The Coachella Valley community rallied for the second annual Coachella Valley Giving Day (CV Giving Day), an online initiative dedicated to supporting local nonprofits, on Tuesday, March 5. The campaign helped raise more than $860,000 for over 160 local nonprofits from 1,790 donors, surpassing last year’s total by $490,000.
“It’s heartwarming to see the overwhelming participation from Coachella Valley residents on CV Giving Day,” said Jake Wuest, FirstBank California Market President. “We’ve more than doubled last year’s total thanks to the collective effort and generosity of our community and foundation partners. We hope to build on this momentum to make an even greater impact for future CV Giving Days.”
CV Giving Day was first launched in 2023 to increase philanthropy and awareness of local causes. The event is presented by FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks with a focus on “banking for good,” and the Desert Community Foundation (DCF).
“It is wonderful to see our community come together in such a generous way through CV Giving Day, truly embodying our mission at Desert Community Foundation to connect nonprofits and donors,” said Mary Panesar, Desert Community Foundation Executive Director. “This outpouring of support creates a ripple of kindness across the Coachella Valley, and we’re excited to see how we can continue to make it better in the years to come.”
This year, 202 nonprofits registered for CV Giving Day, and 80% received donations. FirstBank, the DCF, the Regional Access Project Foundation (RAP), Amazon, and the Auen Foundation contributed to a $130,000 incentive fund to increase nonprofit support. The incentive fund was distributed in cash prizes to participating nonprofits, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 across several categories. Nonprofit recipients included:
Random Prizing:
- Danza Azteca Citlaltonac – $5,000
- Voices For Children – $5,000
- SteamRocket – $5,000
- Galilee Center – $5,000
- Cathedral City Senior Center – $5,000
- Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus – $5,000
- Cake4Kids – $5,000
- Rancho 3 Agavez de Cielo Azul – $5,000
- Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network – $5,000
- Soroptimist International of Palm Desert – $5,000
- Pathfinder Ranch – $5,000
- Women Add Value, Inc. – $5,000
Leaderboard Prizing:
- We Can Fish, Incorporated – $10,000
- Chabad of Rancho Mirage – $7,500
- Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation – $5,000
- Kick-off Event Prizing:
- Refuge Pregnancy Center – $5,000
- Desert Cancer Foundation – $5,000
Early Giving Prizing:
- OneFuture Coachella Valley – $1,000
- Soroptimist International Palm Desert – $1,000
- The Narrow Door – $1,000
- Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network – $1,000
- Cathedral City Senior Center – $1,000
- Rancho 3 Agavez de Cielo Azul – $1,000
- SteamRocket – $1,000
- Inland Empire Ronald McDonald – $500
Auen Foundation Prizing:
- Habitat for Humanity of the Coachella Valley, Inc. – $5,000
- A.C.T. for Multiple Sclerosis – $5,000
- GPL – Grandparents Love – $5,000
- Palm Springs Art Museum – $5,000
- Angel View – $5,000
- Inland Counties Legal Services – $5,000
To encourage donations, FirstBank surprised Coachella Valley residents with unexpected freebies, urging recipients to “Give it Forward” to their favorite cause on CV Giving Day. The surprises included covering pet adoption fees at Animal Samaritans, admission at Palm Springs Air Museum in honor of veterans, and collaborating with Desert Recreation District to distribute 100 soccer balls to young athletes.
To learn more or donate, visit CVGivingDay.org.
About FirstBank
FirstBank began providing banking services in 1963. Today, it’s known as an industry leader in digital banking. It has grown to be one of the largest privately held banks in the United States, maintaining more than $28 billion in assets and 100 branch locations across California, Colorado, and Arizona. FirstBank offers a variety of consumer deposit accounts, home equity loans, mortgages, rental property loans, and a full range of commercial banking services, including business financing, commercial real estate loans, treasury management, and more. Since 2000, FirstBank has been recognized as a top corporate philanthropist, contributing more than $85 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. The company is also unique in that a large portion of its stock is owned by management and employees, giving employees a financial stake in the bank’s success through its Employee Stock Ownership Program. For more information, visit www.efirstbank.com.
About Desert Community Foundation
Desert Community Foundation is a public charity organization that has been serving the communities of the Coachella Valley since 1999. DCF works to address the core concerns and needs of the region including access to higher education, youth development, housing, health care, animal welfare, and the arts and culture—which are critical to our quality of life. DCF manages multiple charitable funds and stewards more than $115 million in assets. Through its partnerships with local donors, nonprofits, and community members, DCF is dedicated to the promise of creating a strong and prosperous future for the region. For more information, visit https://www.desertfoundation.org/.
