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Hello all,
We begin this month’s newsletter on a sad note: RAP lost two very special friends who served on the board for many years: Joe Hayes and Dr. Ann Dew. They will be greatly missed for their dedication in serving others and for their commitment to carrying out their responsibilities as board members. Their value to RAP’s Mission is detailed below.
As is always the case at this time of the year, autumn heralds the season of special events and galas that our nonprofits count on for support.
| | | Pictured: Angela Colangeli, Peace From Chaos Executive Director, with RAP Board member George Colangeli, Leticia De Lara & Denys Arcuri. | One of the earliest events is the “Peace From Chaos” event which was held September 13 in Blythe. This 4th Annual Suicide Awareness and Community Candlelight event serves as a reminder that as the holiday season approaches there are many who are struggling with mental health issues. It’s important to be mindful of this in order to be alert to any changes in behavior that may be a sign to reach out to a troubled person. Attendance at this event was tremendous. | |  | Pictured: Theresa Maggio, Eisenhower Health Foundation and RAP team members Mireya Reyes, Lety De Lara, and Melissa Robles | One of the RAP team’s recent events was a field trip to recent grantee recipient Eisenhower Health. We had the opportunity to observe new equipment which will benefit premature infants. RAP contributed towards the purchase of the “RetCam Envision,” which aids detection of congenital cataracts, and retinal hemorrhages. | | | |
Aristole McDaniel, Executive Director of Grandparents Love pictured with RAP's Taly Fantini, NPO Centric Director and Aurora Wilson, RAP Vice-Chair
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Another interesting event which took place at RAP in September was the “Grandparents Love Ribbon Cutting” presented in partnership with the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce. More than 100 people joined in the September 8 celebration which featured food, and giveaways.
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Finally, I have to extol our most recent Desert Fast Pitch, the 11th annual installment. The October 2 event was a tremendous success in allowing us to showcase six nonprofits which are representative of the many nonprofits serving our residents. The sold-out event gave the audience the opportunity to participate in selecting one of the cash prizes awarded and to hear from this year’s Inspirational Speaker Elizabeth Smart. Once again I thank the RAP Team: staff and board, expert coaches, community leaders serving as judges and of course our sponsors who as a group made this event a fantastic night of celebration of nonprofits.
For now and always, enjoy life and make a difference!
Lety De Lara
Chief Executive Officer
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RAP Board Board Member 2005- 2025
Joe Hayes served on the RAP Board of Directors since 2005. He had served as Board Chair in 2014 and continued to serve on the Executive Committee until this year. His compassion for others and desire to improve people’s lives was a prime factor in his decision making. However, he took his fiduciary responsibilities very seriously: after all he was a retired banker.
Along with serving on RAP’s Board, Joe also volunteered as a board member for the YMCA, Desert Valley Builders Association, and Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. He was selfless with his time and always kind and thoughtful in his conduct as a board member. It is no wonder that we would not let him step away from the RAP Board – he was a close friend and an important community leader that could always be counted on to help others. He will be greatly missed.
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RAP Board Member 1999 - 2025 (two-year break 2020-2022)
Dr. Ann Dew began her association prior to RAP becoming a nonprofit. The late Supervisor Patricia (Corky) Larson appointed Ann to the Blue-Ribbon Committee in 1992. Ann joined the RAP Board in 1999 and even though she took a two-year break in 2020-2022 she continued on as an Ex-Officio member during this time. After retiring from her career as a physician, Ann returned as a board member in 2022 and continued with RAP until this year.
Ann enjoyed serving on the Mental Health and Grants Committees because it gave her an opportunity to contribute her ideas in helping to determine funding priorities. Her unique input as a physician was invaluable in helping RAP better address health outcomes. Ann was beyond generous, incredibly kind and took an interest in helping everyone as best she could. Again, another board member we could not bring ourselves to let step away from RAP – Dr. Ann, known by many for her big heart and volunteer efforts as a physician will be missed as a dear friend and vital regional asset.
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We’re proud to share that the RAP Board of Directors recently approved the following grants:
· Alianza Coachella Valley $5,000
· Peace from Chaos $90,000
· Riverside County Latino Commission: $35,000
· Friends of the Desert Mountains $10,000
· Desert Access and Mobility, Inc. $10,000
· Do The Right Thing $10,000
· Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert $7,500
· Rotary Club of Coachella East $7,000
· The Exception $5,000
· Coachella Valley Housing Coalition $10,000
· Refuge Pregnancy Center $5,000
· Iyengar Yoga Center Coachella Valley $5,000
· Riverside County Office On Aging $5,000
· Independent Living Partnership $5,000
· Oswit Land Trust $5,000
· CODEX Creation Committee $5,000
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Meaningful Events Start The Season
By V. Manuel Perez, Riverside County Supervisor
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We have some upcoming events that mean a lot to us. They are the culmination of many years of our planning and hard work as we strive to elevate the quality of life in our Fourth District, for our residents. I invite you to please join us at the following:
Justice Summit, October 25th
If you were at Desert Fast Pitch and saw the Audience Choice and first place finisher Ramon Ramos, you’re not going to want to miss the “Raising the Future” community event.
This is going to be a powerful day designed to uplift youth, families and community members.
For the past several years, we have organized Probation Symposiums to look at how we can restore and improve lives of people coming out of incarceration and addressing their needs for services and stability.
We need to reach people early. We want to reach families who want their children to have higher education opportunities. This event will have resources to check out, workshops and amazing speakers, including Richard Montañez of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos fame!
We are proud to partner with Ramon Ramos, his nonprofit, The Exception, and the CBO Alliance to bring this event to the Coachella Valley community. It will be October 25th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at UCR Palm Desert.
Dust Summit, November 6th
We’re a month away from the Coachella Valley Dust Summit that we have been organizing with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, UC Riverside, Public Health and others.
Once in a while, you might see some dust in the air, but when there’s a storm, it’s crazy. We have been working on the issue of unprecedented dust in the valley since Hurricane Hilary two years ago, and trying to get to the bottom of what’s in the air and what people are breathing and what can be done about it.
The Dust Summit will be November 6th, starting at 5 p.m. at UCR Palm Desert.
Lake Cahuilla Reopening, November 8th
Lake Cahuilla is a park I grew up going to when I was a kid. It was the place to go, and a place we brought our sons to, and spent time with our family members and cousins.
With the county’s lease extended another 30 years, the reopening day will dedicate new amenities for people of all ages to utilize this jewel. This includes fixing up and reopening the pool for our families, adding pickleball and basketball courts, and bringing nice new greenery and more trees.
A few years ago, we renamed this park to Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park, the first park in our county park system in honor of veterans. We are having discussions to bring more family programs and veterans’ services, with our vision for this park to be a place for veterans to call their own.
We will have a full day of activities and everyone is invited to have a good time.
State of the County, December 11th
As the 2025 Riverside County Chairman, I am proud to bring this year’s State of the County presentation to the Fourth District. This has usually been a morning event, but we changed it to an evening engagement. And we are excited to have it at the Acrisure Arena, the home of our Coachella Valley Firebirds!
United around our theme, “Team RivCo: Culture of Winning,” we will showcase progress and so much more that will be happening across the entire County of Riverside to help communities thrive.
So brace yourself for lots of fun, good food, music, entertainment! Check out Eventbrite for more details.
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NPO Centric Workshops Deliver High Impact Professional Development
By Taly Fantini, NPO Centric Director and Vanessa Arroniz, Program Manager of Community Engagement
| | | This September, NPO Centric launched its 2025–26 professional development season, engaging 136 nonprofit leaders in expert-led workshops on fundraising, succession planning, and change management. The workshops offered actionable strategies and practical training tailored to the sector’s most pressing challenges, helping nonprofits advance their missions across the region.
The season opened with NPO Centric’s Coffee With…presentation Passing the Torch, Preserving the Mission, led by Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Janise Graham. Recognizing that leadership transitions are among the highest-risk moments in a nonprofit’s lifecycle. Participants learned hands-on strategies to safeguard their organizations. Graham’s approach ensures succession planning is an actionable part of each organization’s ongoing culture.
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Next, NPO Centric presented Leading Through the Unknown: Thriving Through Change, led by Dr. Carol Geffner, a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs, USC executives, and Kaiser Permanente leaders. Dr. Geffner facilitated dynamic peer-to-peer learning, creating intentional space for leaders to share real-world experiences and exchange practical insights.
Those in attendance were provided concrete tools to build resilient teams capable of pivoting strategically when circumstances change.
“Thank you so much for providing such meaningful workshops. Your timing is right on. The topics you have been presenting are timely and certainly worth attending. I drive more than an hour here and I always learn something to take back to my organization,” Kevin Wong, Executive Director, Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve.
Lastly, in the season’s opening lineup, Making the Ask: Inspiring Donors to Give, facilitated by Jason Smith, addressed one of fundraising’s most persistent challenges: the discomfort and anxiety surrounding donor solicitation. Smith led participants through practical frameworks for early-stage cultivation, late-stage solicitation, and team-based strategies. Participants learned how to transform “the ask” from a stressful task into an opportunity to build meaningful donor partnerships.
The strong start to the 2025–26 season reflects NPO Centric’s response to nonprofit leaders' hunger for substantive, expert-led training which goes beyond theory to actionable strategies. Bringing nationally recognized experts; Jason Smith, Janise Graham, and Dr. Carol Geffner, and others in the future are key to NPO Centric’s efforts to strengthening the sector’s ability to serve communities effectively to achieve sustainability. See you at our next workshop…
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2025 Desert Fast Pitch
By Stephanie Minor, Director of Development
| | Pictured: RAP board members and staff along with Desert Fast Pitch participants. | | |
The 2025 Desert Fast Pitch Final Event was a sold-out success, bringing together hundreds of community members, funders, and nonprofit leaders for an unforgettable evening of storytelling and impact. Held at the UCR Palm Desert Auditorium, the night featured six powerful pitches from local nonprofit professionals who worked for weeks to refine their stories and sharpen their strategies.
This year’s keynote speaker was Elizabeth Smart, whose personal story of resilience and advocacy touched and inspired everyone in the room. Her presence was a reminder of the power of courage, community, and using your voice to create change.
Through this program, $70,000 in cash grants was awarded to local nonprofits making a difference in the Coachella Valley.
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This year's top winners were:
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The Exception, pitched by Ramon Ramos, took home both – First Place and the Audience Choice Award
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4ShayJ Foundation, pitched by Chelsea Clark – Second Place
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We Can Fish, pitched by Carla Rizya – Third Place
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Friends of the Children – Coachella Valley - Honored for Outstanding Fast Pitch portfolio
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Tools for Tomorrow - Honored for Outstanding Fast Pitch portfolio
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Friends of the Children - Most Improved
| | | It was a powerful celebration of nonprofits making real change across eastern Riverside County. We look forward to bringing this event back next year with many more new nonprofits to learn about and cheer on. | | Pictured: Desert Fast Pitch Winner: Ramon Ramos, The Exception. | | |
Coachella Valley Healthy Living
by Ashley Huesca and Adam Lackie
Tobacco Control Program
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Coachella Valley Healthy Living’s (CVHL) Tobacco Control Program continues its efforts to build a cleaner, healthier Coachella Valley. This summer, the CVHL team hosted an event along with the Tribal Community Coordinating Center titled “Sacred Plant, Sacred Lands: Traditional Teaching and Tobacco Prevention” which educated attendees about the dangers of commercial tobacco use as well as traditional and sacred of tobacco uses in Native culture. CVHL will be hosting park cleanups to remove tobacco litter and raise awareness about the impact of cigarette waste on our environment. These park cleanups, along with our educational efforts, bring together local volunteers, youth advocates, and community partners to make a visible difference and promote a tobacco-free future for our valley.
Upcoming Tobacco Waste Park Clean-Up Dates:
· Saturday, 10/11 – Rancho Las Flores Park | 7 AM – 9 AM
· Saturday, 10/25 – Bagdouma Park | 7 AM – 9 AM
· Saturday, 11/01 – Dateland Park | 7 AM – 9 AM
If you have any questions about the Coachella Valley Healthy Living Project, please don’t hesitate to contact us at ahuesca@rapfoundation.org or alackie@rapfoundation.org.
| | Breathing Hazard: Air Pollution in the Salton Sea | | |
RAP is proud to have sponsored a new report released by the Pacific Institute, a global nonpartisan think tank, assesses the complex and growing air quality threats in the Salton Sea region of southeastern California.
As the Salton Sea has shrunk by more than 60 square miles over the past 30 years due to reduced water use in the region, more dry lakebed—known as “playa”—has been exposed, contributing to dangerous dust levels in an area already burdened with some of the highest respiratory hospitalization rates in California. But the report finds that playa dust is only one piece of a broader pollution burden that includes unpaved roads, desert winds, farming practices, diesel emissions, and more.
With over 500,000 people at risk, “Breathing Hazard: Air Pollution in the Salton Sea Region” urges state and local agencies to change their approach to better protect public health and outlines more effective strategies to do so, such as weatherizing homes, installing air filters, and issuing public alerts on days with poor air.
Read the report and explore the Salton Sea Air Quality Map: https://pacinst.org/publication/breathing-hazard-air-pollution-in-the-salton-sea-region/
| | Looking for Affordable Office or Cubicle Space? | | |
The RAP Foundation offers affordable office and cubicle spaces for nonprofits. Our building features a welcoming lunchroom, four fully equipped conference rooms, and a collaborative environment designed to support your organization’s work.
For more information, contact Mireya Reyes at mreyes@rapfoundation.org.
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