

“The docent raises the question, ‘How permanent is art supposed to be? Does art have an infinite life? Or is there a point where it’s no longer significant?’” Shaw said. “There’s this conversation about, ‘What if I destroyed the [Michelangelo’s] David? What if we got rid of this 300-plus-year-old piece of work?’ The message of the play is not so much about art as it is the docent’s dealing with grief of the loss of their son named David. It’s a lot about life and loss.” 

Then, come April, look for Tony-Award-winner “Love! Valour! Compassion!,” which rounds out the season. 

Meanwhile, Dezart continues to raise major gifts to complete Phase Two.  

“We continue to develop new opportunities for everyone to be a part of this,” Shaw said. “We have something called, ‘Circle of Friends,’ which is designated for donors who give us contributions between $2,500 and $10,000. They’re names would be permanently displayed on the walls of the theater. They’re also mentioned in all our programs. 

“We’re excited about that opportunity, and all the support,” Shaw added. “The FitzDell Gifting Fund is just one element of this piece of the puzzle that continues to grow. It’s a wonderful time.” 

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, February, 2026.

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“The IECF grant will greatly help us expand our community outreach programs,” said Annie Reutinger, Executive Manager of The Artists Council. “The Artists Council has been around for more than 50 years—at one point, it was part of the Palm Springs Art Museum—but seven years ago they spun us off and we regrouped and became a nonprofit.”

At the time, the Council had 187 members.

“Now, we have more than 700,” Reutinger said. “We’re located in Palm Desert and celebrating our fifth year of operating in a new building. The grant comes at a good time.”

The Artists Council will utilize the IECF resources in several ways. Reutinger is quick to note one beneficiary: The Young Artists Exhibition.

“We work with about 14 to 17 high schools throughout the Coachella Valley,” she said. “We typically have 120 students submit artwork for the show, which happens each spring.”

The work begins long before, however. The Artists Council sends perspectives to art teachers in fall, giving students ample time to work creatively in their classes.

“Eventually, they submit the artwork, and we have them framed,” Reutinger said. “We want to feature the artwork on the walls and have a reception for the kids and their families. But we also want to make the exhibit available for other kids so that they can come see their classmates’ work.”

Many of these kids haven’t been in a lot of museums, she added.

“You can tell when they walk in, because they’re just in awe of the building,” Reutinger mused. “We’re hoping to sponsor more events like that this year—bus trips and working with the teachers to bring in other students, either from art classes or from other classes, maybe 10 students from their high school.”

Another benefit of the grant involves scheduling special art classes for people living with Alzheimer’s. To that end, the Council is working together with the Palm Desert chapter of the Alzheimer’s organization, Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter.

“In the past, we were able to offer two of these classes a month,” Reutinger said. “Those with Alzheimer’s come with either a family member or a caretaker, and they, too, are also allowed to participate in the class. It’s a good bonding and communication exercise and just a nice way for the people with Alzheimer’s to express themselves.”

She added that the grant allowed the Council to add an additional third class on the third Tuesday of a month. The funding received will help pay for the art instructor and to have staff on hand to open the building and make sure everything’s functioning correctly.

“We supply all the art supplies, too—different paints and paper and whatever it is that the instructor guides people through in the lesson,” Reutinger noted, adding that about 22 people partake in each class.

These are but two examples of the organization’s enduring legacy in the region.

The Artists Council has long promoted the art and artists of the Coachella Valley and beyond. Its mission to “elevate” its artist members “through exhibitions, professional development, and impactful community engagement” has been well received.

Reutinger encourages people to explore the Council’s various programs, exhibitions, art and business-of-art classes, as well as its many lectures, workshops, salons, and social gatherings it offers.

Looking ahead, art lovers will appreciate the Council’s unique partnership with Modernism Week in February.

“It will be our biggest juried art show of the year,” Reutinger said, noting that it’s the organization’s first time pairing the Modernism Week organizers.

“We will host free demonstrations and lectures for the public during that time,” she said. “It will be related to modernism art, design, and architecture. We’re very excited about this new collaboration.”

And mark your calendars: the Young Artists Exhibition runs April 8-19.

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, February, 2026.

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Highlanders Boxing Club (HBC), an organization that has long been committed to improving the lives of neighborhood youth via after-school behavioral health and sports programs, is using recent funding from an Inland Empire Community Foundation grant to broaden its efforts to affect change.

Founder Tony Collins Cifuentes, who launched the organization in 2005, says the recent grant will allow HBC to expand some of its programming and where those services are offered.

“This is a beautiful opportunity,” Cifuentes said of the grant, citing that it will enhance the home-based, all-volunteer-run organization. “Things don’t look so good within some communities. There’s a lot of things happening that involve and impact youth and at-risk youth. The IECF grant will help us go forward with other things we do like social services and programs for the kids.”

“We feel blessed,” he added.

After Cifuentes founded the organization more than 20 years ago, he saw a greater need for connection among youth in the area. Initially, the goal was clear: to use boxing, fitness training, and mentoring to spark healthy lifestyles and encourage drug- and violence-free living.

“But then it became important to include our surrounding communities, too,” Cifuentes said, noting the gradual success of the organization. “We started as a boxing gym then had to evolve because we found out that not all youth wanted to become athletes or fighters.”

“We transitioned and offered things like a workforce development program, social services, enrichment classes, and other services,” he added.

The shift from mostly boxing to offering broader services reflected the needs of both San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

“The kids and parents needed more,” Cifuentes stressed. Now, the organization offers programs in several school districts and beyond.

“Our mentoring and social services not only target young boys and girls but also parents, and includes parenting classes,” he said. “We’ve come a long way since I began. Initially, I just wanted to get young kids off the streets that didn’t have a place to go after school. In a community like this, with the population and our culture, there really wasn’t much to offer within these neighborhoods.”

“We took it and ran with it,” he added.

Looking ahead, Cifuentes is excited about several new programs that will filter into the mix, most notably the recent launch of HBC Tabernacle Ranch, which he calls “a safe haven and an oasis where kids can go and be mentored or hike, or just feel safe.”

Educational workshops are offered in the sprawling 30-acre property located on San Bernardino’s north side. Cifuentes said youth can learn about conservation and various forms of environmental stewardship here. Horseback riding, archery, and axe throwing are also offered. So is a nightly campfire and gathering spot for attendees.

“We’re excited about the year ahead,” Cifuentes said. “We also want people that want to help, endorse us or become a sponsor to reach out. We want to keep growing.”

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, February, 2026.

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