In the January 2022 issue…

• The Women’s Fund Looks Forward
• Mark Your Calendar for These Important Dates

The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara Looks Forward

“You can get excited about the future. The past won’t mind.” — Hillary DePiano

At the Women’s Fund we are very excited about 2022, and we have you and 2021 to thank!

The numbers are not all in, but we already know you were very generous with the Women’s Fund and the community in 2021. We are on track to surpass last year’s record-breaking grants pool of $750,000! More to come soon!

There are myriad great stories from last year. For instance, in mid-December we received such a large contribution – $27,500 – that it set off a series of phone calls. Certainly, it was a slip of the finger and extra zeros were added. “Absolutely no mistake” the member assured us. The zeros were all in the right place. Plus, many members rounded up their contributions in 2021, and we received some very generous donations from men. That’s right, not members or even the husbands of members, but men who read about our grants and thought we did a good job of identifying and addressing critical needs in the community. I love it!

All this generosity means we are very excited about the 2021-22 ballot coming in March and the joyous Celebration of Grants planned for May. (By the way, we will be celebrating together in person this year! Shoes will be required, and pajamas will not be appropriate attire!)

I am looking forward to working with our 2022 board and especially to sharing the Board Chair responsibilities with the new Vice Chair, Jamie Dufek. Jamie has been an outstanding Communications Committee Co-Chair and board member for the past two years, and she played a major role in directing and cheerleading the Women’s Fund through our successful shift into the virtual world of Zoom. Jamie blends her respect and commitment to the Women’s Fund mission with youthful energy, professionalism, and a perspective that we know you will value and enjoy as much as we do.

What else excites us about 2022? The possibilities! We are all looking forward to re-engaging more fully in our social lives, perhaps adding back a little more travel, a little more time with friends. At the same time, we are committed to taking a strategic look at how the Women’s Fund will continue to grow, evolve, and ensure that we address the critical needs of women, children and families for years to come.

On behalf of the entire Women’s Fund Board of Directors, we are excited to be changing lives together with you in 2022, and we are sure the past won’t mind a bit!

- Lynn Karlson

Mark Your Calendars – Important Dates

The next few months will be busy ones for the Women’s Fund! Here are the important dates leading up to the selection of our new 2021-2022 grant recipients.

• Friday, March 4 - Ballot Information Package emailed to all 2021 Women's Fund members – it includes the information you need to know as you consider planning for your individual or group vote.
• Wednesday, March 9 (4:00 pm) AND Thursday, March 10 (9:30 am) – Part One and Part Two Virtual Ballot Review Meetings. Two meetings mean you won’t have to be on one Zoom event for three hours. You’ll want to attend both to make sure you learn about all the candidates; the Research committee will present half in each meeting. Both events will include presentations and opportunities for Q&A. And the good news is that everyone can attend; we are not limited by space constraints.
• Thursday, March 10 - Ballots emailed via Survey Monkey to all eligible voters (Individual Members and voting Group Captains) with a link to cast electronic votes.
• March 10-26 – Window for voting. Group Captains should start planning now to schedule their voting meetings with their groups to discuss the ballot and decide on how to cast their group votes. Individual members can attend Ballot Discussion Groups.
• Saturday, March 26, 6:00 PM - Deadline for electronic voting by eligible voters.
• Wednesday, May 4 (late afternoon) – In-person Celebration of Grants! Save the date to help celebrate our new 2021-2022 grantees who join the 110+ agencies or programs that have received more than $8.6 million in Women's Fund grants since 2004.