What Donor Advised Funds does

Desert Community Foundation (DCF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 1999 and headquartered in Palm Desert, California, operating as the founding community foundation exclusively serving the Coachella Valley across nine cities. The organization manages Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), scholarship funds (over $2M administered annually), and donor-directed grants, holding $121M in assets under management and distributing $25M+ in local giving to date. Its product portfolio includes the Trusted Advisors Program for high-net-worth donors with $500K+ initial contributions, and CV Giving Day — an annual 24-hour online giving event (now in its 4th year) that unites hundreds of nonprofits and thousands of donors across the valley.

The foundation's revenue model is primarily fee-based on managed charitable assets, supplemented by scholarship administration fees and impact partnership support. It serves five primary customer segments: individual donors and families, businesses and corporations, financial advisors and estate planners, local nonprofits, and scholarship recipients. Distribution occurs through direct donor engagement, a Mightycause-powered online giving platform, and an extensive nonprofit partner network. DCF also serves as fiscal sponsor for AICV (AI Coachella Valley), a workforce readiness and regional intelligence initiative anchored at CSUSB, representing a programmatic extension into AI-related community development.

Governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Manuel Arrendondo, with Mary Panesar serving as Executive Director. Strategic partnerships with California Bank & Trust, Auen Foundation, RAP Foundation, Amazon, and Google for Nonprofits underpin operational sustainability. DCF's competitive position rests on 27 years of regional brand equity, multi-sided ecosystem relationships with 200+ local nonprofits, and integrated program offerings spanning DAFs, scholarships, events, and emerging fiscal sponsorships — though its geographic scope is intentionally limited to the Coachella Valley.

Name

Donor Advised Funds

Legal name

Desert Community Foundation

Website

https://desertfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Desert Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1999 in Palm Desert, California, managing $121M in assets and providing Donor Advised Funds, scholarship administration, and the annual CV Giving Day across nine Coachella Valley cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Charitable Giving Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Donor advised funds
• Community foundation
• Charitable giving vehicles
• Scholarship administration
• Donor directed grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Desert

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Advised Fund Management: The foundation manages charitable funds contributed by donors, providing administrative services for donor-advised funds. Revenue is generated through management of charitable assets.
2. Scholarship Fund Administration: DCF manages and administers over $2 million in scholarships annually for donors including country clubs and corporations, providing scholarship program management services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Desert Community Foundation operates as a community foundation managing Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), scholarship funds, and donor-directed grants for individual donors, families, businesses, and trusts in the Coachella Valley. It provides tax-efficient charitable giving vehicles, administers over $2 million in scholarships annually, and runs CV Giving Day, an annual 24-hour online giving event now in its 4th year.

Product overview

Desert Community Foundation operates a multi-product philanthropic services platform centered around Donor Advised Funds (DAF), a core giving vehicle that provides immediate tax benefits and allows flexible grant recommendations. The platform includes the Trusted Advisors Program for high-net-worth donors wishing to use their own investment advisors, and Scholarship Funds with over $2 million managed annually. The foundation also runs CV Giving Day, an annual 24-hour giving event now in its 4th year. As a fiscal sponsor, DCF supports AICV (AI Coachella Valley), an initiative building the region's first structured intelligence layer. The organization serves exclusively as a philanthropic hub for the Coachella Valley since 1999, managing $121m in assets under management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trusted Advisors Program: Program allowing donors with $500,000+ to use their own financial advisors to manage charitable funds
• Scholarship Funds

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds (DAF)
• Trusted Advisors Program
• Scholarship Funds Administration
• CV Giving Day
• Donor Directed Grants

Quantifiable outcome

• $121 million in Assets Under Management
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Bank & TrustcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerReturning impact partner and operations advocate for CV Giving Day. Provides financial support and helps cover operating costs for the annual giving event.
• Auen FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerReturning impact partner for CV Giving Day, contributing to nonprofit prize pools and valley-wide giving initiatives.
• RAP FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerReturning impact partner supporting CV Giving Day and Coachella Valley philanthropy.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerImpact partner for CV Giving Day, supporting the annual giving event.
• KESQminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media partner providing coverage for CV Giving Day.
• Google for Non-ProfitsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform partner providing non-profit tools and visibility for CV Giving Day.
• Desert Charities NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional media partner covering CV Giving Day.
• National Scholarship Providers AssociationminorOthersDCF is a member of this association, demonstrating adherence to scholarship provider best practices.
• AICV (AI Coachella Valley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCF serves as the fiscal sponsor for AICV, a Rancho Mirage-based initiative preparing the Coachella Valley's workforce for the age of AI. AICV operates on community readiness and infrastructure tracks, with DCF directly supporting community workshops and partnerships with College of the Desert, CSUSB, and regional workforce organizations.
• College of the DesertminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for AICV initiative, working on workforce readiness and AI education for Coachella Valley residents.
• CSUSB Entrepreneurship Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnchor institution for AICV, providing the home base for AI Coachella Valley initiative in Palm Desert.
• MightycausecoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform provider powering the CV Giving Day online giving experience for nonprofits and donors.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• California Community Foundation: Los Angeles-based community foundation offering DAFs, scholarships, and grantmaking. Comparable mission and product mix (DAFs, scholarships, regional giving days) but operates at significantly larger scale ($2B+ AUM) in an urban market.
• Schwab Charitable: Major national DAF sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab, providing DAF services to HNW and mass-affluent donors. Direct product overlap with DCF's DAF offering and competition for advisor-recommended DAF placements.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: One of the largest US community foundations by AUM, operating DAFs, scholarships, and place-based philanthropy. Comparable as a multi-product community foundation serving a defined region, but at vastly larger scale ($13B+ AUM vs. $121M).
• Fidelity Charitable: The largest national DAF sponsor with $60B+ AUM, offering the same core DAF product as DCF. Comparable as direct competitor for HNW donors evaluating DAF sponsors, but with national scale, brokerage integration, and lower minimums.

Others

• Mightycause: Technology platform that powers DCF's CV Giving Day event. Included as an enabling partner rather than peer; relevant because Mightycause represents the type of digital giving infrastructure that community foundations increasingly rely on to scale online giving events.

Regional players

• IE Community Foundation (Inland Empire): Community foundation serving the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Comparable product mix (DAFs, scholarships, regional giving) and overlapping donor market in inland Southern California.
• Riverside County Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Riverside County, CA - the same broader region as Coachella Valley. Comparable mission of regional philanthropy administration with overlapping donor geography, though focused on western Riverside County rather than the desert communities.

Direct peers

• National Philanthropic Trust: Independent national DAF sponsor offering donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, and scholarship administration. Comparable product set (DAFs, scholarships) with national reach; competes for donors who want sponsor flexibility rather than a community-anchored fund.
• The San Diego Foundation: Regional California community foundation offering DAFs, scholarships, and place-based grantmaking. Closest peer in mission and product scope to DCF; comparable scale class among California-based regional community foundations.

Emerging players

• Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego: Identity-based community foundation offering DAFs and scholarship administration. Comparable as a regional foundation with similar product mix, though with a specific community focus that DCF does not have.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/strikingly
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4I-TRQbiWfEdDvldAXg5ew
• Facebookfacebook.com/strikingly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/stevebirdwell

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Donor Advised Funds