Mission Statement

As members of the National Panhellenic Conference of fraternities, we come together in friendship and mutual interest to promote leadership, scholarship, and enlightenment. We promote higher education by offering scholarship awards, and annual educational and informational functions in our local communities. Our goal is to be a proactive voice regarding issues that are important to our communities and to actively participate in philanthropic projects. For over 65 years we have served as a resource to students and schools in the Coachella Valley.
 

CVAP History

The Coachella Valley Alumnae Panhellenic (CVAP) is open to alumnae of any National Panhellenic Fraternity living in the Coachella Valley. Believed to be the oldest, continuing non-profit organization in the Coachella Valley, CVAP was established in 1954 at the home of Lillian Carter in Bermuda Dunes, CA. It has grown from a small group of women to a dynamic organization of nearly 200 members from every part of the United States. Many are winter residents who find friends and fun in the desert during the season. CVAP members represent all major professional fields, including education, law, medicine, business, and the arts.

As an all-volunteer organization, we have survived the test of time. Our members are on the boards of dozens of local and national organizations and have received numerous awards for their contributions to the community. Our membership age ranges from 35 to 95.

The successes of our annual scholarship programs and community outreach activities have earned CVAP numerous National Panhellenic Conference Awards including being honored at NPC’s Annual Convention as the Number One Outstanding Alumnae Panhellenic for 2009 – 2011.

Several desert cities comprise the Coachella Valley and we continue to experience rapid population growth. New public high schools are constantly being built, including the latest state-of-the-art Rancho Mirage High School. The local agricultural industry employs a large Hispanic population, many of them recent immigrants, and some of our scholarship recipients are the first in their families to attend college. Since 1954, CVAP has awarded over 500 scholarships to college-bound young women graduates of Coachella Valley public high schools. CVAP also encourages our scholarship recipients who subsequently pledge a national sorority to apply for our Sorority Member Scholarship designed to help defray sorority expenses. 

 

CVAP Recognitions

• Palm Springs Life magazine recognized CVAP as one of the top charitable organizations in the desert and our “Diamonds are Forever” Benefit and Diamond Award ceremony was featured on KPSP TV Local Channel 2, “Eye on the Desert”, Nightly News broadcasts, and the Desert Sun newspaper.

 

• NPC recognized CVAP with a Programming Excellence Award for 2015 - 2016 and 2016 - 2017.

 

• Each year, as we promote our colorful, special themed fundraising events, we are featured on Eye on the Desert with Patrick Evans and we are often found proudly telling our success story in the Desert Sun's Desert Scene.