El Centro, CA. December 20, 2023. The Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation (IVWF) announces that 10 nonprofits have been selected to receive a one-year 2023 Mission Support grant.

“Each year we are impressed with the amount of service and resources provided by the nonprofit agencies in our community,” stated Antonio Romayor, Jr., Chairman, Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation. “These agencies need more financial support than they currently receive and yet they manage to do so much good for so many of our neighbors. I’m proud that IVWF can provide some of that support.”

Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation aims to make the Imperial Valley A Better Place to Live for All. “We recognize the importance and value of focusing on the quality of life for the residents of the Imperial County and want to support the work that many organizations are doing to address health and wellness, and community engagement in disinvested communities and especially with populations and groups that have been historically excluded from planning and decision-making,” stated Roque Barros, Executive Director, IVWF. “In addition, we value the importance of the nonprofits that lead this work and are committed to supporting them in building capacity to carry out their work and mission.”

501(C)(3) nonprofits applied for funding in the following three areas:

1) Health and Wellness

2) Community Engagement

3) Nonprofit Capacity Building

Below are examples of the kind of work that falls under each of the areas:

Health and Wellness

• Food insecurity and healthy eating
• Active living and physical activity
• Mental and emotional health
• Safe and healthy living neighborhoods
• Social health
• Programs that focus on the awareness and prevention of asthma, prenatal care, diabetes, and obesity
• Health and wellness programs that benefit children, disadvantaged students, farm workers, homeless, LGBTQ, low-income families, seniors and veterans

Community Engagement

• Helping community members address the issues and needs they face in their communities
• Engaging community members to work together on community priorities
• Creating opportunities for community members to gather and socialize
• Helping community members gain awareness and become better informed
• Listening to the community to learn more about their priorities and helping them take actions to improve conditions
• Building the community’s capacity so they can create the change they want to see
• Helping communities strengthen their voice and visibility

Nonprofit Capacity Building

• Strengthening the operations of the organization
• Strengthening the staff and team of the organization
• Building a strong volunteer base
• Attending conferences and workshops
• Purchasing and/or improving equipment and software
• Technical assistance or consulting services

For more information, please contact IVWF Executive Director, Roque Barros, Rbarros@ivwf.org
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