The arts, in particular.

Thanks to a recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation through the CIELO Fund, Galan Cultural Center is making new strides to offer something unique to Inland Empire residents.

“The grant allows us to expand our programming and other initiatives,” said Goretty Ornelas, director of the center. “Especially our Safe to Be in Action project, which helps us deliver messages to the Latino community, especially to those in need.”

Safe to Be in Action (Seguridad en Acción) is a free bilingual, theater-based program designed to teach families about various topics and issues—from bullying and boundaries to domestic violence and immigrant rights.

It’s an eclectic mix, overall, and the results have proven to be positive.

“The grant truly helps us open doors and create dialogue between parents and our youth,” Ornelas added. “The theatrical performances are about five to 10 minutes long, and they touch on a variety of topics, even something like digital safety.

“The funding helps us to pay for theater professionals, artists, and actors, and the staff that will help us put this together,” he added.

Galan Cultural Center has long been making strides in terms of community connection.

Programs offered are diverse. There’s Ballet Folklorico for all ages, and Folklorico Pequeñitos, for instance, which features traditional folkloric dance classes for children ages 2 to 5, stands out.

Ballet, jazz, and hip hop are also offered for various age groups.

Meanwhile, La Care Programs offer a broad mix of opportunities for the community to learn everything from healthy cooking and Zumba to participating in circuit training and other cardio activities. Health is a significant focus here.

Singing and other theatrical programs have been woven into this creative mix.

Elsewhere, a variety of events keep the nonprofit’s calendar full throughout the year. Collectively, all this reflects the dedication Galan has maintained since it officially became a nonprofit in 2021.

“We’ve actually been in the community for 30 years, before becoming a nonprofit,” Ornelas noted. “Our mission has been always to give the community access to the performing arts at a low cost or even free whenever funding is available.”

He says the organization has been expanding its programming since reaching nonprofit status, noting how having access to theater has become a great tool to educate the community and keep people informed.

“We encourage our community to participate in even more programming,” Ornelas said. “Whether that’s in areas around language or culture.”

He was quick to point out that there are always volunteer opportunities.

“We’re grateful for the volunteers we’ve had—students and college students—and we’re especially interested in volunteers for the Safe to Be in Action program,” he said. “Some of the positions we have aren’t completely volunteer because they will get paid, and we see that people put in a lot of time.

“We encourage the community to volunteer,” he added.

Learn more at galanculturalcenter.org.

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

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You’ve certainly heard that well-known quote. But have you thought about it in the context of your charitable giving? It’s common to create a charitable giving plan during a particular season of life. Perhaps you established a donor-advised fund after selling a business, included charitable gifts in your estate plan when your children were young, or began supporting favorite causes after retirement.

Over time, however, your life changes—and so does the community around you. Families grow, financial circumstances shift, priorities evolve, and our community faces new challenges. Organizations you care about may expand their missions or collaborate with other nonprofits tackling similar needs. Just as financial and estate plans benefit from periodic review, your charitable plan deserves an occasional checkup as well.

If it has been a few years since you’ve revisited your charitable goals, consider reaching out to the IECF team. We’d be happy to serve as a sounding board as you ask yourself a few questions. Examples include:

Are the causes I support today the same causes I cared about ten years ago?

Many donors find that their interests evolve over time. You may have become passionate about education, environmental conservation, healthcare, animal welfare, faith-based initiatives, or other causes that were not top priorities years ago.

Does my charitable plan still reflect my family’s values?

Children and grandchildren often develop interests and perspectives of their own. Many families discover that charitable giving provides a meaningful opportunity to discuss values, generosity, and community impact across generations. The result is that families want to adjust their charitable priorities to reflect the interests of the family’s next generation. 

Have I reviewed my retirement account beneficiary designations recently?

Perhaps you’ve already worked with your advisors to update beneficiary designations of your retirement plans. Even so, it’s a good idea to take a look at those documents every few years to be sure nothing is missing. And if you’ve not yet named your fund at IECF or another charity as a beneficiary of IRAs and other retirement accounts, it’s worth exploring because of the potentially meaningful tax benefits of these arrangements. Be sure to ask your tax advisor about whether this technique could be a fit for you, and reach out to the IECF team to help set your intentions in motion.

Do I know how local needs have changed?

Communities are constantly evolving and ours is no exception. While many longstanding needs remain, new challenges and opportunities often emerge over time. New opportunities to make a difference pop up every year, and learning about them can inspire you to get involved. IECF is a valuable resource to provide not only the big picture of what’s going on in our region but also specific examples of how nonprofits are meeting the most pressing community needs. 

Am I making this as easy on myself as possible?

You want to experience the joy of giving—not add administrative layers! Many donors appreciate opportunities to simplify their philanthropy. Whether through a donor-advised fund, another type of fund at IECF, or a combination of funds designed to achieve different goals, the right structure can make giving more organized and enjoyable.

Remember that updating your charitable plan does not necessarily require major changes. Sometimes a simple conversation with the IECF team is enough to confirm that everything remains on track. Other times, donors discover opportunities to strengthen their impact, engage family members, or support causes in new ways.

IECF is always happy to help you review your charitable goals and explore ways to ensure that your philanthropy continues to reflect your values, your family, and your hopes for the future. We look forward to our next conversation!  

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

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In many of these conversations, parents and grandparents ask how they can get teens involved. “The teenage years can be tricky,” they tell us. “But we also know this is an important time to begin conversations about philanthropy.” And that’s certainly true! Teens are old enough to understand community challenges, form opinions about issues they care about, and make thoughtful decisions about how they want to help. 

For parents, it’s likely worth exploring the research behind the benefits of getting teens involved in the community. In particular, a landmark study published eight years ago (and still relevant) in the Journal of Adolescence found that altruistic behaviors—such as learning about and assisting strangers—not only appeal to adolescents, but actively raise their self-esteem and feelings of self-worth.

No matter how compelling the strategy may be, however, getting teens involved is often easier said than done. The team at IECF is happy to help. Here are ten suggestions for simple ways to start the process.

1. Ask what they care about

Many adults begin by talking about charities they support. Instead, start by asking your teen what issues matter to them. They may be passionate about animals, the environment, education, healthcare, mental health, or helping neighbors in need. Listening first can create a stronger foundation for future conversations and ultimately deeper community engagement.

2. Volunteer together

Giving involves more than writing checks. Spending even just an hour volunteering as a family can help teens see firsthand how nonprofit organizations serve the community and why charitable support matters. 

3. Let them help make giving decisions

If your family uses a donor-advised fund at IECF, consider inviting teens to recommend a portion of the annual grants to nonprofit organizations they believe in. Even small decisions can help them gain confidence and feel invested in the family’s philanthropy. Some families even choose to establish a donor-advised fund for a child or grandchild when they reach adulthood, using cash or appreciated assets to help launch a lifetime of charitable giving.

4. Visit local nonprofits

Many nonprofit organizations welcome visitors and offer tours or informational meetings. Seeing an organization’s work in action often leaves a lasting impression and helps young people understand the impact of charitable giving. Again, this does not need to take a lot of time. Even a 20-minute visit can be eye-opening. The IECF team is happy to offer suggestions and make connections.

5. Encourage teens to research charities

Ask your teen to identify a cause they care about and jump online to learn more about organizations addressing that issue. This can help develop critical thinking skills and introduce concepts such as nonprofit missions, effectiveness, and community impact. Feel free to ask the IECF team to suggest websites, books, and other educational resources if your teen wants to learn more. 

6. Talk about family values

Charitable giving often reflects deeply held beliefs and priorities. Sharing stories about why your family supports certain causes can help teens understand that philanthropy is about more than money—it’s about making a difference. For example, if your family has supported a particular nonprofit for many years because of a personal connection, take the time to explain to your teen the history and original connection. 

7. Help them give their own money

Whether it is a portion of an allowance, earnings from a summer job, or birthday money, encouraging teens to make their own charitable gifts can be a powerful learning experience. It always feels more “real” to spend your own money, and charitable giving is no exception. 

8. Introduce teens to community leaders

This suggestion surprises many parents and grandparents who wish they would have thought of it sooner! Think of all the people you know who are making a difference every day in the community, whether working at a nonprofit, serving in a civic leadership position, or leading philanthropy efforts for a business. These conversations can inspire teens by showing them how individuals—real people—can create meaningful change.

9. Invite teens to community foundation events

Many events hosted by IECF may be well-suited for your teen to attend, especially when our team is presenting information about community needs or celebrating a community milestone. The next time you plan to attend an IECF event, consider asking our team whether it might be appropriate to bring a teenage child or grandchild. We are also happy to suggest upcoming events that may be especially engaging for young people.

10. Focus on progress, not perfection

To state the obvious, there is no single right way to raise charitable children and grandchildren! The goal is not to create experts overnight. Instead, focus on creating opportunities for curiosity, learning, and participation. Small—even very small—experiences can help teens build lifelong habits of generosity and civic engagement.

One of the greatest gifts you can give the next generation is an understanding that they have the power to make a difference. IECF would be delighted to help!

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Charitable giving: Ten ways teens can get involved appeared first on IECF.

Over time, many donors discover that they want something more. They want to learn about local needs, connect with nonprofits making a difference in their community, involve family members in giving decisions, and work with people who understand the place they call home. For these donors, transferring a donor-advised fund from a national charitable sponsor or a commercial provider to IECF can be a natural next step.

The good news is that moving a donor-advised fund is often easier than people expect. Here is a simple guide to the process.

Step 1: Start a conversation with IECF

The first step is simply to reach out. The IECF team can learn about your charitable interests, answer questions, and explain how a donor-advised fund at IECF can support your goals.

Many donors are surprised to learn that IECF offers not only the convenience of a donor-advised fund, but also local knowledge, philanthropic expertise, and a long-term commitment to strengthening the community.

Step 2: Map out a fund that reflects your values

One of the most enjoyable parts of the process is designing a fund that reflects your family’s charitable vision. You can choose a fund name, such as the Smith Family Fund or Smith Family Foundation, designate fund advisors, and discuss how future generations might become involved. Many donors use this opportunity to create a structure that encourages family conversations about generosity and community impact, tapping into IECF’s resources and expertise.

Step 3: Establish your new donor-advised fund

IECF will provide a simple fund agreement that outlines how the fund will operate and who may recommend grants to nonprofit organizations. The process is typically straightforward, and the IECF team will guide you through each step.

Step 4: Recommend a grant to make the transfer from your current donor-advised fund

Once your new fund is established at IECF, you can contact your current donor-advised fund provider and recommend a grant to IECF for the benefit of your newly created fund. In many cases, this can be completed online and requires only a few minutes.

Step 5: Confirm the details

To help ensure a smooth transfer, be sure to use the exact name of your new fund and any instructions provided by IECF. Our team will gladly help coordinate the details and answer any questions that arise along the way.

Step 6: Decide how much to transfer

Some donors transfer the entire balance of an existing donor-advised fund at once. Others prefer to transfer a portion first and move additional assets later. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The right decision depends on your charitable goals, giving plans, and personal preferences. Some donors even choose to maintain their existing donor-advised fund at a commercial provider while also establishing a separate locally-focused donor-advised fund or other charitable fund at IECF.

Step 7: Put your philanthropy to work in the community

After the transfer is complete, you can begin recommending grants from your IECF donor-advised fund. Our team is always here as a sounding board and resource if you have questions! You may already support several favorite local nonprofits, and our team is happy to discuss both these organizations and new organizations that might have caught your attention. Many donors find that this deeper connection to the local community—and to professionals who understand it—becomes one of the most rewarding aspects of their giving.

The upshot here is that any donor-advised fund can help you organize and simplify your charitable giving. By moving your fund to IECF, you also gain a local partner committed to helping you make a lasting difference close to home. If you’d like to explore whether a transfer makes sense for you, the IECF team would be delighted to start the conversation!

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Closer to home: Steps to move your donor-advised fund to the IECF appeared first on IECF.

Thanks to a recent grant from the Elissa Hepner Donor Advised Fund through Inland Empire Community Foundation, Palm Springs Friends of Philharmonic has been able to offset expenses that go into producing exceptional productions.

“We specialize in presenting the very best orchestras from around the world here,” said Lee Mills, executive director of Palm Springs Friends of Philharmonic. “And that’s quite an expensive endeavor that our ticket sales don’t cover. I would say they cover about 60 percent of the direct expenses related to concerts. And once you add the administrative and the education work we do, our ticket sales only cover about half of what we need to get through the year.”

The other half of that funding comes from donations from the Philharmonic’s patrons, and from foundations like IECF, Mills added. To that end, grants and donations are very critical to the organization being able to fill its mission here in Coachella Valley.

The Philharmonic has a long history of memorable concerts and performances, in fact. Renowned guest artists through the years include: pianists Piotr Anderszewski of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra (in 2008) and Alain Lefèvre of Pacific Symphony (2020); narrator Cate Blanchett of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (in 2026); and violinist Joshua Bell of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (in 2026).

Acclaimed conductors—from Petr Altrichter of Prague Symphony Orchestra (2005) to Boguslaw Dawidow of the Polish Baltic Frédéric Chopin Philharmonic (2016) have graced the stage at the McCallum Theatre.

Since its inception in 1974, Palm Springs Friends of Philharmonic has been committed to enhancing the cultural life of the Coachella Valley with world-class presentations of orchestras and exceptional classical music performances. The nonprofit also supports initiatives that educate the future generations of musicians and audiences.

“Thanks to the generosity of our patrons, we have been moving more into the second part of our mission,” Mills said. “The first part is that we present excellent classical music in the Valley. The next part of our mission is supporting music education to help bring music into the lives of different people.

“I’m very happy to say that last September, we hired, for the first time, an education coordinator,” he added. “That means we have a staff position responsible for education programs. In the past, we’ve only ever given scholarships, essentially, to students to go to summer camps or to go to music school, for university. But we’ve now started drastically expanding.”

During the past year, the organization has reached more than 500 students in the Coachella Valley by bringing these musicians from standout orchestras into the schools. Offering master classes and performances for the students has been a big hit.

Other noteworthy milestones include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

“We had a quartet that went out to Indio High School and played at the performing arts there for more than 200 students,” Mills said. “There was also the Academy of St. Martin, which comes from the UK—they sent a string quartet out to two different schools here in the Palm Springs Unified School District. It was highly impactful to have students experience the performance, hearing classical music at this level for the first time.”

Mills says next year, the organization will further expand these programs. The London Symphony Orchestra will be performing a field trip concert at the McCallum Theater in February 2027.

“We’re hoping to accommodate more than 2,000 students, from third to fifth grades, introducing them to the orchestra,” he added. “And the London Symphony Orchestra will be sending some of their staff out here in October to do professional development sessions with local area schoolteachers, giving them tools and resources and practices to help bring music education into their classroom, which we think is so important, especially because a lot of these elementary schools don’t have dedicated music teachers.

“Being able to give general education teachers tools and resources to be able to bring music into their classroom is very important to us,” he added.

Learn more at psphil.org.

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

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

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Círculo Azteca’s Executive Director, Founder, and Cultural Bearer, Gabriela Yaocihuatl Armenta, said that the recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation through the CIELO Fund helped the organization kickstart its work for 2026 and beyond.

“Given that we are known as both a cultural center and a community space, we were able to focus on keeping the doors open for the community and other local community groups and organizations that maybe don’t have a space,” she said. “These groups can come and share our resources.”

Yaocihuatl Armenta Launched the organization more than 15 years ago. Its roots stem back to 1942 in Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico. For nearly 20 years now, the nonprofit has participated in ceremonies and cultural events that span the spectrum from museums, city-hosted events, and nonprofit outings to intertribal gatherings throughout region.

“We’re always looking for ways to partner and to uplift the community and other organizations,” Yaocihuatl Armenta added, noting that as a traditional ceremonial group and Indigenous culture center, the nonprofit strives to always preserve and promote Mexican heritage through a variety of ancestral ceremonial practices.

In that way, anybody who is eager to learn about the native customs of the Anahuac people, including traditions rooted in natural medicine, are welcome at the center.

“I share my Indigenous culture and traditions, and that’s very much a part of who I am,” Yaocihuatl Armenta stressed. “For me, it’s not a hobby. It’s a way of life. And on many levels, it’s about creating safe spaces for the community and for individuals who want to connect with their roots and cultural traditions. There’s a lot of resilience in the work that we do, and of course, we live in a time where we need a lot of that.

“We need a space where people can come together and learn and uplift each other,” she added.

Ceremonial “danzas,” Indigenous talking circles, and other practices, which have been passed down through generations, filter into the mix here. This allows participants an opportunity to explore their identity, perhaps bring balance into their daily routines, and create meaningful connections within community.

The gatherings have grown over the years, in fact. The community events have offered spaces for locals to participate and learn—everything from understanding a new language and pondering the deeper meaning of the cultural poetry and meaning within the songs to exploring the medicinal effects of everyday herbs.

Being part of a ceremonial circle also creates a rare opportunity to embrace a new structure, discipline, and responsibility.

Another standout within the organization, beyond its diverse mix of resources and events, is a scholarship fund.

“We open up our scholarship fund once a year and direct it towards high school seniors and undergrads,” Yaocihuatl Armenta said. “Anybody can apply that falls under those guidelines. They don’t have to be registered with any tribe or group. In that way, students can utilize it the best way that they want to.”

The scholarship is fueled from fundraising efforts, whether it’s through the organization’s small bookstore or even yard sales and basic donations. Two scholarships were distributed this year.

It may take a village, however, to effectively maintain culture and tradition. And that’s where volunteers and allies come in.

“We always welcome volunteers,” Yaocihuatl Armenta said. “And it’s not just the volunteers that can come in and help with all the heavy lifting. It’s very hands-on training. We always look for folks who are interested in leadership roles and facilitator roles, and anybody who’s interested in learning.”

Learn more at azteccirclecitlaltonac.org.

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, 2026.

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

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“Our focus as a Rotary Club is to strengthen education and workforce pathways for students in the Eastern Coachella Valley and the grant will be a great asset for that,” added Lorena Gomez, treasurer of the non-profit organization. “A lot of the students are first-generation graduates, and our goal is to try and fill some gaps. We want to offer support to young adults to further their education and then they can consider returning to the Valley and give back to the community.”

Gomez noted that The Rotary Club of Coachella East has long been active and dedicated to assisting underserved community members through a number of measures—from supporting youth development to improving neighborhoods in the East Coachella Valley.

Club members often collaborate with local businesses and educators to fund student scholarships, organize community cleanups, and host career programs.

“I’m originally from the Eastern Coachella Valley,” she said. “My father was a farm worker. I was a farm worker. So, this kind of hits home—raising funds to support and further education for first-time graduates, like myself and my sister, and just seeing parents and students not have to worry about where they’re going to get the money to either buy a computer for school or how to put gas in their car.”

Some of the organization’s key initiatives and activities include Youth Leadership and Development, which can involve sponsoring local high school students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and participate in high school mock interview programs that in turn establish some career readiness.

Community improvement is also part of the mix. Here, members help organize neighborhood yard and debris cleanups for elderly residents. Enhancing local public spaces falls into these efforts, too.

Educational support has become a significant measure. To that end, The Rotary Club provides financial assistance and scholarships for select students pursuing higher education.

Community alliances are vital, Gomez noted, touching on the importance of partnering with regional leaders, and other organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and local districts to launch service projects.

“We’re a volunteer-based organization—we belong to Rotary International,” she added. “It’s a global non-profit service organization, and it’s made up of a lot of local community clubs, whose members volunteer their time, their leadership, and their resources, to help improve communities, locally and around the world.

“We focus a lot on community service, leadership and scholarships, and supporting education and literacy,” she went on. “There are other rotaries that also fight hunger and poverty, disease prevention, and health initiatives. Basically, our motto is just ‘service above selves.’ Which means that we put others and the needs and the community first through volunteering, leadership and giving back.”

Looking ahead, this summer the nonprofit wants to partner with local businesses to try to end hunger.

“A lot of kids, when they don’t go to school, don’t have any or enough food,” Gomez said. “We want to partner with local nonprofits to help fill the gap, giving them resources to find regional food banks and distribution centers so that they have food, fresh vegetables and fruits.”

These are great strides, and yet another way The CIELO Fund helps make an impact to uplift and invest in Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. To date, the fund has successfully raised more than $3 million to support the area’s Latino majority.

Learn more at coachellaeastrotary.com.

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, 2026.

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

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Domestic Violence and Abuse Protection Inc. (DVAP), a non-profit organization providing key solutions for victims and families of victims, and the elderly and those affected by child abuse, has used a recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation to expand its work.

“The grant was helpful right away,” said Jeffrey Lee, DVAP’s CEO. “The resources acted as a direct response to the DEI restrictions that the government placed. We were pretty limited because of that. The grant opened things up for us because we couldn’t get access to other grants that hire people, and we needed to get things done.”

To that end, the nonprofit was able to hire more people to strengthen its impact. But Lee remains a shrewd observer of the changing times and over the last year, was surprised about an alarming rise in domestic violence incidents.

“I have noticed a serious uptick, and a lot more gun violence,” he said. “Recently, we had a case where a man blew up his girlfriend’s car in Riverside. That brings in a lot of organizations, including the fire marshal and the police department.

“Overall, I’ve seen more killing, more deputies, and more police officers,” he added. “And certainly, statistically, with our organization, we’ve been getting more calls for home protection than we ever did before.”

DVAP works with victims of restraining order violations. It also teams up with other domestic violence advocacy groups, offering an alternative resource for safety for individuals whose protection has been violated.

In addition, DVAP also offers myriad services—from child abuse protection and child visitation overwatch to elder abuse protection, court accompaniment, process serving, and security consultation.

Lee said that DVAP partners with security contractors that provide professional physical security at no cost to victims of violence, abuse, and stalking. In this way, victims and families of victims can feel protected in their own homes.

Protection orders are enforced by DVAP’s trained yet uniformed professionals. These individuals can alert local law enforcement of violators and also provide physical security to prevent further further incidents, such as injury or death.

“There’s nothing else like us out there,” Lee said. “We’re the only organization that does what we do. And when someone gets a restraining order, that’s just a piece of paper and these offenders have learned that. It takes a while for police to get there. So, they’re not afraid. They can go do whatever harm they feel like doing, knowing they can get out of there before the police arrive.”

Many people on DVAP’s staff are combat veterans who have become licensed and permitted to do the work.

“I call them stress inoculated,” Lee said. “They do not rattle and they know what they’re doing. They’re very good at de-escalation.

“Instead of an offender showing up and suddenly that victim is open to whatever they want to do, those offenders will run into the guys we provided for protection,” he added. “We fill in that gap between a restraining order being issued and when the police can arrive.”

The genesis of the organization is personal to Lee. More than a decade ago, he was overseas when he was contacted by his daughter in the states.

“She had problems with her boyfriend at the time and I advised her to get a restraining order, and she said, ‘I have one, and he’s not afraid. He doesn’t care,’” Lee shared. “That’s when DVAP was literally born because I started working on it right away. It took us six years to develop and to get all the permitting, licensing, and insurance required to provide the service.

“It took a long time,” he added, “but it’s worth it because I get to do the mission that we set out to do.”

Learn more at dvapriverside.org.

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

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

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The non-profit organization wants to empower and uplift underserved communities in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Thanks to a recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) through its CIELO Fund, PNC can increase and equalize access to high-quality childcare services for minority populations.  

“Considering the decrease in funding to nonprofits over the last year, this grant is a miracle, and we are more than grateful,” said Yvonne Choyce, CEO and founder of PNC. “This funding represents an opportunity to continue investing in our children, families, and our communities. The support has allowed us to grow participation in our programs over the last year, leading to a successful increase in the Latino providers and the business owners.” 

“That, in turn, strengthens their sustainability and ability to expand access to their much-needed childcare issues within their own communities,” she added. “And I think that’s an important impact, and it’s especially meaningful right now.”  

She references the great challenges Spanish-speaking families and providers have and continue to face in light of funding losses and other barriers in recent years. 

“This is a major investment in childcare, and it changes lives,” Choyce shared.  

For starters, it allows parents to work with children so they can thrive in communities and make those communities grow. Grants like those distributed through IECF continue to help address the childcare shortage in the region, but also help create greater access and opportunities for working families. 

“It’s a huge impact,” Choyce said, who founded the organization three years ago. 

It’s also interesting to note Choyce’s deep commitment to the region as she’s at the helm of another key nonprofit in the region, Little Seeds Matter, which strives to empower families with young children in under-resourced communities throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties. 

When asked why this work—in a way, her personal mission to make a difference—is so important to her, Choyce was candid. 

“First of all, I did childcare in my home for more than 20 years,” she said. “And I got called back into this environment by the Women’s Business Center four years ago. They asked me to train providers based on the grant that they had, and these were startups. In the middle of that second cohort, I started hearing a lot and saw a lot of red flags. I began looking at these women who I was training—women who wanted to take care of children—but they themselves needed help.” 

She noted that many of the woman we’re coming out of the pandemic and great losses—from jobs and familial shifts to other home issues.  

“A lot of them were starting a business just because they needed to start over,” Choyce said. “I didn’t feel right training them to take care of Little Johnny in the state that they were in. I had this overwhelming feeling that I need to do more than just train them on how to get a license, and it just came to me that… ‘providers need care.’” 

She formed PNC shortly after that revelation and the nonprofit has been thriving ever since. To be sure, Choyce has also been working perhaps the hardest she ever has in her life. 

“I love it though, and our biggest push is self-care,” she said. “We do a lot of self-care training because of all the challenges. We hold an annual retreat every year for our providers so that they can stop and allow us to take care of them for the day. That’s really important to me.”
 

Fortunately, she’s been able to maintain the same facilitators for three years. In the beginning, she didn’t have much to pay them at all. 

“I just started recruiting the facilitators from within the industry,” Choyce said, “and in that first year, I was like, ‘there is not going to be any money’—I just need you to buy into this dream. And they did.” 

Moving forward, Choyce says the nonprofit will continue to enhance its comprehensive training, business counseling, resource sharing, compliance assistance, and personal care services.  

“We want to equip providers with all the right tools and knowledge they need for success,” she stressed. 

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

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Recently, the community-based wellness and support organization received a grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation, which founder Fatima Baldelomar calls, “a blessing.”

“The grant will really help us continue what we have started several years ago,” Baldelomar said. “When I started the organization, I wanted to especially focus on emotional well-being and mental health, especially for immigrants who now find themselves in a new country. When I came to this country, it was a very challenging to navigate the system. It was a cultural shock. I was not able to find support. It was just me navigating every aspect.”

Once Baldelomar checked all the right boxes after arriving in the U.S., she felt called to help others, especially immigrants and families who might need assistance navigating the system.

To that end, the organization provided a variety of valued resources, such as an empowerment program and other support-type groups where people could feel nurtured and “in community.”

“Our mission is to provide safe space for others so they can feel supportive and validated and not judged,” she said.

One of the unique offerings the organization provides is healing circles for the community— women, families, and individuals.

“Last year, we had a lot of participants in the circles,” Baldelomar said. “People came to us because they were feeling overwhelmed and stressed about the situation with immigration, and the situation with I.C.E. And we were like, ‘how can we help?’ So, we became solution-focused. We said, ‘OK, we know there are problems, but let’s focus on the solutions, and let’s focus on ourselves.”

But something happened in those healing circles that Baldelomar didn’t expect.

“We noticed the ‘circle group’ was not enough,” she said. “Most of all the participants that came needed a follow-up; some kind of individual support.”

That sparked a decision to develop of a new program, which was launched last year and included yet another extra aspect that targets mental health.

“It’s been helpful,” Baldelomar said, “because if people, especially those in the Latino community, chose just to talk to someone, they can feel validated. It’s important to have somebody understand the culture who can talk to you in your own language.”

Individuals interested in more one-on-one support can meet with key members of the organization after a healing circle experience, then go on to experience four to five individual sessions that lean into a more holistic approach to addressing mental health.

This focus on healing, empowerment, and social support is threaded throughout the organization. Beyond these holistic services, the non-profit’s approach emphasizes cultural competency, education, and collaboration with the community and other organizations.

Leaning into the belief that there’s strength in “community power,” the nonprofit also organizes fundraisers, community-building events, and comprehensive workshops and training sessions for volunteers and partners.

Baldelomar said that recent grant will be funneled throughout the organization’s offerings, including linking individuals to key services such as food pantry distribution and other mental help resources.

Individuals interested in offering donations or volunteering, are welcome to visit the nonprofit’s website.

Learn more at loveandnurtureinitiative.org.

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

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The post Grantee Spotlight: Inland Empire nonprofit focuses on nurturing relationships, building community appeared first on IECF.