What if you could make an investment today that would provide a financial return, improve people’s lives, and deliver an intrinsic reward?

With Dec. 31 as the deadline for year-end charitable giving, now is your chance to capture several benefits by donating to a local nonprofit organization in our community.

According to a 2024 study on the emotional consequences of spending, 200 participants across seven countries found that people who gave to charity reported higher levels of happiness than those who spent money in other ways. It is not surprising that paying for utilities, transportation and medical expenses provided the least satisfaction. But even greater than giving a gift to a loved one or purchasing a personal experience was the satisfaction that was reported by those who had donated to a charitable organization.

Beyond our personal benefit, charitable giving also pays significant benefits to those in our community as nonprofits rely on donations to bring their missions to life. The just-released 2025 Health of U.S. Nonprofit Sector reports that 68% of nonprofits nationwide expect demand for their services to increase in 2026, but just 31% anticipate having the ability to expand how many people they are serving.

According to a 2020 report by UC Riverside’s Center for Social Innovation, there are over 14,000 nonprofit organizations serving the Inland Empire. However, Inland Empire nonprofits have fewer assets and smaller budgets than state averages, which means every dollar donated locally goes much further.

For organizations like Family Service Association, private donations help to meet their mission each day fighting and preventing homelessness and hunger across east and central San Bernardino County. Their 2025 year-end “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” campaign raises funds to provide shelter and basic provisions for low-income families.

“With more than 50% of our annual budget being comprised of local donors, their giving is the heartbeat of our mission,” said Kyra Steward, executive director. “Our neighbors make it possible for us to feed, house and lift up families who are in a time of crisis.”  

For those who itemize deductions on their taxes, charitable donations can also help to further reduce a 2025 tax bill when made before the year’s end. Given changes from the recently passed H.R. 1 federal budget act, giving more in 2025 may be wise for higher income earners. Starting next year, only charitable contributions exceeding .5% of adjusted gross income will be deductible, and the tax deduction benefit for top earners will be capped at 35%. So, giving more before the end of 2025 could be a wise strategy.

For non-itemizers, there is good news on the charitable donations front in 2026. Beginning next year, single filers can claim a federal deduction for donations up to $1,000, and $2,000 can be claimed by joint filers. 

Moses House Ministries, based in Victorville, is dedicated to building strong futures for young children by providing services for families in the High Desert. Programs include evidence-based parenting classes, one-on-one family support and resource navigation, marriage strengthening and programs to address a family’s basic needs.

Moses House relies on donations to help sustain parenting programs, case management services, and to ensure their diaper bank and family store remain stocked.

“When we invest in the places we live, work, and play, we are investing in the success of our own families and neighborhoods for today and into tomorrow,” said Matthew Coughlin, executive director for Moses House. “They say it takes a village to raise our children, and when we support locally, we are standing with local moms, dads, and children who are relying on that village during their most vulnerable moments.”

To amplify the impact of your charitable giving, you might consider donating appreciated stock or other non-cash assets that have been held for more than one year. Doing so provides a deduction at the current fair market value and allows you to avoid capital gains tax that otherwise would be paid when selling the appreciated asset. Be sure, however, to transfer the asset directly to your chosen charity or donor advised fund to capture the full tax benefit. 

For those 70½ years and older, you might also consider making a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA to both meet your required minimum distribution and your charitable giving goals. Of course, consult your tax adviser when considering any of these strategies.

Goodwill Southern California is one of our longest-standing nonprofits in the region, committed to transforming lives through employment with services including job training, career placement, and supportive services. Although Goodwill is often known for their thrift stores, their mission in Southern California goes much deeper, helping youth, veterans, homeless, justice involved and those with disabilities.

Year-end donations to Goodwill help to fuel hands-on skills training, career coaching, digital access, and placement into living-wage jobs for tens of thousands across the Inland Empire and Los Angeles.

“When our neighbors donate and shop with us, they are directly helping change lives through meaningful work and long-term stability,” said Daniela Davis, chief marketing officer. “Every local donation to Goodwill is an investment in people, potential, and the future of our community.” 

So, I hope you will join me in investing in our region’s nonprofit organizations by making a year-end gift that will have a long-lasting impact throughout the coming year and beyond.

IEHP Foundation provides resources and support to strengthen the local leaders and nonprofit organizations that make Inland Empire families healthier. Because when everyone in the Inland Empire lives a full and vibrant life, our region thrives. Learn more about IEHP Foundation at iehpfoundation.org

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With its strong focus on personal growth and community involvement, the nonprofit has continually expanded its impact. A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation through the Fred Stebler and Eva V. Stebler Foundation Fund will further assist the nonprofit in its efforts to provide children the love, stability, love, and support of a nurturing family.

“The grant was beneficial because it helped pay for things like medical supplies, additional medical treatments, and other things that Medi-Cal doesn’t cover,” said Teresa Stivers, CEO of Walden Family Services. “For instance, if we have a child on the spectrum who has prescription glasses, but they’ve broken their glasses, Medi-Cal will not pay for another pair. And of course, we don’t want that child to not have the glasses they need.”

She offered another example which found the nonprofit helping a non-mobile child with special transportation needs. A portion of the grant was used to help the child’s foster parents retrofit their vehicle to accommodate the child’s needs.

“It really helped get them to all of their medical appointments and so forth,” Stivers said. “Supporting the well-being of medically fragile and developmentally delayed children in foster care is important to us.”

Walden Family Services holds several key accreditations from regional and national organizations, such as the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, CARF, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s All Children — All Families initiative.

“We’re always looking for foster parents for these children, and sometimes it can be very hard to find homes for them,” Stivers said.

And if those children aren’t able to be placed in a foster home? Stivers comes back to the non-mobile child who benefited from the recent grant.

“If the vehicle we helped retrofit wasn’t modified, that child would still be in the hospital today, and would not be living in a family home situation,” she said. “Finding foster parents is important.”

“We work really hard to provide all the different types of support that the family and the child need,” she said. “There’s just so much need in the Inland Empire, and children are being institutionalized because we can’t find enough families.”

Stivers pointed out that the nonprofit has found success with placing children with retired nurses and people who work in special education. “It’s people looking to open their hearts and their homes for a child in need.”

Behind the scenes, the nonprofit has trained social work professionals and licensed therapists who support birth, foster, and adoptive families and the community in caring for children and youth. Many of them have physical or developmental disabilities, and behavioral or mental health challenges. Some identify as LGBTQ+ or come from large sibling groups.

Stivers said preparing families to care for children with special health care needs or disabilities allows children to grow up in families, rather than skilled-nursing facilities, hospitals, or group homes.

Living with a family helps children and youth build relationships, she said, which creates a foundation for learning, social-emotional well-being, and more fulfilling lives.

“I have been here for 15 years and I’m still a newbie,” Stivers said. “What I appreciate the most about being here is seeing the dedication of the foster families, the ones who open their hearts in their homes. They really go above and beyond for our kiddos and look for every opportunity and every resource to make their lives better.

“I don’t think that people realize that foster families are really like angels on earth,” she said. “They make a huge difference in our community. They’re unsung heroes.”

Learn more at waldenfamily.org.

Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Visit iegives.org for more information.

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The nearest grocery store is about 20 miles away in neighboring Kern County, making fresh food nearly unreachable for residents without transportation. Instead, fresh fruits and vegetables are available only through monthly food distributions organized by Inland Empire Health Plan. This monthly distribution in Trona is part of IEHP’s initiative to combat food insecurity throughout the region. With nearly two dozen distributions across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, IEHP aims to ensure nutritious food reaches the areas with the highest need.

“Wherever I go in the Inland Empire, food access is often the top issue facing communities,” said Cesar Armendariz, senior director of Community Health at IEHP. “The need grew during the pandemic and rising grocery prices have made healthy food unaffordable for many working residents.”

Trona is not alone; food insecurity affects both rural and urban communities across the Inland Empire. San Bernardino County data indicates that nearly 11% of residents in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area experience food insecurity — defined as not having access to enough food for a healthy lifestyle. Alarmingly, one in six children in San Bernardino County faces hunger, while one in seven in Riverside County.

Food insecurity stems not only from limited financial resources and food affordRiverside ability but also from limited access to healthy options, particularly in designated food deserts. These areas, often found in low-income neighborhoods, have a high concentration of liquor stores, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants that primarily offer ultra-processed foods.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a food desert as a region where at least 33% of residents live more than one mile from a grocery store in urban areas or more than 10 miles in rural settings.

Research makes clear the connection between food insecurity and poor health outcomes. Individuals deprived of healthy, nutrient-rich options face heightened risks of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. For children, inadequate access to nutritious foods can hamper educational performance and success, extending the impact of food deserts beyond individual physical health to overall community well-being.

Many working families are often forced to make difficult choices between essentials like food, housing and health care, perpetuating health disparities in the region. Amid these challenges, community-based organizations work to improve food access. Alongside IEHP, local nonprofits are dedicated to feeding families and also to providing resources and tools to establish healthier eating habits.

FIND Food Bank, part of the Feeding America network, distributes more than 20 million pounds of food each year through more than a hundred local food pantries and mobile markets throughout the Coachella Valley.

“FIND Food Bank is addressing food insecurity across the Coachella Valley with targeted, community-driven solutions that meet people where they are,” said Lorena Marroquin, vice president of Community Impact at FIND Food Bank. “We serve over 125,000 people monthly across a vast 6,000-square-mile region, including many rural and remote communities where traditional food access is limited.”

Their neighboring sister food bank, Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino, addresses the broad food needs in the two counties. Operating under five focus pillars, Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino hosts 12 hunger relief programs that cater to various demographics, including veterans, seniors and school-aged children.

Both organizations, however, along with many others in the social services sector, are concerned about the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program included in the signed budget reconciliation bill, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” SNAP, once referred to as food stamps, is critical to California’s CalFresh program, which helps more than 2.6 million households statewide.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that this legislation could reduce federal SNAP funding by $186 billion by 2034 — around 20% — the largest cut in the program’s history. The reductions stem from work requirements and shifting costs from the federal government to states, along with the elimination of SNAP-ED, which offers free health education to SNAP participants.

For many low-income working families, SNAP is their first line of defense against hunger. When SNAP benefits are reduced, people turn to food banks, said Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino CEO Carolyn Fajardo, who is concerned about the shift in federal policy and the effects it will have in the region.

“These programs are lifelines for millions of individuals and families. Any reductions would make it significantly harder for people to access the support they need,” Fajardo said. “As a result, food banks like ours will face even greater demand, all while operating with fewer resources.”

As we work to build a strong, healthy future for the Inland Empire region, ensuring all residents have access to affordable, nutritious food is essential. Whether in Trona, San Bernardino, Indio, or Moreno Valley, food is a central ingredient for healthy families and healthy communities.

If you’re interested in finding ways to support those facing food insecurity, we encourage you to visit feedingamericaie.org or findfoodbank.org.

IEHP Foundation provides resources and support to strengthen the local leaders and nonprofit organizations that make Inland Empire families healthier. Because when everyone in the Inland Empire lives a full and vibrant life, our region thrives. Learn more about IEHP Foundation at iehpfoundation.org

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Each year, deserving nonprofit organizations benefit from the tremendous outpouring of support shown for the tournament. After completing the application process that included a video presentation of why they should be chosen, ten were selected by the Soboba Foundation board members to receive $10,000 each.

But they are not just given a check – they are required to volunteer their time at the tournament itself and are assigned certain tasks. Volunteers play a key role in making sure that all participants enjoy themselves from the time they check in until they leave at the end of the day.

Sponsorship Coordinator Andrew Vallejos hosted an orientation for the nonprofit representatives about 10 days prior to the event to make sure everyone was on the same page and knew what was expected. Volunteer Coordinators Tara and Joseph Placencia were also there to answer any questions about what volunteers needed to do on the day they were assigned to help.

There were six holes that offered “Fairway Frenzy Games” where players could try their hand at winning additional prizes if they got the best score of the day among all the golfers that passed through. Volunteers from the various nonprofits were stationed at these holes to oversee the game play and record the names and scores of each participant. Most of the games were set up adjacent to vendors offering snacks, drinks, food and/or swag, which enticed the golfers to take a break from the greens and interact with the nonprofits that were there.

Each of the course games were explained at the orientation so that information could be shared with their group’s volunteers. This definitely helped the event go smoothly.

Aside from the ones representing the nonprofits, there are other volunteers who are always eager to help. Tara said, “Our main recruits have been the Placencia family, Maria Vivanco and Sierra Mendez; mostly Tribal members.”

Tara, who is married to Soboba Tribal member Patrick Placencia, has been volunteering her time at the event for the past 10 years. She got involved when her husband was on the Soboba Foundation board. She started with registration but that expanded into other areas. She and her nephew Joseph have overseen the volunteers for about three years. They coordinate assigning duties to each organization to be sure all positions are well covered. Tara also traverses the course in a golf cart to make sure all the vendors and volunteers stationed at several of the holes have what they need.

“I love this tournament, and this year went pretty smoothly,” she said. “I love getting to know the team members that work so hard for the Tribe. Everyone worked very hard to make this a successful event. I thank Andrew and the Soboba Foundation for letting me be a part of it.”

The 10 beneficiaries from this year’s charity golf tournament are Boxing for Christ, Care-A-Van Transit Systems Inc., Friends of Valley-Wide Foundation, Haven Pet Center, Hemet Youth Wrestling Club, Inter-Tribal Sports, My City Youth, Oak Grove Institute Foundation, San Jacinto Unified School District’s Rose Salgado Elementary School and Valley Community Pantry.

This year, the groups were assigned a specific day to provide several volunteers to also help with vendor check-in, greet guests to the banquet and other tasks throughout the day that started at 6 a.m. with the arrival of vendors. Several groups had enough volunteers to split them into shifts for the 12-hour day that ended at 3 p.m. at the golf course and then continued at the Soboba Casino Resort Event Center until after 6 p.m.

Tribal Council member Michael Bentiste said, “The whole team does an awesome job on the organization of this event each year – it is top notch.”

DJ Mike Nevarez energized the players in the morning with his tunes emanating from the outdoor loudspeakers. He continued the entertainment at the banquet each night.

“I figure everyone comes ready to party, so I play something for everyone,” he said, adding that this is the third year he has provided music and announcement services for the charity golf tournament.

Prior to the 10 a.m. shotgun start of the scramble style play, Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco thanked all the participants for their support before introducing other members of the Council and the Soboba Foundation to the crowd who were seated in their golf carts, ready to roll.

“I also want to thank Andrew Vallejos and his team for making sure this goes off without a hitch each year,” he said.

Soboba Casino Resort General Manager and Tournament Director Jason Cozart welcomed everyone to the event and gave a rundown of how the day would proceed. He then invited everyone to attend the much-anticipated banquet each night

“I felt the tournament was a resounding success,” Soboba Tribal member Cozart said. “It brought together brothers and sisters from Tribes near and far, as well as partners of the Soboba Band. Together we supported many deserving charities and furthered the common goal of giving back to the communities that mean so much to the Soboba Foundation, Soboba Casino Resort, and the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians as a whole.”

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