Pulling Curtain Back on DHCD Grant Program

Nonprofits Throughout Coachella Valley Rely on Desert Healthcare District for Financial Aid Through its Grant Program

PALM SPRINGS — In 2025, the Desert Healthcare District doled out a staggering $1.5 million in grants to local nonprofits in December alone — and even more money will be distributed this year,

In an unprecedented move on Jan. 27, the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Board of 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 money that was approved will allow District staff to continue reviewing grant applications currently in the pipeline for funding consideration by the Board.

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

The talk of grants and grant money has led us and some in the community to learn more about the grant program. Christensen readily obliged.

UKEN REPORT  (UR):  DHCD distributed $1.5 million in grants in 2025 Was that a record amount?

CHRISTENSEN: The $1.5 million of grants awarded in the month of December 2025 is the high for monthly awards this fiscal year, but not necessarily the historical high for a month of grant awards. This included over $1 million awarded to grantees specific to our RFP “Empowering Resilient Youth and Families”. You can see this from the attached grant payments schedule, the 3rd column of numbers shows the total amount of grants awarded this fiscal year ($4,517,763). In September and October, a total of $1.2M and $1.4M, respectively, was awarded.

UR: Where does the money come from to fulfill all the grants?

CHRISTENSEN: The property tax revenue the District receives funds the grant awards.

UR: How many grant applications did DHCD receive in 2025?

CHRISTENSEN: 30 applications were received

UR: How many, or what percentage of them, were granted?

CHRISTENSEN: 24 applications were approved (16 full grant applications and 8 mini)   = 80% approved

UR: How many, or what percentage of them, were denied?

CHRISTENSEN:  6 applications were declined (2 RFP applications and 4 mini)   = 20% declined

UR: On what basis were some denied?

CHRISTENSEN:  Grants are awarded or declined based on the District’s Policy #OP-05, see attached. The DHCDF Strategic Plan, also attached, designates Goals #2, 3, and 6 as High Priority goals. Most grants awarded were specific to these 3 high priority goals. The grants declined were either requesting funds for non-priority goals or did not meet the requirements of our grant policy.

UR: You have mentioned wanting to increase the budget for grants this year. By how much do you want to increase it? Why?

CHRISTENSEN: My communication regarding increasing the grant budget will be for fiscal year 2026-2027, running from July 2026-June 2027. I anticipate the grant budget will be increased by the Board.

CHRISTENSEN: When does the board work on the budget? The District’s new 5-year strategic plan for FY27-31, will be complete by May 2026. Staff and the Board will establish the FY26-27 by June 2026. I believe the outcome of the new strategic plan and the first $100M lease installment in May 2027 will include an increase to the annual grant budget and possible funding for clinics and urgent care facilities in the designated areas allowed by the hospital lease.

UR: What percentage of the budget do grants represent?

CHRISTENSEN: Approximately 45%

UR: Does the board decide on grant applications each month?

CHRISTENSEN: The District’s Program Committee considers approval of grants presented to them at the monthly committee meeting. It varies if grants are presented each month. The District’s grants team consisting of 6 staff members reviews each grant application, conducts internal due diligence, grantee consultation meetings, etc. to ensure the grants are compliant with the grant application requirements. This process may take 2-3 months. Once a grant application successfully passes the internal grant review, the grants are presented to the Program Committee for their review. If the Program Committee approves, then, the grant is forwarded to the full Board for consideration of approval.

UR: Is there a particular number of applications the board approves or denies each month?

CHRISTENSEN: Only grant applications that have completed the internal review process.

UR: Is there a limit to the amount of money any given organization can receive in any given year?

CHRISTENSEN: There is presently not a limit on the amount a grantee can receive. However, typically multiple grants to one organization in each year are restricted.

Appky for a grant here: https://www.dhcd.org/How-to-Apply