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Borrego Springs, September 6, 2025 – The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) is proud to announce that on August 26, 2025, it awarded $5,000 to the Borrego Springs Unified School District (BSUSD) from proceeds generated by sales at the Frugal Coyote Thrift Store. The Frugal Coyote has operated under the umbrella of BVEF since January 2023.

This grant will be used to establish The Teachers Fund, the purpose of which is to provide BSUSD teachers—across Pre-K, elementary, middle, and high schools—with resources to outfit their classrooms and purchase materials that directly benefit students. Many teachers currently cover these expenses out of their own pockets, and this initiative aims to ease that burden.

“This is a great opportunity,” said BSUSD Superintendent Mark Stevens. “The Borrego Springs Unified School District gratefully accepts this much-appreciated support and looks forward to managing the funds and responding to teachers’ needs.”

PreK–12 Principal Victoria Baay added: “We believe this is a worthy and much-appreciated effort to provide funds for classroom materials and supplies directly to teachers.”

BVEF President David Garmon commented: “Few endeavors have as great and as lasting an impact as the education of our children. Our goal in establishing The Teachers Fund is to support Borrego’s educators and strengthen student learning by ensuring teachers have the resources they need.”

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Next Steps: Help Us Reach $10,000 for the 2025–2026 School Year

To make The Teachers Fund a lasting resource for our teachers and students, we’re inviting the Borrego Springs community to match BVEF’s $5,000 donation. Together, we can raise $10,000 for the 2025–2026 school year.

Invest in the future of Borrego Springs by supporting our teachers, students, and schools.

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How to Donate

Your tax-deductible contribution can be made in any of the following ways:

• By Mail: Send a check to Borrego Valley Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 2714, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. (Please note “Teachers Fund” on your check.)
• In Person: Drop off your check at the Frugal Coyote Thrift Store (The Center, 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs). Open Tuesday–Sunday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.
• Online: Donate via PayPal at bvefund.org by clicking the DONATE button.

On June 29, 2025, the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund was honored to receive an Award of Appreciation from the Honorary Mayor of Borrego Springs, Daniel Wright. The award was presented “in appreciation of your exceptional service to Borrego Valley.”

We are truly grateful to be recognized with this meaningful award. Borrego Springs is a special community where the collective efforts of individuals, organizations, and volunteers sustain our unique sense of place and make Borrego Springs a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

We share this honor with everyone who contributes to the vitality of our valley and look forward to continuing to serve this remarkable community.

The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) honored seven local nonprofit organizations at its annual Grant Awards Luncheon, held Friday, April 18, at The Palms at Indian Head. The event recognized the vital contributions these groups make to the community and celebrated the awarding of more than $98,000 in grant funding for 2025.

Since its founding in 1996, BVEF has worked to harness the power of philanthropy to create lasting benefits for the Borrego region. While its original mission focused on ensuring access to quality healthcare in Borrego Springs, in 2016 the fund broadened its scope to support a wider range of initiatives. Today, BVEF also backs programs that promote education, protect the environment, and serve vulnerable populations such as seniors and youth.

Each year, BVEF invites proposals from nonprofit organizations working in healthcare and other community-centered areas, including the arts, education, and environmental sustainability. After a thorough selection process, seven recipients were chosen for the 2025 grant cycle based on the impact and reach of their programs.

2025 Grant Recipients and Programs:

• BASIC – Funding for the Summer Learning Academy, focused on youth education.
• Borrego Art Institute – Support for agri-tourism and community education programs at the Art Park.
• Borrego Springs Community Resource Center – Assistance for the Food Bank and other community benefit initiatives.
• Borrego Springs Film Institute – Providing community access to high-quality cinema at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center.
• Borrego Springs Music Festival – Support for the third annual festival and development of a music instruction studio for young learners.
• Borrego Ministers Association – Continued operation of the Food Coupon Program to support local families.
• Borrego Village Association – Implementation of a high school interpretation and internship program, along with CPR and first aid certification training.

The luncheon also served as an opportunity to thank the generous donors whose support makes these grants possible. It’s the tireless work of our nonprofit partners and the enduring generosity of our donors that make Borrego Springs such a wonderful place to live, work, and play. 

As the largest and oldest philanthropic institution in the region, the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) is uniquely positioned to support the long-term strategic development of Borrego Valley. In Spring 2025, BVEF awarded a total of $98,162.52 in grants to local nonprofit organizations in Borrego Springs, funding initiatives that provide meaningful benefits to our community.

By focusing on the region’s most pressing challenges and strategically allocating resources, BVEF works toward its vision of Borrego Springs as a vibrant, healthy, and sustainable desert community—serving as the gateway to California’s largest state park. While BVEF remains committed to its original mission of promoting health, it also supports organizations addressing critical educational, cultural, economic, and social development needs in the Borrego Valley.

We are delighted to announce the recipients of our 2025 Community Foundation and Health Care Grant Awards. These grants help sustain and expand impactful programs, reinforcing our dedication to making Borrego Springs a great place to live, work, and play.

BVEF 2025 Community Foundation Grants
• Borrego Art Institute – $5,000
For the Art Park’s agri-tourism education and outreach programs.
• Borrego Springs Film Institute – $9,700
To support access to high-quality cinema
• Borrego Springs Music Festival – $9,700
To support the third annual music festival – Instruction programs
• Borrego Village Association – $9,700
For the Borrego Springs High School Interpretation Course

BVEF 2025 Health Care Grants
• BASIC – $20,000
To support the Summer Learning Academy
• Borrego Springs Community Resource Center
$6,750 To purchase a refrigerator for the Food Bank.
$17,312.52 To support rent and operational costs for the facility
• Borrego Ministers Association – $10,000
To support the Food Coupon Program.
• Borrego Village Association – $10,000
For Emergency and Wilderness First Aid and CPR Certification

Congratulations to all the recipients! We look forward to honoring the repents at the BVEF’s Grant Award Luncheon on Friday, April 18th at the Palms at Indian Head.

The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund is searching for a Chief Executive Officer to provide visionary leadership and strategic direction to advance BVEF’s mission.  To be sent the position description and instructions on how to apply please email jdionbvef@gmail.com

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

Shop where your purchasing power supports our community!

•Filled with a wonderful assortment of gently used donated items.

•Furniture, kitchenware, assorted houseware, paintings, tools, yarn & much more.

•Great selection of men’s & women’s clothing, jewelry, shoes & bags.

•10% off everyday with specials to look out for.

Open Tuesday – Saturday 8am – 4pm and occasional holidays.

Located in The Center, 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA. Tel: 760-767-4608

As a 501c3 We look forward to gratefully receiving your gently used donations in exchange for a tax deductible receipt.

Proceeds support the Borrego Springs Youth and Seniors Center, Children’s Center Programs, The Borrego Springs Community Resource Center, and other notable charities in support of our community!!!! The Frugal Coyote, and our charitable giving, is managed by the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund 

The BVEF is pleased to support the Borrego Springs Community Concert Association. 

We applaud the success of their first concert last week and their Children’s Special Interactive Field Trip. Reports are that “the kids were enthralled”. For more information follow this link: Bringing Music to Borrego Springs Kids

The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) is now accepting proposals from community groups in Borrego Springs for grants of $10,000 or less for its 2025 grant cycle. The BVEF expects to disburse grants to the community by March 15th, 2025.

Proposals can relate to either healthcare or non-healthcare community needs. Both program and capital costs will be considered. 

If you have an interest in competing for a grant in this cycle, please submit a one-page Letter of Inquiry (LOI). Your LOI should include:

• Organization Name and Applicant Contact Information
  • Proposed Project Title
  • Funding Amount Requested
  • A one paragraph statement explaining why you believe the project supports the community and aligns with one or more of the BVEF funding focus areas of Healthcare & Community Wellbeing, Community Development, and Environmental Stewardship.

Please send via email your Letter of Interest to the BVEF Project Allocation Committee to jdionbvef@gmail.com prior to Friday, January 24th, 2025. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full grant proposal.

For more information about the BVEF please visit our website at http://www.bvefund.org

I hope your community organization can take advantage of this funding opportunity. 

Dr. David Garmon, President

Borrego Valley Endowment Fund

Borrego Springs, October 17, 2024 – The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) announced today it is donating $20,000 to the Children’s Center, which is operated under the non-profit umbrella of the Borrego Springs Youth and Seniors Center. The funds for this gift come from the operations of the Frugal Coyote Thrift Store, which was donated to the BVEF in January 2023 by long-time community benefactors, Anne and Jim Wermers. We thank all those who have donated merchandise to, and made purchases, at the Frugal Coyote that has made possible a gift in this amount for the second year in a row! 

“There is a long history of the Frugal Coyote providing financial support to the Children’s Center. The BVEF is pleased to once again to be able to continue that tradition of support for an organization that is critically important to so many families in our community,” said BVEF President, David Garmon.

Daniel Wright, Executive Director of the Borrego Springs Youth and Seniors Center said, “Our community owes a huge debt of gratitude to BVEF for their continued and ongoing support of our working families by sustaining the Children’s Center, which is the only licensed day care in Borrego Springs.”

The BVEF has expanded its role beyond healthcare to that of a community foundation whose mission is to harness the power of philanthropy to support the health and broader well-being of the Borrego Valley and its residents. In this expanded capacity as community foundation, the BVEF supports local nonprofits that launch initiatives and implement programs that sustain and grow the community of Borrego Springs, serve our vulnerable seniors and youth, and protect our environment.

Garmon said, “We are excited about continuing the charitable mission of the Frugal Coyote and expanding its mission to meet the critical needs of our seniors, youth, and local residents. The current and future success of the Frugal Coyote is due in no small part by its dedicated, knowledgeable, and hard-working staff led by longtime manager Ann Jastrock and invaluable sales associates Laura Alcaraz and Jazmine Padilla”.

The Frugal Coyote welcomes your generous donations to their inventory so they can continue to offer shoppers an enticing array of boutique treasures and thrift items ranging from clothing, household goods, furniture, art, and more. Your donation makes a difference. Your support, as a donor or shopper, helps the BVEF fund the most critical needs of our Borrego Springs community. For more information on donating to the Frugal Coyote call 760-767-4608 or stop by the store located in The Center at 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs.  

The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund’s mission is to harness the power of philanthropy to create enduring, community-wide benefits for the Borrego region. Securing the future of the Frugal Coyote is just one example of how the BVEF makes Borrego Springs a better community. If you would like to support the mission of the BVEF by donating to important projects like this or others that may be of special interest to you, please contact Jim Dion at jdionbvef@gmail.com or visit bvefund.org.

The Borrego Springs Community Resource Center (CRC) is approaching its one-year anniversary and is busier thanever. One year ago, in April 2023, the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) announced the newly incorporated CRC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit California corporation, received its IRS Letter of Determination confirming its tax-exempt status.

The CRC took shape in the early days of the pandemic as a collaboration among several Borrego Springs residents. Anne and Jim Wermers, together with Thomas Fredericks, started a weekly food bank for the many people in the Borrego community who were suddenly without work or a paycheck because of the lockdown. “We knew that being without income would be a tremendous hardship for many families and we were determined to do something tohelp,” said Anne Wermers. The most immediate need they could help meet was food.

By May 2020, dozens of volunteers had been assembled to begin food distribution to anyone in need. All food had to be purchased and brought to Borrego Springs by volunteers. Donations to purchase food came from community members eager to support the effort. Both the need for food and the generosity of donors in the community far exceeded anyone’s expectations.

By Fall 2020, it became clear that this volunteer organization needed a more formal structure. Wermers and Fredericks asked Dan Wright, President of the Borrego Springs Youth and Senior Center, for assistance. Under the umbrella of the Senior Center, the food bank moved into larger space, combined food banks with Martha Deichler’s bi-weekly High School food bank, and added additional services.

“Initially, we provided food to 60 to 70 families a week. Over time that number grew to more than 250 families, which is about a quarter of Borrego’s population. We thought once the pandemic restrictions were lifted the number of people requiring food assistance would decrease, but that has not been the case,” said Jim Wermers. In the earlydays of the CRC Anne Wermers kept track of donations given by community members and made sure each one was recognized with a handwritten note of gratitude. Anne Wermers said, “The generosity of this community is truly amazing. People just stepped forward and asked how they could help. Many donated their time to help with food distribution and many donated cash.”

Recognizing the importance of this effort to the community, the BVEF joined the Wermers in subsidizing the nascent CRC’s rent at The Mall and underwrote its incorporation process. In all the BVEF funded over $65,000 towards the permanent establishment of the CRC, thereby ensuring its ability to provide continuing assistance to Borrego Springs residents. “The pandemic exposed a need in our community for food and other basic services, and that need has not diminished,” said David Garmon, Board Chair of the BVEF. Garmon added, “This is why the BVEF was eager to support the evolution of what began as a grass roots effort led by key individuals in the community. Beyondcontinuing the critical work of the food bank, we believe over time the CRC will become the community platform for delivering a wide range of services such as transportation assistance, legal assistance, summer activity programs for children, energy assistance, internet connectivity assistance, and health education.”

Inaugural CRC Board President, Martha Deichler said, “The creation of the CRC is an incredible milestone for ourcommunity. The CRC continues to provide weekly food to more than 250 families. The number of programs offered has expanded, often in strategic partnerships with other non-profits, including Borrego Art Institute, BASIC, Borrego Valley Stewardship Council, BS School District and OLAX. Classes for learning English, classes for learning Spanish, classes helping families teach reading to their children, art classes, legal services, support for transportation to out of town medical services, are among the many services now being offered, with more planned to roll out monthly.”

CRC is financially reliant on the generosity of donors. At a recent fundraising event, over $200,000 was pledged by local donors, including $100,000 in a matching grant. 

For more information about the CRC visit their website: www.borregocrc.org