Dear Borrego Valley Endowment Fund, We want to take some time to thank the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund for sponsoring Drive Me To My Doctor. Your mileage reimbursement helps us very much. Every little bit helps. Again, Thank you
Sincerely, Chris Taglienti & Mary Heller
Updated: Oct 21, 2021
The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund launched a Community Needs Assessment Program,
the first of its kind, in late September. All Borrego Springs philanthropic organizations were
invited to participate in one of a series of outreach meetings, called “listening sessions” and
conducted via Zoom. The response has been enthusiastic and productive.
Borrego’s non-profits fulfill critical roles in the life of Borrego Springs: from arts and cultural events to healthcare; from protecting our environment to educational services; from transportation for seniors to providing food for struggling families. In an effort to better understand the programs, goals, challenges and aspirations of our local non-profits, members of the BVEF board of directors will participate in five meetings with a total of 13 local charities.
The goals of the Community Needs Assessment Program are to raise community awareness of local non-profits, foster communication amongst the charities for stronger collaboration, and broaden fundraising capabilities through new philanthropic channels. The BVEF intends to follow-up on the “listening sessions” by consolidating the information gleaned and using it to identify priorities for new sources of charitable giving, highlight community needs or gaps that are not currently being met by philanthropic efforts, and look for new ways we can work together to build a stronger community through collaborative philanthropy.
The BVEF is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of the Borrego Valley and its residents.
Updated: Oct 21, 2021
The BVEF is pleased to announce that Richard (Dick) Troy has joined its Board of Directors. Dick spent years in the California State Parks administration, rising to Executive level before retiring in 2002. He participated in the formation of several non-profit corporations, formulated statewide policy on the subject, and worked to resolve various conflicts as they arose. Since 2000, he has served on the board of directors and held corporate officer positions with several non-profits including: The California State Railroad Museum Foundation, The Sacramento Valley Conservancy, The California Trails Conference Foundation, and the Anza Borrego Foundation.
Dick owns a home and has spent the Fall/Winter/Spring in Borrego Springs since 2008. Other times of the year find him in Sacramento or traveling. He has been involved with a variety of community organizations in Borrego and was recently elected President of the Borrego Village Association.
Says Dick of his new position, “I believe the generous 20+ year legacy of the BVEF has helped make Borrego Springs the community we are all proud of. BVEF’s continuing role of financial support will be essential to ensuring thoughtful future growth and the protection of the unique quality of life in our wonderful community.” The BVEF welcomes Dick’s depth of experience in non-profits and commitment to Borrego.
The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) has named Karen Garcia as its first Board Fellow. In 2021 the BVEF created a new category of Board membership—Board Fellow—to encourage the participation of young and diverse members of the Borrego community in the BVEF’s mission to harness the power of philanthropy to create enduring, community-wide benefit for the Borrego region.
Board Fellows are individuals under 25 years of age who have distinguished themselves in their chosen area(s) of endeavor—academia, profession, sports, arts, etc.—and who wish to learn about the philanthropic activities of a community foundation such as the BVEF. Board Fellows are elected for a term of one year and may be elected for an additional one-year term.
“Ms. Garcia is a wonderful addition to our board,” said BVEF Chairman Bob Kelly. “Karen has consistently distinguished herself in her academic career and she brings to our board the youthful perspective of someone who has grown up in Borrego and who will be here long after most of us are gone.”
Ms. Garcia graduated from Borrego Springs HS in 2018, as salutatorian of her class. She
receives multiple scholarships, many local to Borrego Springs, to attend the University of
California, San Diego where she is a senior and a straight A student. Ms. Garcia is majoring in Global Health with a minor in Biology. She is planning a career in the medical field as a
Physician Assistant.
The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of the Borrego Valley and its residents.
Donate at Go Fund Me www.gofundme.com/f/support-bshs-varsity-basketball-teams
My name is Vanessa Rodarte, and I’ve spent my life wondering how I can lend a helping hand to an athletic program. In Borrego Springs, sports are a must and student-athletes here carry that pressure with pride. However, did you know there is not a single CIF Championship banner displayed on the gym wall?
As a BSHS alumni who would have loved to bring this outstanding achievement to Borrego Springs and as the former head coach for the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team, I have decided that enough is enough. The basketball program at BSHS needs state-of-the-art equipment to become more competitive and a bigger threat throughout the season.
Therefore, I have partnered with the BVEF (Borrego Valley Endowment Fund) to raise $5,000 to match their grant to help support the BSHS Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Basketball Teams’ purchase of much-needed equipment. The funding requested would cover the cost of two basketball shooting machines, a camcorder bundle, a grip mat, and a subscription to Hudl. This company allows coaches to upload a recorded game version so coaches and players can rewatch films to strengthen their weaknesses.
Having this additional set of resources to add to our program will boost our team skills, motivate student-athletes to look forward to being part of the basketball program, and carry on the ram pride. No one has spent a dime on these programs since way before the pandemic, and our only fundraisers have been through the help of pancake breakfasts hosted at our local American Legion Post 853.
Please let these student-athletes know you care about them. I and the BVEF know this is a daring ask from the community, but we know you will all support us. Also, please note that these donations are not coming to me directly; they are going to the BVEF, where they will take care of it. Any amount is greatly appreciated, and it will only get us closer to our goal. Thank you for your time and consideration. Go Rams!