The City of Coachella has announced the opening of applications for the Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity Fund (CIELO) at the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF). The grant program, which provides up to $15,000 in funding, targets Latino-led non-profit organizations serving the Latino community within the Inland Empire. This initiative is part of broader efforts to address disparities and support growth among the Latino population in this region.
The IECF website reveals that CIELO is now holding its second annual call for applications. Launched initially in 2022, this grant program aims to uplift Latinos in the Inland Empire, where they make up around 51.5% of the population and often encounter disparities in areas such as education, health, and housing.
According to information on IECF's website, eligible applicants include those focused on leadership development and capacity building; economic mobility; educational equity; health equity; housing security; environmental equity and climate change; racial equity; immigrant inclusion. Furthermore, media organizations promoting narrative change through their projects are also welcomed to apply.
Eligibility criteria stipulate that applicants should be rooted within the Inland Empire region and must function as nonprofit public benefit organizations with verifiable evidence of tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. They must not be classified as private foundations and should operate with a budget that does not exceed $500k. Applications will be accepted until January 8th.
As per an IECF press release dated January 30th, 2023, last year saw IECF awarding 25 CIELO grants amounting to $280k in total. Beneficiaries included Associacion de Emprendedores, Casa Blanca Home of Neighborly Service, Desert Sun - Coachella Latino Voices Initiative, Get in Motion Entrepreneurs, Inland Empire Future Leaders Program, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Read with Me and TODEC Legal Services.