BVEF Grant Awards Luncheon

The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund hosted its annual Grant Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at The Coyote Steakhouse at The Palms at Indian Head in Borrego Springs. The event brought together nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and supporters to recognize local programs receiving funding for healthcare, education, arts, and community development.

The speakers during the presentation were Anna Abatzoglou, Executive Director of the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund, and David Garmon, president of the BVEF board.

Event Overview

Anna Abatzoglou explained the luncheon focused on grants funded through BVEF’s Healthcare Endowment Fund and its growing Community Endowment. Together, these funds support services ranging from direct healthcare assistance to long-term community investment.

She said the Healthcare Endowment helps fund programs such as meal delivery, caregiver support, emergency training, and transportation services that improve quality of life in Borrego Springs.

Healthcare Grant Recipients

BVEF presented healthcare-related grants to the following organizations:

BASIC Learning Academy
Funding will help provide meals for youth participating in the four-week summer program. Organizers said this is the ninth year of support for the program, which offers more than 100 hours of instruction for students needing additional academic help.

Borrego Ministers Association
The grant supports the food coupon program, which helps community members in need purchase groceries at the pantry in Center Market. Speakers said Center Market matches the coupons, expanding roughly 4,000 distributed each month.

Borrego Caregiver Corps
A project of the Borrego Springs Community Resource Center, this program supports elderly and disabled residents who rely on in-home caregiving. The grant will fund first aid kits for caregivers.

Borrego Village Association
Funding supports the community’s first aid, CPR, and AED training program. Participants receive certification in CPR, OSHA-standard first aid, and emergency care.

Borrego Springs Senior Center
This grant supports training and an internship for a Borrego Springs High School junior for one year, with staff oversight to expand wellness services for seniors.

Meals on Wheels San Diego County
The program served 40 Borrego Springs clients in 2025 and delivered more than 5,540 meals. A third of those served were age 85 or older.

DAP Health
The grant supports research into the cost and feasibility of relocating the medical clinic closer to the center of Borrego Springs to improve access.

Borrego Springs Community Resource Center – Let’s Go Borrego
This transportation assistance program helps residents reach medical appointments and healthcare services. Speakers also recognized Lori Seagram for helping start the program during its pilot phase.

Community Grant Recipients

BVEF also highlighted grants funded through its Community Endowment, which supports broader projects across Borrego Springs.

Anza-Borrego Foundation – Community Campouts
This three-day, two-night all-inclusive camping program introduces families to camping and to the landscape of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Borrego Art Institute
The BAI solar project is intended to reduce environmental impact and help stabilize long-term operating costs so more resources can go toward arts programming.

Borrego Springs Unified School District
The grant supports the Campus Resource Center, which provides weekly food distribution and access to essential services for students.

Borrego Springs Film Institute
Funding supports the institute’s free community screenings program, making film experiences available to the community at no charge. Speakers noted this is the second year the fund has supported the program. The first free community screening in April will be the award-winning film One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro. Portions of the movie were filmed in Borrego Springs throughout May 2025.

Borrego Springs Civic Foundation – Ballet Folklórico Program
This grant supports the purchase of handmade skirts for 14 adults and 10 children in the Ballet Folklórico program, helping preserve and celebrate Latino cultural traditions in Borrego Springs.

Christmas Circle Community Park
Funding will go toward replacing the irrigation at Christmas Circle, one of Borrego Springs’ key public gathering spaces.

Borrego Village Association – High School Internship Program
This grant supports the Borrego Springs High School interpretation course and internship program for the 2026–27 school year, helping students gain skills that may lead to work in California State Parks or the local tourism economy.

Museum of Borrego – Stories of Borrego
The project collects and shares oral histories, video, music, and art tied to the experiences of Borrego residents.

Anza-Borrego Foundation – Environmental Education
This grant supports immersive environmental education field trips for Borrego Springs Middle School students.

Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center
Funding will support the remodeling of the visitor lobby as part of a multi-year facility upgrade, with the goal of making the space more welcoming and accessible for events and gatherings.

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The luncheon also included recognition of Susan Percival, who was honored on her retirement and presented with gifts in appreciation for her service.

Expanding Community Investment

During the luncheon, David Garmon said healthcare remains central to BVEF’s mission, but the organization is also expanding support for education, arts, environmental programs, economic development, and public spaces through its Community Endowment.

They noted that a cornerstone gift for the Community Endowment was the 2023 donation of the center by Jim and Ann Wermers.

Community Impact

The 2026 BVEF Grant Awards Luncheon showed the wide reach of BVEF support in Borrego Springs. The funded projects reflect investment in food access, healthcare, education, arts, public spaces, and cultural preservation.

Taken together, the grants highlight how local organizations are working across many parts of community life and how endowment support continues to shape the future of Borrego Springs.