Impact Grant 2024 Recipients

News Channel 3 took a look back at 2024's Impact Grant recipients, presented in partnership with the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation. Ten Coachella Valley nonprofits received grants to improve lives and help those in need.

In January, the Impact Grant was launched with a special surprise: A charitable gift of $30,000 awarded to the Coachella Valley chapter of Make-A-Wish.

"I'm just so thrilled. We'll be able to help so many kids locally in Coachella Valley. It's remarkable, I'm very happy!" the Vice President of Mission Delivery, Melissa Gallager, said.

Several other Valley nonprofits also received Impact Grants in 2024. In February, a gift of $25,000 was presented to Braille Institute Coachella Valley to benefit veterans, police officers, and firefighters with low vision. We went back to Braille Institute to see how that gift was used. La Quinta veteran and retired sheriff's deputy Garry Leonard was one of many people who received a digital optical device, free of charge.

"I don't feel as lost, and I don't feel as if nothing can help. And I know what's going to happen is my eyes are going to get worse, and I'm going to use it more," Leonard said.

In March, ABC Recovery Center in Indio received a $45,000 Impact Grant for a new computer learning center to help train staff and residents about the dangers of fentanyl and other addictions. Now, the "H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation Education Center" is helping the nonprofit in its mission to help those with substance-use disorders achieve lifelong sobriety. "Many thanks to the Berger Foundation for caring about this, caring about what we do. We really put a lot of thought and strategy into this to make it as useful as we can," CEO Chris Yingling said.

In April, FIND Food Bank received a $25,000 Impact Grant for its fresh produce program. The only regional food bank provides nourishing meals to about 125,000 people each month.

In May, a $25,000 Impact Grant was presented to Guide Dogs of the Desert, which is just one of 13 schools in the nation certified to prepare dogs for the blind and visually impaired. The canine companions are provided to people across the country at no charge.

In June, a $10,000 gift was awarded to CV Foster Kids, which offers a range of resources and necessities to children in the foster care system. The entirely-volunteer organization used the money to purchase beds for foster kids to sleep in. "If they didn't have a bed it delays reunification with their parents. If they don't have a bed so they can be placed with relatives or a foster family, then they're waiting in the CPS office until they can find placement and nobody wants a child sleeping in a CPS office," treasurer Lauren Budd said.

In August, a $20,000 Impact Grant was awarded to the Foundation for PSUSD, which helps students achieve their full potential. The money was used for its Shoes for Students program, giving 2,500 children a step towards a brighter future.

In September, the nonprofit Street Life Project received $7500 towards its mission to help the homeless, specifically in Desert Hot Springs.

In October, a $35,000 Impact Grant was awarded to Angel View, which helps children and adults with disabilities reach their maximum potential. The gift will help the nonprofit purchase a wheelchair-accessible van.

And finally this month, a gift of $23,000 was awarded to Desert Arc, which provides opportunities for people with disabilities. The money will help Desert Arc replace its gasoline-powered machinery with electric, allowing them to provide daily landscaping services in Palm Springs.

So add everything up, and in 2024, Impact Grants totaling $245,500 were presented to ten Valley nonprofits. The grants are awarded on the concept that through service, funding, and awareness were are "making a difference together."

In 2025, Impact Grants will continue to improve lives and help those in need.