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We are so grateful for these Women’s Fund members, community supporters, and business sponsors who help fund or offset the costs of our operations and educational programs. Their generosity allows us to maximize the grants we make each year in our local community.  

---------------- Changing Lives Sponsors --------------

 

------------ Empowering Women Sponsors -----------

 

 

Community Supporters

Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara
First Republic Bank
Garden Court on De La Vina

Home Instead Senior Care
Hutton Parker Foundation
Justin Gunn Productions
McFarlane Faletti & Co., Travis Wilson

 

Member Underwriters

Fran Adams
Nan Bedford
Linda Stafford Burrows
Stina Hans
Nancy Harter
Carole MacElhenny

 

Endowment Contributors

Linda O. Armstrong
Chip deVillaFranca, in honor of Stina Hans
Mary Garton, in honor of Laurie Tumbler
Connie Kennelly
Susan Robeck
Irene Stone

Linda van Buren, in honor of Aila Bea Borgeson
Parm Williams, in honor of Karen Robinson 
Parm WIllams, in honor of Pat Tisdale

 

Contributors
Ellie & Rich Alexander, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Sharon Armstrong, in memory of Karen Robinson
Anne Ashmore, in memory of Karen Robinson
Lewis Britton, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Rhea Clark, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Debbie Colton, in honor of Cameron Goodman
Jacqueline Denier
Phil Destefano, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Joyce M Galante, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Elizabeth Galante, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Karen Hickman
Janice Inouye, in honor of Joanne Schoenfeld
Kim LaRoche,  in memory of Karen Robinson
Nancy Lindsay, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Barbara Manzo
Steve Marks, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Leslie Meadowcroft-Schipper
Robert Miller

Susan & Bill Picotte, in memory of Mary Therese Galante
Michael Rottapel, in memory of Helene Rottapel
JL Seaborg
Jane Westerman

 

 


These generous partners and special contributors stimulated the Women's Fund success and growth since 2004.

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In our early years, the Santa Barbara Foundation provided free start-up and administrative support to our new organization. In later years, the Women's Fund paid annual fees for the Santa Barbara Foundation's administrative support but also received grants from the Foundation for specific projects like the website development and legal costs when we applied for our tax-exempt nonprofit status. While the Santa Barbara Foundation is no longer the Women's Fund's fiscal home, they remain a valued colleague and community partner. We will always be grateful to the Santa Barbara Foundation for their confidence and support as the Women's Fund grew from infancy to independence.

In 2006, the Orfalea Foundation approached the two-year-old Women's Fund of Santa Barbara with an exciting offer. Because they liked the collective giving concept and the quality of the Fund's volunteer-driven research, and to help attract more members, Orfalea offered to match Women's Fund member donations. For three years, the Orfalea Foundation helped double our growth by donating more than $900,000 to the Women's Fund.

In 2010, Women's Fund member and local philanthropist Betty Elings Wells surprised us with a $250,000 matching grant to stimulate increased giving and enlarge the pool of funds available to award to local nonprofit agencies. In 2012, Betty announced a second $250,000 matching grant, bringing her total to more than $500,000 over four years.