At Mountain View Country Club, the secret to exceptional service comes down to the dedicated staff who interact with members throughout the vibrant, luxurious community, whether at the front desk, in the dining room, out on the golf course and beyond.
The club's leadership believes that keeping great talent means supporting team members' individual growth, which inspired the general manager and board to launch an informal education fund a few years ago. It allowed members to contribute donations for tuition, career training and certifications for employees and their families. Members loved the idea right away because it was personal; they were investing in the familiar faces who make the club feel like home.
Under that setup, the goodwill gifts
were incredibly helpful, usually landing between $500 and $1,000. However, because the fund lacked a formal structure and donations were not tax-deductible, members hesitated to make larger contributions, making it difficult to sustain long-term growth.
Club member Jennifer King and her husband, Steve Cox — both retired attorneys — are members of another Southern California club which built a thriving scholarship program by launching its own standalone nonprofit. They wanted to help Mountain View's program expand, so the couple began researching what it would take to form an independent 501(c)(3).
Jennifer and Steve soon realized that launching a brand-new nonprofit from scratch is incredibly complicated. The tax filings, legal compliance and ongoing reporting would require substantial staff resources to handle the administrative load.
Mountain View already had the passion and the financial support from its members. They wanted to keep their energy focused on the students rather than navigating complex legal requirements, so finding a strong administrative partner was the logical next step.
Mountain View's HR director, Joanna Luna, had also seen how a successful scholarship program could work. She turned to Karen Ulshafer, who helped establish PGA West's scholarship program, for guidance. That conversation led Mountain View to IECF, where Paula Myles, director of donor services, and Michael Hinkle, charitable giving officer for Coachella Valley, helped put the wheels in motion, and the fund was established in 2025.
By teaming up with IECF, the club bypassed the work of building a nonprofit infrastructure. Mountain View could pour its energy into fundraising and cheering on employees, while IECF handled the back-end administration.
"It just made sense," Luna said. "It was a no-brainer to have that partnership."
With IECF on board, the program took off in less than nine months. The club invited members to join a "Founding Circle" with the option to make a three-year financial commitment, and the response was overwhelming.
The club even added a feature allowing members to contribute directly through their monthly membership statements, helping the Founding Circle grow to 30 members. This includes one very generous donor who anonymously contributed $15,000 upfront to be split over the three-year period. Best of all, because donations are now fully tax-deductible, member contributions more than doubled, and individual student awards increased up to $5,000.
In total, the club exceeded its initial $50,000 fundraising goal, allowing them to distribute roughly $30,000 across nine life-changing awards in its very first funding cycle.
The scholarship fund backed an amazing variety of dreams this year: a restaurant hostess who is earning a medical front-office certification to unlock upward career mobility; two golf department team members enrolling in golf management programs at a local junior college; a yoga instructor pursuing specialized training this fall; a dedicated staff member with three daughters in higher education all at once — a high school senior, a college sophomore and a student finishing her teaching credentials — with the fund proudly supporting all three sisters; and an employee who completed a trade school certification program by paying out-of-pocket, whom the fund was able to flexibly reimburse by paying the institution directly.
Denisha Shackelford, IECF's senior scholarship manager, attended the awards presentation. "We were thrilled to help Mountain View bring their vision to life," she said. "Seeing this community wrap its arms around its workforce is so inspiring. The team at Mountain View moved with amazing speed to spread the word and rally their fellow members, allowing us to get these awards directly into the hands of students who are working hard to build their futures."
The club is already planning a beautiful celebration for the fall. In November, once the desert weather cools down and the club's seasonal residents return to town, the scholarship committee will host a special reception to bring the Founding Circle donors and these inspiring recipients together.
Jennifer believes that the ripple effect benefits everyone. "It's great for the employees who get the opportunity to expand their education and training; it's great for the club, which has another program to attract and retain employees; and it's great for members who get to see first-hand the tangible results of their charitable giving," she said.
Founded in 1941, the Inland Empire Community Foundation is the oldest and largest community foundation in Inland Southern California, partnering with individuals, families and corporations to build a culture of philanthropy. Over the past 25 years, IECF has given out more than $225 million in grants and scholarships. IECF is delighted to partner with organizations like Mountain View Country Club in expanding educational opportunities and opening doors to lifelong learning for residents of the region. If you'd like to explore ways to open a fund, contact the IECF Charitable Giving Team at giving@iegives.org or call 951-241-7777.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mountain View Country Club establishes nonprofit to benefit employees
