THE CEO'S REPORT

Happy (belated) New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holiday season. I also fervently hope that 2025 brings solid new opportunities for our nonprofit community and the greater Inland Empire region. 

RAP’s website has a fresh new look. It is easier for users to access and navigate through it with various tech devices. Although I am a “tech” challenged person, I do recognize the importance of using all available media to reach our nonprofits. Let me know what you think about the new website. 

Leticia De Lara

Chief Executive Officer

Regional Access Project Foundation

Exciting news regarding one of our most popular events, Desert Fast Pitch, was made at the December RAP Board meeting: After taking a two-year hiatus there will be a Desert Fast Pitch event this Fall. We will be broadcasting details on the date, location, and speaker; of course, most importantly, how to apply to be one of the 12 nonprofits participating in the Desert Fast Pitch program. The training for the dozen participants includes marketing, branding, and coaching to compete for cash grants.  You won’t want to miss our future announcements on this fun and rewarding event, and you’ll want to add it to your calendar.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge Data and Systems Program Manager Diane Morales’ commitment toward completing the Results Based Accountability (RBA) Certification recently. Diane works closely with the Grants and NPO Centric programs to evaluate their effectiveness in order to better meet the needs of our nonprofit clients in their program delivery. RAP strives to improve our services in support of our nonprofits with funding and educational resources.  RBA allows us to assess, to make decisions, and to demonstrate our impact on the community. 

We look forward to continuing our positive relationship with our nonprofit community which is working to improve the quality of life for our residents.

For now and always, enjoy life and make a difference,

Lety De Lara

Chief Executive Officer

Holiday Greetings from the RAP Foundation Board of Directors and Staff.

The Blythe Mental Health Data Review session took place on November 19, 2024, at the Doris Morgan Center in Blythe. Although the presentation occurred recently, the preparation for this meeting took almost a year to reach that moment. Back in February 2024, RAP conducted a data walk with residents from Blythe. While the data presented during the walk was relevant to Riverside County, Blythe residents felt it was not specific enough to the Palo Verde Valley.

As a result, RAP, along with our partners—Riverside County 4th District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, SCAN, and Innercare—commissioned a survey through HARC to create a tailored snapshot of the Palo Verde Valley’s mental health status. With input from our board members and local organizations such as Peace from Chaos, we designed the survey to reflect Blythe’s unique needs.

The survey was administered from March to April 2024. A total of 6,836 flyers were mailed in English and Spanish. Each flyer included an online link and QR code for easy access via phone, computer, or tablet. To encourage participation, a $1 bill was included in the mailers, with an additional $10 Visa gift card offered upon survey completion. We received 500 responses, all of which were anonymous to ensure confidentiality.

The survey results revealed that:

• 19% of residents rated their mental health status as “Fair” or “Poor,” while 51.5% rated their mental health as “Very Good” or “Excellent.”
• 24% reported having emotional, mental, or behavioral concerns within the past year.

Barriers to Mental Health Services

Some of the barriers residents face in accessing mental health services include stigma, cultural barriers, lack of childcare, and transportation. During the November session, residents in attendance echoed these findings, while also raising additional concerns about communication. While organizations may provide resources such as transportation, many local residents are unaware these services exist.

Additional challenges noted included:

• Long wait times for appointments (41.6%)
• Not enough doctors available (42.7%)

Key Takeaways

The survey results highlighted several pressing needs for the Palo Verde Valley community:

• Increased availability of mental health services and therapists.
• Improved access to quality providers.
• Youth support and counseling programs.
• Capacity-building for organizations to spread awareness about existing services and support.

Looking Ahead

This meeting served as a follow-up to the feedback gathered from Blythe residents in February 2024. We listened to their concerns and returned in November to share what they asked for—and more.



During this session, we also announced the upcoming release of a dedicated Request for Proposal (RFP) in Spring 2025 for organizations and service providers working in the mental health space in Blythe. Through this RFP, we hope to address some of the barriers identified and improve mental health access for all residents in the region.

Hello everyone. My name is Adam Lackie, and I’m thrilled to be part of the team as an accountant. I’ll be focusing both on supporting Coachella Valley Healthy Living (CVHL) projects as well as contributing to the overall work of the RAP Foundation. Before joining the field of accounting, I earned a master’s degree in physics from Louisiana State University and worked as a medical physicist. Working in the medical field helped me to develop an understanding of the importance of the work we do here to help to support the health of this community. For the past 12 years, I’ve built my career in accounting, transitioning from for-profit companies to nonprofit work—a shift that’s been especially meaningful to me.

I truly value the opportunity to use my skills to give back to this community and make a positive impact. In my short time here, I have been inspired by the dedication and collaboration of the team, and I’m excited to contribute to the important work we do together.



Outside of work I enjoy exploring the Coachella Valley, which I’ve called home since 2021. I love hiking and camping and have truly enjoyed discovering just how beautiful the desert can be. I look forward to helping the team continue to drive the success of CVHL.

Nutrition Education

by John Frank & Ashlee Huesca, Program Managers

The Coachella Valley Healthy Living (CVHL) Team has partnered with Olive Crest’s Transitional Housing Program to offer nutrition and cooking classes to young adults who have recently left the foster care program. In addition to discussing various ways that they can make healthier meal choices, the program will also cover topics such as budgeting, meal planning, and physical activity.

In addition, we are collaborating with the Mecca Boys and Girls Club to expand their club garden and provide children the opportunity to grow and cook their own food. CVHL will provide classes on gardening, nutrition, soil science, and plant science to help children improve their knowledge and build healthy habits for life.



If you have any questions about the CVHL Project, please don’t hesitate to contact us at ahuesca@rapfoundation.org or jfrank@rapfoundation.org.

Pictured from left to right: Melissa Robles, Grants Manager, Sheryl Benoit (RAP Board member), Voices for Children's Jessica Munoz and Brianna Miller, RAP Board Members: Craig Borba, Rosemary Ortega, Maria Meyer and Jan Pye.

“Voices for Children is deeply grateful to the RAP Foundation for the funding we have received to advocate for the mental health needs of children in foster care through our Court Appointed Special Advocate program. The support of RAP through grants, our office lease, and learning and networking opportunities has been an important part of expanding our service to in the Coachella Valley over the last decade.” - VFC’s President & CEO, Jessica Muñoz, Esq., MFS

Is your organization interested in applying for funding?

Get ready to apply!

RAP is hosting a mandatory Bidders meeting via Zoom on Monday, February 10th, at 10 AM to go through the grant details.



Click on the button below to RSVP.

NPO Centric is excited to partner once again with First Bank and Desert Community Foundation to host CV Giving Day in the Coachella Valley. This year’s orientation will be held at the NPO Centric Community Resource Center on January 15.

Last year, CV Giving Day raised more than $875,000 for more than 150 nonprofits, and we hope to surpass that this year.

CV Giving Day is an incredible opportunity to bring attention to your nonprofit’s mission, raise vital funds, and utilize your social media channels to garner new supporters.

This year NPO Centric will offer two prizes for NPO Centric members. Follow us on our social channels for your chance to win.

Upcoming Important Dates

Early Giving Starts – February 4, 2025

CV Giving Day Kick-Off – February 6, 2025

CV Giving Day – March 4, 2025

As you may know, RAP makes space available for nonprofits at below-market rates. Currently, 25 organizations are taking advantage of not only these reduced rental opportunities but also the ability to be located in the same building with other nonprofits. It makes collaboration so much easier and more effective! 

Good news: RAP currently has both office and cubicle space available. If you and your organization find this an attractive possibility, contact Administrative Director Mireya Reyes at mreyes@rapfoundation.org.