A therapy doll manufactured bald, with a removable port-a-cath so hospitalized children can practice port access on it, is at the center of one Coachella Valley nonprofit's pitch for $20,000. The Desi Strong Foundation is one of 12 local organizations competing this year in Desert Fast Pitch, a competition designed to help small nonprofits sharpen their fundraising and storytelling skills while vying for cash prizes at a live finale.
As reported by NBC Palm Springs, the competition is organized by NPO Centric, whose director, Tali Fantini, said the event gives nonprofits an opportunity to introduce their work to a wider valley audience. Participating organizations undergo six to eight weeks of training before competing in a semifinal event that narrows the field to six finalists, who then advance to a final competition. The grand prize winner takes home $20,000, with second place earning $15,000 and third place receiving $10,000, according to the same outlet.
The full financial scope of the competition extends well beyond the top prizes. According to DCN News, the 2026 Desert Fast Pitch competition will distribute more than $50,000 in total prize funding and grant awards across competing organizations. At the October 1 Grand Finale at Agua Caliente Resort Casino & Spa, six selected finalists will present a strict three-minute pitch before a live audience of more than 300 business leaders, philanthropists, elected officials, and community stakeholders, the outlet reports.
A Doll Built to Help Kids Face Cancer
Jessica Bowser founded the Desi Strong Foundation, which provides a Desi Strong Therapy Doll to help children cope with the physical and emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis. The doll's design is deliberate: it is custom-manufactured bald with a removable port-a-cath, per the foundation's own account, allowing pediatric cancer patients to practice port access on the doll while navigating their own medical procedures.
The Desi Strong Foundation's therapy doll was created with Terri Cechin, according to the foundation. Beyond the therapy doll, the organization helps families dealing with pediatric cancer cover gas, food, travel, and bills, since the Coachella Valley has no children's hospital of its own and affected families often must travel outside the region for treatment.
The Cost of Traveling for Treatment
Because the Coachella Valley lacks a dedicated pediatric hospital, local children requiring specialized pediatric oncology care may need to travel outside the region for treatment, per the Inland Empire Community Foundation. Last October, the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation awarded $80,200 to the Inland Empire Ronald McDonald House to provide temporary lodging, support services, and gas cards to Coachella Valley families making that trip for specialized pediatric care.
Bowser sees Desert Fast Pitch as an opportunity to grow professionally and raise additional funding for the foundation's work, and she has described the experience of competing as nerve-wracking, per NBC Palm Springs. The competition gives participating organizations a chance to highlight their causes and potentially gain resources they can use to expand their impact throughout the Coachella Valley.
A Wide Field of Local Causes
The Desi Strong Foundation is competing alongside a wide range of community causes. The 12 nonprofit organizations selected for the 2026 cohort include groups such as the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation, Read With Me Volunteer Programs, Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City, Safe Family Justice Centers, and the Iyengar Yoga Center Coachella Valley, according to DCN News.
NPO Centric operates as a capacity-building program under the Regional Access Project (RAP) Foundation, a public health and welfare grantmaker incorporated in 1992 to serve eastern Riverside County, per GuideStar records. The RAP Foundation restricts its primary grantmaking and technical support to three statutory priority areas — health, mental health, and juvenile intervention programs — serving residents across the Coachella and Palo Verde Valleys, according to the foundation's own grant guidelines.
Last year's Desert Fast Pitch, held at the UC Riverside Palm Desert campus, brought local nonprofit leaders together, according to the Gay Desert Guide. This year's finale moves to Agua Caliente Resort Casino & Spa on October 1, where the six finalists selected from the semifinal round will make their case to the valley's business and philanthropic community in three minutes or less.
