Desert Healthcare District Board adds $3 million & new application deadline to current grant budget

In an unprecedented move on Jan. 27 at the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board meeting, the Directors voted to allocate an additional $3 million to the agency's current fiscal-year grant budget.

The District generally operates with a $5 million annual grant budget to award to nonprofit organizations which serve Coachella Valley residents.

However, recent applications for larger than usual grant amounts -- some in excess of $1 million -- for a longer duration reduced the balance to $482,945 by the end of 2025.

The additional funds that were approved this week will allow District staff to continue reviewing grant applications currently in the pipeline for funding consideration by the Board.

“As the amount of grant requests increased this year, the need for the District’s support was even more evident to our Board and staff,” Board President Kimberly Barraza said. “Instead of discontinuing funding for the remainder of the fiscal year, we decided the correct and fair thing to do was use a portion of estimated fiscal year profit to fund essential programs and services that align with our high priorities, meet immediate need, and pass the application review process.”

CEO Chris Christensen agreed. “Grant applicants and our nonprofit community increasingly look to the Healthcare District as a resource,” he said. “While we cannot award every grant application, we want to honor in a fiscally responsible way those urgent requests that benefit our residents.”

As of Jan. 9, 2026, there were nine grant applications which exceeded $15 million in total. Six of the nine applications are within the District & Foundation's high priority goals #2 and #3, equaling over $14 million of the applications. This does not include applications which are in process and have yet to be received.

With nearly $3.5 million now available for grant awards, applications that address an immediate need could be funded this year. Applicants have a deadline of 11:59 p.m. March 1 to submit completed applications with all necessary documents included.

Applicants whose programs and services are not funded this fiscal year will have an opportunity to submit grant applications in the next fiscal year under a new strategic plan that is being developed by the District.

Learn more about our grants program.

About the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation