Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation (IVWF) is a grantmaker and serves as a Rural Development Hub in Imperial County by mobilizing resources into the region. As a grantmaker, IVWF funds in the areas of health and wellness, community engagement and nonprofit capacity building. As a Rural Development Hub, IVWF hosts Learning Exchanges, where individuals and organizations gather to learn, share, and discover ways to work together, building civic infrastructure to make the Imperial Valley A Better Place to Live for All.

A priority is to make sure that the most vulnerable communities and populations are visible to and heard by those making decisions that affect their daily lives. Our work around Civic Engagement will support community members to engage, elevate their voices, and participate in planning to make a reality the changes they want to see. Community Building Hubs will create the space and opportunity for community members to gather and mobilize around the priorities they identify and partner with local nonprofits that can enhance their efforts. These hubs will become their power base as they meet with institutions and government representatives with solutions on how to improve conditions.

Nonprofit Capacity Building is a critical component of the work. With the proper skills, capacity and resources, nonprofits, and community members, will become changemakers and decision-makers ensuring that prosperity and well-being is attainable by all. The Imperial Valley as a whole, needs external support and resources to elevate its voice and visibility and we invite others to create a Rural Funders Network to demonstrate a new way of balancing resources, power and decision making within rural communities.