United Way of the Desert
United Way of the Desert was a public charity based in La Quinta, California, that supported programs addressing needs in the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin. Its 2022 IRS filing is marked as a final return and says the organization merged into another organization and is no longer in existence; it therefore appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.
United Way of the Desert at a glance
In short: United Way of the Desert gave $125K across 11 grants in 2023 (avg $11K), mostly in California. 27% of 2023 grantees were new. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2023)
- $124,651
- +46.6% vs 2022
- Grants made (2023)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2022
- Average grant
- $11,332
- +46.6% vs 2022
- Median grant
- $8,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (3 of 11, 2023; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2023 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2023; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to United Way of the Desert
- Contact
Mailing address: 78401 Highway 111 Ste G, La Quinta, CA 92253
Phone: (760) 323-2731
Website: https://unitedwayofthedesert.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of the Desert funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2023
The largest 2023 recipient was Inland so Cal United Way ($40K). Together the top 10 received $118K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 58 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 grant recipients were all in California. The organization’s filing describes its service area as the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is United Way of the Desert open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2023
In 2023, 3 of 11 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $9K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2023). 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 2019 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $85K (2022) to $380K (2020). In 2023 it made 11 grants totaling $125K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inland so Cal United Way Riverside, CA | Income Stability | $39,651 |
| Family Services of the Desert Desert Hot Spri, CA | Mental Health Counseling | $10,000 |
| Jewish Family Services Palm Springs, CA | Counseling & Rental Assistance | $10,000 |
| JFK Foundation Palm Desert, CA | Income Stability | $10,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of CC Cathedral City, CA | Health & Literacy | $9,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of CV Palm Desert, CA | Education & Health | $8,500 |
| Desert Arc Palm Desert, CA | Nursing Program | $8,500 |
| Galilee Center Mecca, CA | Essential Needs | $7,500 |
| Marthas Village & Kitchen Indio, CA | Food Service & Housing | $7,500 |
| YMCA of the Desert Palm Desert, CA | Education & Health | $7,500 |
Ready to take the next step with United Way of the Desert?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | $525,967 | $874,422 | $124,651 | 11 | $23,784 |
| 2022 | $1,004,597 | $838,707 | $974,078 | $85,000 | 11 | $31,347 |
| 2021 | $1,355,026 | $765,254 | $884,309 | $133,124 | 7 | $36,041 |
| 2020 | $1,651,819 | $1,956,839 | $1,991,771 | $379,500 | 16 | $14,405 |
| 2019 | $1,635,816 | $867,074 | $1,072,433 | $245,000 | 13 | $23,141 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization stated its mission was “to break the cycle of poverty in the Coachella Valley through mobilizing the caring power of community.” Its filing describes support for programs addressing financial stability, education, and health. It also reports providing emergency water utility assistance and supporting early-literacy interventions.
The 2023 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as income stability, counseling and rental assistance, youth health and literacy, nursing, essential needs, food service and housing, and cancer patient navigation. For example, Desert Arc describes its mission as enhancing quality of life and creating opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Galilee Center describes providing food, clothing, and other basic needs to underprivileged and disadvantaged people.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2023, United Way of the Desert reported 11 grants totaling $124,651. Grant amounts ranged from $6,500 to $39,651, with a median of $8,500.
Largest reported grants included $39,651 to Inland So Cal United Way for income stability; $10,000 each to Family Services of the Desert for mental health counseling, Jewish Family Services for counseling and rental assistance, and JFK Foundation for income stability; and $9,000 to Boys & Girls Club of CC for health and literacy. Other grants included $8,500 to Desert Arc for its nursing program, $7,500 to Galilee Center for essential needs, and $6,500 to Desert Cancer Foundation for patient navigation. Desert Cancer Foundation describes its mission as providing financial assistance for cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and navigation services to local residents who lack adequate resources for care.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2023 filing listed Kristal Granados as Executive Director; Lynne Stephenson, Kelly May-Vollmar, Andrew McDuffie, Rosa Ponce, and Lori Carney as directors; Adam Ochoa as Treasurer; John E. Fitzgerald III as President Emeritus; Victoria Llort as Secretary; and Jeff Hocker as Vice President.
United Way of the Desert is led by Kristal Granados, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 14 officers listed in 2023 is compensated.
Officers on the 2023 filing
Kristal Granados
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$99K (2019) → $119K (2023)
Kris Hopping
President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori Carney
Director
Board Member → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynne Stephenson
Director
Board Member → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
V. Manuel Perez
Director
Board Member → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Ramhoff
Director
Board Member → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rosa Ponce
Director
Board Member → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew McDuffie
Director
New on the 2023 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly May-Vollmar
Director
New on the 2023 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Peat
2nd Vice President
Treasurer → 2nd Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Hocker
Vice President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John E. Fitzgerald III
President Emeritus
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Ochoa
Treasurer
Board Member → Director, 2021
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Victoria Llort
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (17)
- Former: Gabriel Aguirre (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Scott Bailey (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Brian Johnston (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: James R. Palmer (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sheri Barons (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Don Mead (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Amy Cuen (2021) — Director
- Former: Maria Gandera (2021) — Director
- Former: Alicia Gerado (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Chuck McDaniel (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Edwin Gomez (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: William T. Powers (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Andrew Uris (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Lindsay Grant (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Celeste Reid (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Elizabeth Farver (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Scott Kiner (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2023. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $119K, to Kristal Granados (Executive Dir.).
Frequently asked questions about United Way of the Desert
How much does United Way of the Desert give each year?
United Way of the Desert gave $125K across 11 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990. In 2022 it gave $85K across 11 grants.
What is United Way of the Desert's typical grant size?
United Way of the Desert's median grant in 2023 was $8,500, and its average grant was $11,332, across 11 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Way of the Desert that year got $19K on average.
Where does United Way of the Desert give grants?
United Way of the Desert gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Palm Desert, CA (5 grants).
Does United Way of the Desert give general operating support?
Not in 2023: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on United Way of the Desert's 2023 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are United Way of the Desert's largest grantees?
United Way of the Desert's largest 2023 grantees include Inland so Cal United Way ($39,651), Family Services of the Desert ($10,000) and Jewish Family Services ($10,000), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2023 grant dollars.
What does United Way of the Desert fund?
The organization stated its mission was “to break the cycle of poverty in the Coachella Valley through mobilizing the caring power of community.” Its filing describes support for programs addressing financial stability, education, and health. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of the Desert?
United Way of the Desert has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check unitedwayofthedesert.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is United Way of the Desert's EIN?
United Way of the Desert's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-2783993. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2023.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 16, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in United Way of the Desert's focus areas in our free grants database
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from United Way of the Desert'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.
United Way of the Desert down — hundreds of funders to go?