THE CEO'S REPORT

Hello all,

With the serious heat about to visit us here in 2024, I wish you all a happy spring and extend my appreciation to all the volunteers who help nonprofits provide services to our community. RAP was proud to once again support the Annual Senior Inspiration Awards which recognize eleven residents throughout the Coachella Valley who have made a positive impact on our community – they truly inspire us. We owe them and all other volunteers our gratitude.

RAP was a proud sponsor of the Annual Senior Inspiration Awards.

At our April Board meeting, the RAP Board (made up of 21 residents who volunteer their time and resources) decided to do a deep dive and conducted a review of the two most important resources we deliver, our Grants and NPO Centric programs. There was a great deal of sharing and questioning to gain a better understanding of where to focus our resources. Expect significant decisions to be announced soon regarding changes in our delivery of our programs and services.

Pictured above: Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and RAP Board Member Jan Pye at the Board of Supervisors recognition ceremony.

Congratulations to RAP Board Member Jan Pye for being recognized by Supervisor V. Manuel Perez as the Fourth District Supervisorial Woman of the Year. Anyone who knows Jan knows this is a well-deserved honor. RAP is one of the beneficiaries of Jan’s time along with the following nonprofits: 

Desert Hot Springs Woman’s Club, Springs Elks Lodge #2639, the Senior Center Advisory Committee, the Desert Hot Springs Historical Society, the Spa City Paletteer Art Club, the Language and Cultural Center Board, the Desert Hot Springs Advisory  Committee, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments Homelessness Committee, Rotary Club and the Ophelia Project.

I want to acknowledge the achievement of Gracie Montano, RAP’s Grant Manager, for completing the Clear Impact Certification for Results Based Accountability (RBA). This was a lengthy process requiring a great deal of Gracie’s time and dedication to learn new concepts which will be useful in determining the impact our funding has on the lives of our residents. Diane Morales, RAP's Data and Systems Program Manager, is on her own path to also complete the process of the RBA certification.

For now and always, enjoy life and take care,

Lety De Lara

Chief Executive Officer

Pictured above: Board Member Tori St. Johns at the 30th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards event.

COLLEGE CREDIT PROGRAM RETURNING

The RAP Board recently approved a partnership with UCR University Extension to offer a college credit program at the Palm Desert Campus.  

“Through this partnership, we aspire to empower individuals to become effective leaders and catalysts for positive change within the nonprofit landscape,” states Dean of Academic Affairs Marie C. Martin.  “This aligns with the mission of the RAP Foundation to create lasting impact through funding, technical assistance, and guidance to the nonprofit community.”

RAP discontinued this program at the onset of the COVID pandemic. However, the interest from nonprofit professionals still exists to participate in a program which, according to Martin, “aims to produce well-rounded nonprofit leaders who are not only well-versed in traditional management principles but are also equipped to tackle contemporary challenges and leverage emerging opportunities in the sector.”

The 35-week program will consist of the following five courses: Nonprofit Management, Fundraising Essentials, Grant Proposal Writing, Current Issues and Case Studies in Nonprofit Management, and Social Media Marketing. Students will earn three college units for each class lasting seven weeks on Fridays from 1 till 5 p.m. 

RAP will offer financial scholarships of $2,875 to twenty students and they will each be expected to contribute $500 to participate. Priority will be given to NPO Centric members. 

The application period will start in late May and selections will be announced no later than early June. Please stay tuned in to NPO Centric announcements for more information.

Pictured above: RAP Foundation CEO Lety De Lara and FirstBank Market President Jake Wuest participate in a series of media interviews as part of the promotion for CV Giving Day.

1. Cake4Kids 

2. Cathedral City Senior Center 

3. Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network 

4. Danza Azteca Citaltonac 

5. Galilee Center 

6. Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus 

7. Rancho 3 Agavez de Cielo Azul 

8. Soroptimist International of Palm Desert 

9. Steam Rocket 

10. Voices For Children 

We appreciate partnering with FirstBank and Desert Community Foundation and look forward to being a part of these efforts again next year, where we hope to see many of your faces.

To learn more about CV Giving Day, click here.

I encourage you all to be mindful and present. A healthy community starts with you. You belong here.

STENCIL PROJECT AT PETER PENDLETON ELEMENTARY

The Coachella Valley Healthy Living team successfully brought the project vision to life on April 3. We can gladly announce that Peter Pendleton Elementary in Coachella has new stencils painted on their playground! The completion of this stage of the project means we have achieved the following objectives:

• Increased children’s interest in physical activity during outside play
• Created appealing outdoor spaces to encourage physical activity

For the rest of this year, we will work towards continuing our partnership with Peter Pendleton Elementary School. Our collaboration and impact are just getting started. Our team has set new goals, including:

• Encouraging the development of fundamental movement and motor skills with the use of evidence-based physical activity curricula
• Teaching staff ways to encourage and facilitate physical activities using outdoor spaces
• Supporting teaching staff to infuse physical activity into their school days by teaching academic concepts through movement

CITY OF COACHELLA - PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY

The Coachella Valley Healthy Living team also works toward tobacco prevention policy through partnerships and education. This past quarter, the team started a public opinion survey regarding tobacco usage in the City of Coachella.

Through this survey, we seek an understanding of Coachella resident’s perspective on tobacco including accessibility and stigma in their community. If you or anyone you know lives in the City of Coachella, please share this short survey with them.

RAP and DHCD have adopted Results-Based Accountability (RBA), a framework focused on measuring outcomes to enhance program effectiveness. By asking questions like "How much did we do?" and "How well did we do it?" to drive positive change and achieve specific, measurable results.

Through the Mental Health Initiative, RAP and DHCD have supported numerous organizations that have positively impacted the well-being of children, families, and the community through their programs and community engagement efforts.

We are delighted to share with you the data we have collected from our FY 2021-2023 grantees. Our RBA Scorecard not only serves as a testament to our accomplishments but also as a strategic roadmap for future endeavors. By leveraging data-driven insights, we are empowered to refine our strategies, optimize resource allocation, and continuously improve our impact.

We invite you to explore the detailed findings of our RBA Scorecard as we renew our dedication to excellence and innovation in mental health across the Coachella Valley and Palo Verde Valley. Access our RBA Scorecard by clicking on the button below.