About Us
At the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, you will not be asked to sell tickets, hunt for auction items, or go to elaborate parties. As a Giving Circle, we don't throw fundaising events. Our grants are funded through the contributions of our members.
The Women's Fund offers streamlined fundraising with our collective contributions going directly to the nonprofits that are out on the frontlines doing vital work in the community. We invite you to join us to bring about change with your donations, your volunteerism, and your voice.
The number one reason women join the Women's Fund is knowing they can have so much more impact by pooling their contributions with those of other women.
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is a volunteer-led collective donor organization that enables women to combine our charitable dollars into significant grants addressing the critical needs of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County.
The Women's Fund educates and inspires women to engage in making lasting change in our community.
Accountability – We do what we say we're going to do.
Excellence – We efficiently deliver the highest-quality results.
Collaboration – We respect all people and value diverse perspectives.
Diversity – We are stronger when we work together.
Integrity – We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.
Trust – We value dependability in all our relationships.
A mighty team of volunteers runs our organization– including the Board and Operations Management Team.
Since we govern and manage the Women's Fund, we operate at an impressively low overhead, so that more of our donations go directly to our work in the community. In fact, 94 cents of every expense dollar!
Thank you to all our amazing volunteers!
All members have a vote on how our contributions are used. Each year our diligent research committee presents a ballot of possible nonprofit projects to fund.
Along with your group, or as an individual member, you'll discuss the nominees and cast your vote on which of the projects you'd like to support.
And change some lives.
Front row: Fritzie Yamin*, Carol Palladini (Chair)
Back row: Joanne Rapp, Perri Harcourt, Jean Kaplan, Shirley Ann Hurley
Founders not pictured: Dale Kern*, Elna Scheinfeld, Meredith Scott*, Kay Stern, Anne Smith Towbes, Marsha Wayne*
*Deceased
We are grateful to our Founders.
Our Founders went looking for a new type of fundraising because they were tired of the same old routine – spending time and money to throw events to raise much-needed funds for nonprofits. Luckily they had the vision to see that Giving Circles were the fundraising of the future.
All our members contribute and then the Women's Fund awards grants directly to outstanding nonprofits doing great work in the community. Members can join at various levels of giving, and together we feel the power of the collective awards we make.
Today the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is one of the largest Giving Circles in the United States. We hope you'll join us!
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is a member of Philanos– the leading network of national collective giving circles. Philanos serves to catalyze the movement of women in philanthropy by connecting women's grantmaking organizations to increase their impact in the community.