Coachella Valley Nonprofits to Compete in Shark Tank Style Contest

Twelve Coachella Valley nonprofits are preparing to pitch for a share of more than $50,000 in prize money at the NPO Desert Fast Pitch Grand Finale, happening Thursday, October 1, at Agua Caliente Casino & Resort. The event, presented by NPO Centric and the Regional Access Project Foundation (RAP), follows a Shark Tank style format, where nonprofit leaders spend weeks working with coaches and mentors to sharpen how they talk about their work before pitching in front of a live audience of funders, elected officials, business leaders, and members of the media.

This year's competing organizations and their representatives are:

• -Alex Aguilar, Iyengar Yoga Center Coachella Valley

• -Ray Amador, Coachella Valley Youth Leadership

• -Jessica Bowser, Desi Strong Foundation

• -Tamara Canedo, Seiden-Juku

• -Yvonne Choyce, Consortium for Early Learning Services

• -Erin Hyland, Read With Me Volunteer Programs

• -Julie Makinen, Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation

• -J'ai Michel-Lundy, Sunset Music and Education Foundation

• -Kara Robinson, Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City

• -Ernesto Rodriguez, Kindful Restoration

• -Selena Rodriguez, Safe Family Justice Centers

• -Diane Schlesinger, How Great Are Thy Works

Six of those organizations will move on to deliver three-minute pitches at the Grand Finale.

The winning nonprofit walks away with $20,000, while second place gets $15,000 and third place gets $10,000. The audience also gets a say, voting on a $5,000 Audience Choice Award during the event.

This year's Grand Finale moves to a new venue at Agua Caliente Casino & Resort and includes a buffet dinner along with a keynote from J.R. Martinez, an actor, New York Times bestselling author, wounded U.S. Army veteran, and Dancing with the Stars champion.

The event is open to the public, and organizers are encouraging community members to attend in support of local nonprofits. Tickets are on sale now.