Neighborhood Tours and Partner Events Provided Opportunities for Charitable Fundraising and Modernism Week Funds a Record Number of Scholarships 

Palm Springs, CA

Modernism Week announced that its recent Twentieth Anniversary 11-day festival in February 2025 and its four-day festival in October 2024 provided an opportunity for dozens of local Coachella Valley organizations and neighborhood groups to produce events that raised significant funds from ticket sales proceeds for official Modernism Week events. These events included neighborhood tours, parties, educational talks, and other programs and enabled the organizations to contribute to local Coachella Valley charities or to fund civic improvements with the proceeds raised by the programs. During Modernism Week – October and Modernism Week 2025, participating partner organizations raised $2,594,596. This includes more than $736,676 in funds raised by local neighborhood organizations from home tours.

As a cornerstone of its community impact, Modernism Week proudly invests in the future of architecture, design, and engineering through its annual college scholarship program. These renewable scholarships not only provide critical financial support to deserving local students but also help cultivate the next generation of creative and technical leaders—ensuring that talent continues to grow in the Coachella Valley. In 2025, Modernism Week reached a milestone by awarding its largest number of scholarships in a single year: twenty scholarships totaling $93,750. This includes $22,500 in matching funds from OneFuture Coachella Valley, a valued partner dedicated to helping local students succeed in college, career, and life. Together, Modernism Week and OneFuture are helping build a stronger, more vibrant local workforce—one student at a time.

Since the Modernism Week scholarship program was initiated in 2011, more than $400,000 has been awarded.  The ongoing community support of Modernism Week events ensures that the organization can continue to give back and support future design contributors of the Coachella Valley.

“Awarding Modernism Week scholarships is one of the most rewarding and impactful aspects of our work each year,” said Lisa Vossler Smith, Chief Executive Officer. “There’s no greater investment than in the future of our local students. By helping them access the education and training they need to thrive, we’re not only supporting individual success—we’re strengthening the fabric of the Coachella Valley community for generations to come.”

Helping Neighborhoods and Organizations Raise Funds

Modernism Week works closely with local neighborhood organizations and residential communities to showcase the design of iconic Palm Springs residences and other architecturally significant buildings during tours of many of the city’s 52 official neighborhoods and neighboring cities. Most neighborhood organizations reinvested the proceeds made from the tours into their neighborhoods through architectural restoration, improving infrastructure, or landscape improvements. This year, Modernism Week featured 28 tours of these neighborhood tours.

These popular tours featured approximately 175 residences, attracting more than 10,000 participants. Neighborhood and condo community tours available during Modernism Week 2025 included Calypso Palms, Canyon Colony West, Canyon Springs, Canyon View Estates, CoCo Cabana, Cody Court, DaVaal Estates, El Rancho Vista Estates, Historic Tennis Club, Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Little Beverly Hills, Little Tuscany, Merito Manor, Old Las Palmas, Park Imperial South, Sandpiper, Seven Lakes Golf and Country Club, Sunrise Lanai, The 400, Villa Roma, and Vista Canyon. In addition, Modernism Week organized a special multi-home tour called “Celebrating a Decade of “Palm Springs Modern Living” by James Schnepf: A Special Home Tour,” an extraordinary self-driving tour of six homes in five neighborhoods that featured properties designed by legendary midcentury architects.

“This was the inaugural tour for CoCo Cabana and I was very pleased at how successful it was,” said tour organizer Ken MacIntyre. “This fun event inspired neighbors in our community to bond and work together in order to raise funds to help maintain our architectural integrity. Plus, it helped us to plan and pay for landscaping improvements, including drought tolerant plants.”

Several neighborhoods raised funds specifically to donate to local charities, including: 

·       From Forgotten to Fabulous – The Rejuvenation of Little Beverly Hills: This neighborhood will donate all of the proceeds it raised to these local organizations: Palm Springs Modernism Committee, Palm Springs Unified School District Foundation (to benefit shoes for students), Find Food Bank, Do The Right Thing Palm Springs (honoring children who make a local impact), Palm Springs Police Department Officer’s Fund, and Oswit Land Trust.

·       Historic Tennis Club Modernism Week Tour of Homes: This neighborhood organization used the proceeds from its tour to finance community events (like a season kick off and season end social, attracted more than 100 neighbors) and donated the remaining funds to local community organizations including Palm Springs Police Department, Palm Springs Fire Department, Boy & Girls Club of Palm Springs, FIND Food Bank, Plaza Theater Foundation, Oswit Land Trust, and the Riverside County Red Cross (to support LA Fire victims).

·       Midcentury Marvels – A Journey Through Little Tuscany: This neighborhood organization will use some of the proceeds for ongoing operating expenses and plans to donate the remaining amount to nonprofits that serve Palm Springs.

Many neighborhoods raised funds to reinvest in their communities and their surrounding neighborhood. These included:  

·       Beyond the Gates Tour of Seven Lakes Golf and Country Club Walking Tour: This community used its funds to pursue its historic preservation designation by hiring a consultant to research and write the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Committee designation.

·       Calypso Palms: Where the Rat Pack Stayed and Played: Funds raised will be used to fully replace the roof of the complex.

·       Canyon Springs Neighborhood Home Tour: Funds will be used for common area landscape beautification projects and for a future project to replace existing lawn with a sustainable desertscape.

·       Canyon View Estates – Magnificent Modernism: This tour raised funds for several different Canyon View Estates HOAs; funds will be used for turf abatement, water main replacement, and other infrastructure projects in the historic complex. 

·       Canyon View Estates – The Finale: Proceeds will be applied to the ongoing turf removal project and installation of desert landscaping, including purchasing and planting new trees and other landscape improvements. 

·       CoCo Cabana – Designed for Gracious Living: Funds will be used to phase in drought-tolerant landscape and maintain the architectural integrity of the property.

·       Cody Court “Historic Cody Homes” Rancho Mirage: Funds were used for improving landscaping, updating the main drive entryway, connecting homes with pavers, adding lighting, and installing new irrigation.

·       DaVaal Estates Home Tour – Midcentury Modern Marvel, Rancho Mirage: Proceeds will be used to restore and paint the community’s exterior beams. 

·       Destination Park Imperial South: Funds will be used for historic landscape preservation and water conservation.

·       El Rancho Vista Estates Modernism Home Tour: Funds are earmarked to help purchase artwork for nearby Gateway Park and working with the arts commission on the project. The neighborhood will also use the proceeds to fund a project that seeks historical status for all Wexler-designed homes in the neighborhood that meet the Mills Act requirements, which would be the first single-family neighborhood to achieve this status.

·       Joshua Tree Retreat Center – Historic Lloyd Wright Site Presentation and Self-Guided Walking Tour: All funds raised will be utilized to improve various areas of the center including new paint, repairing buildings, and updating landscaping.

·       Merito Manor by Barry Berkus, 1961: Proceeds will help replace three concrete pads with matching pavers at the carport.

·       Old Las Palmas Home Tour – A Peek Behind the Hedges III: Proceeds from the tour will help fund a beautification of eight public spaces within Old Las Palmas and to support some local charitable organizations. 

·       Sandpiper Circle 3 – A Midcentury Oasis Neighborhood Home Tour: Funds will be utilized for landscape beautification, desert landscaping ground cover, palm tree uplighting, improving exteriors with midcentury-themed enhancements including door repainting, period appropriate address numbers, patio, and front door lighting fixtures.

·       Sunrise Lanai – A Miracle in the Desert: Funds will support the community’s Historic Designation process and support necessary infrastructure projects, including recoating the roofs, the pool, and parking lots. 

·       The 400 – Midcentury Living by H.W. Burns: Funds will pay for a new roof for the complex and updating the electrical wiring for the complex’s air conditioning units. 

·       The Canyon Colony West Inaugural Home Tour: Proceeds will refurbish the community’s vintage pool furniture and fund the replacement of landscape lighting around the pool.

·       Discover Twin Springs: Donald Wexler’s Hidden Gem: Twin Springs will use the tour proceeds to update its clubhouse, including replacing the carpeting, installing new countertops at the bar and kitchen, and landscaping in the area outside the game room.

·       Villa Roma – Preserving A Moment in Time for the Future: Funds raised through this inaugural tour will finance updates to the community clubhouse to guarantee future updates will remain consistent with the unique midcentury design aesthetic.

·       Vista Canyon – What Happens in Vista, Stays in Vista: Funds will help enhance the neighborhood including stone crafting the eastern exposure to prevent potential soil-slides.

In addition to working with neighborhoods, Modernism Week, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, also provides the opportunity for other local organizations and charities to raise funds. A portion of ticket proceeds from official Modernism Week events that are produced by these businesses and organizations in 2024-2025 generated more than $1.2 million for various local partner organizations. Some of those organizations included: Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs Modern Committee, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Sunnylands, Palm Springs Cultural Center, Historical Society of Palm Desert, and the Palm Springs Public Library.

“Modernism Week has a long-standing history of helping other organizations raise funds to benefit the local community,” said William Kopelk, Modernism Week Board Chairman. “One of the most important outcomes of Modernism Week events each year is the opportunity for our neighborhood and partner organizations to raise funds to support preservation, education, civic improvements, or to reinvest back into other local charities. The tours and events produced by partner organizations also allow them to showcase their neighborhoods and organizations to national and international visitors.”

In addition, the Modernism Week Board of Directors periodically offers special grants to organizations involved in architecture, preservation, and community programs. This year, Modernism Week donated funds to the Palm Springs Rebuilding Fund after the bombing in May 2025 to immediately assist and support local businesses and individuals.

Modernism Week also led a local campaign during its festival in February 2025 to support the regional efforts of the California Community Foundation’s Los Angeles Fire Relief Fund to assist the many individuals that were impacted by the devastating fires in Southern California. A portion of Modernism Week ticket proceeds were used to provide a $10,000 grant for LA Fire Relief.

Modernism Week has also created a first-time partnership with the historic National Landmark Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Modernism Week is underwriting the costs for a summer Preservation Intern who work directly with Fallingwater’s preservation, collections and maintenance departments. Supported by Modernism Week, this internship is open to international students participating in the ICOMOS-USA International Exchange Program. Other Modernism Week grants have been issued preciously to the Aluminaire House Foundation, Docomomo Conference, Iconic Houses, Palm Springs AIDS Memorial, Palm Springs Architecture Alliance, Palm Springs Unified School District Foundation, and the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation.

Modernism Week 2025 top sponsors included Ferguson Home, Brizo, Dunn-Edwards Paints, Monogram, Cotino, Flor, Natural Retreats, and Willis. The City of Palm Springs was the Civic Presenting Sponsor. To receive Modernism Week updates, visit modernismweek.com, sign up to receive the free M Magazine, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X. Later this year, Modernism Week will offer its annual Modernism Week – October event from October 16 – 19, 2025 (tickets go on sale August 1, 2025 at 12 pm PST) and Modernism Week 2026, taking place February 12-22, 2026 (tickets go on sale November 1, 2025 at 12 pm PST).