Riverside, California – The Regional Access Project Foundation, or the RAP Foundation, plays a crucial role by “providing funding, oversight, technical support, and guidance to nonprofits, community-based groups, and collaborative organizations serving the eastern Riverside County population in areas like health, mental health, and juvenile intervention,” according to their mission statement.
In simpler terms: Since its establishment in 1992, the RAP Foundation has been dedicated to improving the lives of all eastern Riverside County residents by empowering nonprofits to meet the community’s needs. Leticia De Lara, the RAP Foundation’s CEO, recently shared insights with the Independent about their partnership with UC Riverside’s Palm Desert campus to develop a nonprofit management curriculum. The foundation is reviving its scholarship program for the coursework.
“In May, we will begin accepting applications to award up to 20 student scholarships into the nonprofit management program,” De Lara said. “Our scholarships will ensure that potential nonprofit leaders will only have to pay $500 of the program’s cost.”
This 35-week program includes classes covering grant writing, social media marketing, fundraising, and a capstone project that immerses students in real-world challenges related to managing and strategically planning for a nonprofit. The objective is to cultivate the next generation of effective nonprofit leaders.
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The revival of the scholarship program ties into the RAP Foundation’s NPO Centric initiative, which acts as a dedicated resource center for strengthening nonprofit capacity in Riverside County. Leticia De Lara, the foundation’s CEO, emphasized that the goal extends beyond merely providing resources to cultivating a supportive community.
“We have over 25 nonprofit organizations that rent office space from us, plus we offer four different meeting rooms for nonprofits to use.” De Lara said.
The RAP Foundation delivers training sessions and seminars on various topics like volunteer management, grant writing, and leadership.
“We host at least eight different workshops per month, with 50 to 75 nonprofits participating,” De Lara said.
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The foundation also awards grants to underline its dedication to making a meaningful difference in the community. Concentrating on health, mental health, and juvenile intervention, these grants are designed to fund projects that benefit Riverside County residents. They range from small grants up to $10,000 for distinct projects to educational grants for school districts and sponsorships for public events. Through NPO Centric, additional grants are available for nonprofits seeking technical support.
