The LGBTQ+ Center of the Desert and Hanson House in Palm Springs are two of the five organizations receiving grants from Desert Healthcare District and Foundation.
The Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board approved more than $3.5 million in grant funding at its most recent monthly meeting, with two Palm Springs organizations among the five Coachella Valley recipients focused on expanding access to primary and behavioral healthcare.
The five grants total $3,550,528 and are intended to support programs targeting the valley’s healthcare workforce shortage, mental and behavioral health services, and care for underserved and migrant families.
Hanson House was awarded $103,155 to fund a new case manager position and a portion of its executive director’s salary. The case manager will provide support from patient intake through post-hospital transition, including needs assessments and care coordination.
The LGBTQ+ Community Center of the Desert was awarded $142,661 to fund two Spanish-speaking therapists serving underserved areas and to train eight clinicians in LGBTQ+-affirming, evidence-based care. Grant funds also support partial salaries for several leadership and clinical positions.
The largest share of the funding — $2,975,625 — went to Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, doing business as Innercare, a Federally Qualified Health Center with clinics in Riverside and Imperial counties. Innercare will use the three-year grant, beginning July 1, to develop a teaching health center program in the Coachella Valley aimed at training physician residents locally to address the area’s physician shortage. By the third year of the grant period, Innercare plans to have 16 residents working across its health sites and at DAP Health.
The Galilee Center in Mecca received $185,337 to continue its Bridge to Health program, which connects underserved and migrant families to medical and behavioral health services through case management and partnerships with healthcare providers, schools, and transportation services.
Jewish Family Service of the Desert received $143,750 to support partial salaries for five staff positions — a clinical director, a licensed marriage and family therapist, two counselors, and an associate clinical social worker — with the goal of expanding bilingual mental healthcare access.
Board President Kimberly Barraza said the approvals reflect the organization’s priorities and obligations to the community.
“Today’s approval of $3.5 million in grants is a strong reflection of our commitment to the community and to the priorities we’ve set as a District,” Barraza said. “These investments will expand access to care, strengthen our healthcare workforce, and bring critical resources directly to the residents who need them most.”
The board also approved a two-year consulting services agreement with Palm Desert-based NPO Centric, not to exceed $420,000, to continue providing capacity-building services to Coachella Valley nonprofits and raise awareness about that work and its outcomes.
In a separate action, the District announced an overhaul of its community sponsorship program, introducing a streamlined application process and two annual deadlines for nonprofits seeking event funding.
Organizations requesting $5,000 or more must apply by one of two deadlines: May 31 for events scheduled between July and December 2026, and Nov. 30 for events planned between January and June 2027. Requests under $5,000 will be handled at the discretion of CEO Chris Christensen, and total sponsorship awards per organization are capped at $25,000 annually.
“As a Healthcare District that collaborates with many nonprofits and other community partners, we understand the significance of fund-raising events,” Christensen said. “Our hope with this new sponsorship process is that it will clarify the type of events we support, how organizations can apply, and encourage them to apply by the new deadlines.”
Details and application materials can be found here.