NPO Centric

09/18/2026

We're still buzzing from the Semifinal Event! 🎉

There's something different about a room full of people who come together and show up for each other's missions. Eleven nonprofit leaders took the stage and poured everything into their pitch, and the audience met every single one of them with the same energy back. There were cheers for causes they've never heard of before tonight, and contestants hugging each other before they even knew who was advancing.

That's the whole point of NPO Desert Fast Pitch — a community that comes together to shine a light on the leaders advocating on behalf of others.

Kudos to the eleven contestants who took the stage at the NPO Desert Fast Pitch Semifinal Event!

• Alex Aguilar — Iyengar Yoga Center Coachella Valley (IYCCV)
• Ray Amador — Coachella Valley Youth Leadership
• Jessica Bowser — Desi Strong Foundation
• Tamara Canedo — Seiden-Juku
• Yvonne Choyce — Consortium for Early Learning Services
• Erin Hyland — Read With Me Volunteer Programs
• Julie Makinen — Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation
• Sweet Baby J'ai (J'ai Michel-Lundy) — Sunset Music and Education Foundation
• Kara Robinson — Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City
• Selena Rodriguez — SAFE Family Justice Centers

See you at the Grand Finale!

09/18/2026

Great futures start with someone who believes in you. ⭐

Kara Robinson is the Resource Development Manager at the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City, whose mission is to enable all young people — especially those who need it most — to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Club provides low-income youth with trauma-informed after-school and summer programming: academic support, social-emotional learning, and enrichment in a safe, structured space.

This fall, Kara is one of six finalists competing at the NPO Desert Fast Pitch Grand Finale — 📅 October 1, 2026 at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, Rancho Mirage. Join us in cheering her on! 🎉

09/17/2026

Selena Rodriguez is the Bilingual Supervising Family Specialist at SAFE Family Justice Centers, whose mission is to provide comprehensive services that help protect families, seek justice, and promote SAFE futures for children, youth, and families affected by violence. Working directly with survivors of domestic violence and trauma, Selena helps connect families to advocacy, resources, and youth programs like PAL and Camp HOPE that build resilience and hope.

This fall, Selena is one of six finalists competing at the NPO Desert Fast Pitch Grand Finale — 📅 October 1, 2026 at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, Rancho Mirage. Join us in cheering her on! 🎉

09/17/2026

Thank you NBC Palm Springs for sharing the great news about the NPO Desert Fast Pitch Semifinal event and our six finalists!!!

We were blown away by the performances by all of our contestants!!

Congratulations to our six finalists!!!

Six Coachella Valley nonprofits will compete in the Desert Fast Pitch Grand Finale Oct. 1 at Agua Caliente Casino & Resort, each getting three minutes to pitch

09/16/2026

Meet your NPO Desert Fast Pitch finalists! 🎉

Six local nonprofit leaders. One stage. One shot to pitch their vision for a stronger Coachella Valley — live at the Grand Finale. 🏆

Congratulations to our 2026 finalists:

🔹 Jessica Bowser — Desi Strong Foundation
🔹 Tamara Canedo — Seiden-Juku
🔹 Erin Hyland — Read With Me Volunteer Programs
🔹 Julie Makinen — Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation
🔹 Kara Robinson — Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City
🔹 Selena Rodriguez — Safe Family Justice Centers

Each of them earned their spot — and now they're bringing bold ideas and real community impact to the finale stage. 💡

📅 Save the date and come cheer them on! October 1, 2026
📍 Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, Rancho Mirage

09/15/2026

Today’s the day. 🎤

After weeks of workshops on storytelling, fundraising, and leadership, our NPO Desert Fast Pitch contestants are stepping up to the plate to pitch for their nonprofits — three minutes to make the case for their mission.

The room is set, the screen is ready, and this cohort of leaders are about to show us why their work matters. Semi-Final Event, here we go! ✨

09/11/2026

Today we pause to remember. On Patriot Day, we honor the lives lost on September 11th, and the courage of the first responders, volunteers, and everyday neighbors who ran toward one another when it mattered most.

On the 25th Anniversary, we remember together, and we stand together.

09/11/2026

Thanks NBC Palm Springs for featuring our amazing 11 contestants of NPO Desert Fast Pitch on the news last night! Yesterday was our last day of training. We're so proud of these nonprofit leaders!!!

Local nonprofits are preparing to compete in Desert Fast Pitch, a program designed to provide professional development and funding opportunities as organization

09/11/2026

Yoga changed his life — now he's making sure it's there for everyone else's, too. 🧘 Alex Aguilar is Board President of IYCCV (Iyengar Yoga Center Coachella Valley), which has offered Iyengar Yoga for the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the Coachella Valley since 2021. IYCCV offers free classes to residents of Riverside County's Fourth District, including programming for kids, older adults, women's health, and people in recovery.

In his words: "We thrive when we support one another as a community."

As part of this year's cohort of nonprofit leaders competing in NPO Desert Fast Pitch 2026, Alex is currently sharpening his pitch ahead of the Semifinal Event.

Watch to hear why Alex is making wellness accessible to all!

09/11/2026

Congratulations to Desert Healthcare District & Foundation on hosting their insightful and impactful 3rd annual health summit, Healthy Desert Healthy You!

This year's summit theme, "Growing Stability in the Coachella Valley," focused on the social determinants of health, which aligned with our community's health and wellness priorities. With more than 40 notable speakers, the summit explored the four social determinants of health in depth: behavioral health, access to healthcare, housing, and workforce development. Debbie Espinosa, CEO of FIND Foodbank, received the Health Equity Visionary Award, and Pedro S. Rodriguez, CEO of Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, received the Community Health Impact Award.

DHCD and NPO Centric Capacity Alliance partners, Taly Fantini, Director, NPO Centric, and Donna Craig, Interim CEO, DHCD, gathered with other community stakeholders at the summit.