Why Give

When you support College of the Desert, you’re not only contributing to a college and its students, you are investing in the future of our community. Your gift helps put nurses in local medical facilities, firefighters and paramedics in regional stations, auto mechanics in garages, and chefs in the kitchens of your favorite restaurants. Your help will put teachers in classrooms and send budding scientists on a cosmic journey.

Whether you are the parent or grandparent of a current student, a member of our alumni, a local business leader, or simply someone who knows how education empowers, your gift is greatly appreciated. It funds scholarships, fuels innovative programs, and fortifies our resources. Contributions are the literal and figurative foundation of our existence.

Your generosity helps keep students in school, helps them graduate on time, positions them to transfer and ensures they step confidently into the careers and lives they’ve worked so hard to build.

Ways To Support COD Students

Your Impact

As of 2025, College of the Desert Foundation has raised $130 million over the past 40 years to support student success via program and scholarship support. In 2012, the Foundation supported the innovative EDGE program which helped institutionalize plEDGE, a program which provides free tuition and wrap around services for students attending College of the Desert.