The Champions Volunteer Foundation
The Champions Volunteer Foundation is a private foundation based in La Quinta, California. Associated with the BNP Paribas Open, it raises and distributes funds to nonprofit organizations supporting causes in the Coachella Valley, including youth, recreational, educational, and well-care programs.
The Champions Volunteer Foundation at a glance
In short: The Champions Volunteer Foundation gave $651K across 51 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in California. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $651,000
- +143.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 51
- -8.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,765
- +167.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $9,000
- Total assets
- $374,085
- -9.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (7 of 51, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Champions Volunteer Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website announced that the 2023 application was open to Coachella Valley-based nonprofit organizations, with applicants required to commit to using all funds for charitable causes in the Coachella Valley. The 2024 application page is listed on the foundation’s website, but the provided information does not specify its eligibility rules or application materials.
- Review Cycle
- The 2023 application announcement gave a September 30 deadline; no deadline is provided for the 2024 application.
- Deadline
- The 2023 application announcement gave a September 30 deadline; no deadline is provided for the 2024 application.
- Contact
Mailing address: 78-365 Highway 111 127, La Quinta, CA 92253
Phone: (909) 910-8374
Website: https://championsvolunteerfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Champions Volunteer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Riverside County Deputy Sheriff's Relief Foundation ($100K). Together the top 10 received $363K.
Grant Size Distribution
161 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 159 grants of 161 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its grantmaking as supporting local nonprofit organizations in the Coachella Valley. In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 1% to recipients in Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Champions Volunteer Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 51 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $248K (2020) to $651K (2024). In 2024 it made 51 grants totaling $651K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside County Deputy Sheriff's Relief Foundation Riverside, CA | To provide assistance to benefit the families of deputy sheriffs and other law-enforcement and public-safety officers who have been killed, injured or otherwise in crisis situations. | $100,000 |
| Riverside County Professional Firefighter's Benevolent Fund Menifee, CA | The goal of the Riverside county professional firefighters benevolent fund is to be able to support those firefighters in their time of need. | $100,000 |
| Armed Services YMCA 29 Palms - 2010 Twentynine Palms, CA | To enhance the lives of military members and their families in spirit, mind, and body through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life. | $40,000 |
| Shelter from the Storm Palm Desert, CA | To support our community counseling center therapeutic and case management program, which provides individual, one-to-one case management and counseling sessions in both english and spanish to victims of intimate partner domestic violence who are not in need of shelter program services, but seeking help, and can greatly benefit from individual and group sessions. | $25,000 |
| Joshua Tree National Park Association Twentynine Palms, CA | Joshua tree national park to help in its achievement of programming goals in education and interpretation, along with scientific and historical research and activities. | $20,000 |
| Martha's Village and Kitchen Indio, CA | To support the family shelter program operations (staff salaries, rent, utilities, insurance, building maintenance, supplies) and other necessary expenses that provide emergency housing, education, and child-care to homeless and impoverished youth. | $20,000 |
| Coachella Valley Mounted Rangers Indio, CA | To care for and find homes for horses and visit local schools and offer students opportunity to care for horses. | $18,000 |
| Family YMCA of the Desert Palm Desert, CA | To provide students the financial assistance to participate in the youth & government program; I.e., 9 nights in hotels, charter busses to and from fresno (TWICE), flights to sacramento & program fees that are paid directly to the statewide y&g program. | $15,000 |
| Find Food Bank Indio, CA | To support our "mobile pantry program" that reaches isolated communities where no partner agencies are available to offer emergency food-assistance. Find currently deploys 22 mobile pantries throughout our service area. In 2019-20, find's mobile pantries will complete a total of 272 food distributions to low-income individuals and families. | $15,000 |
| Assistance League of Coachellla Valley Rancho Mirage, CA | Fund operation school bell to provide school clothing for children in need in the coachella valley. | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Champions Volunteer Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $374,085 | $761,773 | $797,484 | $651,000 | 51 | $651,000 | $18,895 |
| 2023 | $412,828 | $589,326 | $389,523 | $267,500 | 56 | $267,500 | $8,695 |
| 2021 | $88,147 | — | $11,654 | — | — | — | $4,405 |
| 2020 | $99,801 | $2,776 | $258,240 | $247,500 | 54 | — | $5,004 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Champions Volunteer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to raise funds for other nonprofit organizations that support, but are not limited to, youth, recreational, educational, and well-care programs. It says it focuses on organizations serving vulnerable people, including youth, older adults, and marginalized communities.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of services. Shelter from the Storm says it provides shelter, counseling, and support for victims of domestic violence; Martha’s Village and Kitchen describes its mission as transforming the lives of people experiencing poverty and homelessness; and Desert Cancer Foundation provides financial assistance for cancer care to local residents who lack adequate coverage or funds. Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve youth tennis, golf, education, mentoring, food assistance, and support for public-safety and military families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 51 grants totaling $651,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $100,000, with a median grant of $9,000. Its largest awards were $100,000 each to the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff’s Relief Foundation, for assistance to families of law-enforcement and public-safety officers killed, injured, or in crisis, and the Riverside County Professional Firefighter’s Benevolent Fund, to support firefighters in need.
Other notable 2024 grants included $40,000 to the Armed Services YMCA 29 Palms; $25,000 to Shelter from the Storm; $20,000 each to Joshua Tree National Park Association and Martha’s Village and Kitchen; and $18,000 to Coachella Valley Mounted Rangers. The foundation also awarded $15,000 each to the Family YMCA of the Desert and FIND Food Bank. Its 2023 filing reported 56 grants totaling $267,500. Its 2024 filing, the latest on this page, reports 51 grants totaling $651,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Steve Birdwell as an officer and director, Alice Moser as treasurer, and Marilyn Courneya as secretary. The foundation’s website identifies Nancie Wingo as its Director of Volunteer Development.
The Champions Volunteer Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Steve Birdwell
Officer & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alice Moser
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Courneya
Secretary
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Champions Volunteer Foundation
How much does The Champions Volunteer Foundation give each year?
The Champions Volunteer Foundation gave $651K across 51 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $268K across 56 grants.
What is The Champions Volunteer Foundation's typical grant size?
The Champions Volunteer Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $9,000, and its average grant was $12,765, across 51 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Champions Volunteer Foundation that year got $35K on average.
Where does The Champions Volunteer Foundation give grants?
The Champions Volunteer Foundation gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Palm Desert, CA (18 grants), Riverside, CA (6 grants), Indio, CA (5 grants) and Palm Springs, CA (5 grants).
Does The Champions Volunteer Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of The Champions Volunteer Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Champions Volunteer Foundation's largest grantees?
The Champions Volunteer Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Riverside County Deputy Sheriff's Relief Foundation ($100,000), Riverside County Professional Firefighter's Benevolent Fund ($100,000) and Armed Services YMCA 29 Palms ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Champions Volunteer Foundation?
The Champions Volunteer Foundation reported $374K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $651K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Champions Volunteer Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to raise funds for other nonprofit organizations that support, but are not limited to, youth, recreational, educational, and well-care programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Champions Volunteer Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Champions Volunteer Foundation's EIN?
The Champions Volunteer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0952475. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Champions Volunteer Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Champions Volunteer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-champions-volunteer-foundation-morg_bf4dda3fde3a443da8c03bfa946dd453
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330952475_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Champions Volunteer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-champions-volunteer-foundation-morg_bf4dda3fde3a443da8c03bfa946dd453},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Champions Volunteer Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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