Women's Fund | December 2024 Stay Connected Newsletter

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In the December 2024 issue…

Grantee of the Month: Unity Shoppe
Membership Corner: December is a Time for Giving
Ask the Researcher: Why Two-Year Grants?
Grants In Action Programs Illuminate, Educate, and Engage!

Grantee of the Month: Unity Shoppe

For more than 100 years, Unity Shoppe has been serving Santa Barbara residents in need. Founded in 1917 by famous civic leader Dr. Pearl Chase, one of Santa Barbara’s most beloved and longest-serving charities provides free essential services to those impacted by poverty, health crises, or natural disasters.

Unity Shoppe’s Client Service Center at 1401 Chapala Street provides food, clothing, and personal care items in a grocery store setting. Other programs include the Transitional Assistance Program, which provides household necessities to help those moving from homelessness to housing, and the Job Smart Program, which provides job training services.

A Women's Fund grant of $75,000 to Unity Shoppe is helping to meet the growing demand for food assistance, which doubled last year due to inflation and the rising costs of food. Unity Shoppe’s existing storage capacity in the Client Service Center was not sufficient to meet this demand. With the grant, Unity Shoppe expanded its storage facilities by purchasing an industrial refrigerator, four freezers, five dollies, and six carts. In addition, the grant afforded the purchase of a six-month supply of nutrient-rich foods. These improvements allow clients to shop at the Service Center twice a month instead of once -- right now, the Center is on track to host 30,000 visits from clients this year.

Learn more about the impact of the Women’s Fund grant to Unity Shoppe in this short segment from KEYT-TV.

Unity Shoppe's Board Chair Susan Rodriguez expressed gratitude for the tremendous impact the Women’s Fund grant is having on the organization and its ability to serve the growing needs of the community. “Together, we are fighting food insecurity in our community and providing a lifeline for individuals and families facing temporary hardships,” she said.

This grant will replace failing equipment, improve food storage capacity, and help reduce repair and utility expenses for Unity Shoppe. Perhaps most importantly, the grant will support members of our community in their time of need.

Membership Corner: December is a Time for Giving: plus, Welcome and Congrats

December is a festive time for many. Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are all characterized by family traditions, generosity, and community celebration. The Women’s Fund has a December tradition as well—completing our annual grants pool! And this year, we’re hoping to keep the dream alive for another $1 million grants pool for 2025.

There’s still time to be part of this wonderful tradition, but don’t wait! Your membership donation must be received by December 31, 2024 to be eligible to vote in March for our 2024-25 grantees. We hope you will be part of our gift to the community next spring!

Renewing is simple, just click here. Not a member yet? Then click here to join. And here’s hoping your holiday traditions bring you joy!

Welcome New Members

Our Women’s Fund members clearly believe it is the season of giving! Let’s welcome these 77 new members:

Kelly Adams, Jenny Agnini, Jill Anderson, Heather Ayer, Brittany Bauhaus, Elizabeth Benson, Linda Bialla, Lauren Bianchi Klemann, Morgan Bluhm, Beth Boire, Joy Bronson, Melissa Brown, Hanna Byers, Jean Camp, Jessica Campora, Lucy Collins, Margaret M. Connors, Alyse Dale, Carly Daulton, Sara Deckett, Jane Defnet, Briana Deignan, Sharon Dirlam, Peggy Dodds, Kristine Duarte, Claire Fackler, Amy Findlay, Andrea Fink, Natalie Greenside, Deanna Gregg, Laura Hadland, Holly Harris, Kristen Hislop, Beth Hughes, Linda Jalaba, Elizabeth Johnson, Jennifer d'Offay, Sibyl King, Marie King, Amanda Kinsley, Katie Koehn, Molly Kronberg, Erin Laber, Kellie Lee, Emily Lee, Norma Jean Leifer, Letitia Lynn, Alexandra Mohamadi, Susan Morris, Sierra Muller, Sarah O’Brien, Stephanie Ornani, Anne Pazier, Sarah Perkins, Jean Pettitt, Kathy Pfeifer, Megan Phillips, April Powers, Chrissie Prentice, Madeleine Radman, Kim Reece, Tara Rengifo, Laura Reske, Stephanie Riordan, Jill Salzman, Amy Savage, Heike Schirmer, Jeannette Shade, Sally Sheridan, Maggie Silverstein, Peggy Smith, Summer Smith, Alexia Stormo, Jan Swanberg, Whitney Wilkinson, Veronica Wynn and Terrie Zwick.

Congratulations to these Groups!

Congratulations to the following – these additional groups have already secured their vote(s) for 2025! And a big thanks to captains for reminding your members to renew before the deadline of Dec 31, 2024. We look forward to all our groups – new and continuing – to secure their votes before the end of the year.

Ab-Solutely with Captain Diana Katsenes

Better Together with Captains Lisa Bass and Misty Bordofsky

D’Penguineer Friends with Captain Parm Williams

Dream Weavers with Captains Hilary Chapman Moss and Barbara Rack

Empty Nesters with Captains Susan Cole and Sherri Fay

Encore with Captain Minie Pompe van Meerdervoort

Friends In Deed with Captain Nancy Rapp

HOPE with Captains Linda Lorenzen and Melissa Brooks

Las Luce with Captains Margaret Weeks and Susan Deacon

Las Missionistas with Captain Erin Neil

M&M with Captains Michele Andina and Marni Cooney

Novel Women with Captain Dianne Black

Progressive Pod with Captains Eloisa Chavez and Julie Mickelberry

Rose and Hopkinson with Captains Judith L Hopkinson and Susan Rose

Sisters in Cahoots with Captain Tracy Stouffer

Small Act, Big Impact with Captain Katie Crocker

Spinners and Friends with Captain Yonie Harris

Spreading Sunshine with Captain Jill Bender

Strong Smart and Bold with Captain Christy Kelso

Ten For One with Captain Carol Fell

The Ripple Effect with Captain Marita Hawryluk

We Teach with Captains Ann Lippincott and Elissa Ross

Wine and Whine with Captains Teresa Sutherland and Carol Weingartner

Women Helping Others with Captains Robin Masson and Pat Riezman

Women of Honor with Captains LuAnn Miller and Dede Nonn

Yes We Can! with Captain Kathleen Barnato

Ask the Researcher: Why Two-Year Grants?

This month we’re answering another frequently asked question – this one about why we give two-year grants.

Sustainability has always been a priority for Women’s Fund members. During the Research process, one key question is how an agency will keep the project going after the Women’s Fund grant runs out.

Over time, researchers have learned that agencies often need at least a year to get a project properly launched. This is particularly true if they intend to recruit, hire, and train new staff. Once a project is up and running, an agency may also need additional time to collect data that demonstrates a project’s effectiveness. Having that data makes it much more likely they will be able to write grants and find funders who will keep the project going.

Many other funding organizations now regard multi-year grants as best practice because they give agencies the time they need to implement and assess new initiatives. Agencies also report that multi-year grants often improve staff retention and encourage long-term thinking. All these factors are taken into consideration before a two-year grant appears on the ballot.

Grants In Action Programs Illuminate, Educate, and Engage!

Last month, a Grants In Action Forum, Investing in Our Children, focused on the life-changing role that high-quality, early child care and education can play for children. The forum, held at the CEC Hub (Community Environmental Commission), featured two current grantees, LEAP (Learn, Engage, Educate, Partner), represented by Executive Director Lori Lander Goodman, and DignityMoves, represented by Jack Lorenz, Regional Advancement Officer.

Teresa Alvarez, Executive Director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project, a past Women’s Fund grantee, provided an overview of child care and early education in Santa Barbara County. She also guided a discussion between the grantees which touched on the importance of building community, discussed the inequities in accessing child care, and explored why and how to invest in children.

Views from the Experts

LEAP, the well-known early child care and early education program in Goleta provides comprehensive care and assistance to families living in poverty. A Women’s Fund grant of $120,000 is helping cover a temporary state funding gap.

After sharing a short video, Lori spoke to her strong belief that nonprofits should abandon longstanding “scarcity mindsets,” which thwart efforts toward lofty goals and strong outcomes. She urged that nonprofits should embrace and work with an “abundance mindset,” because all our children deserve excellence, bold initiatives, and joy-filled child care and early education as they grow.

LEAP has adopted a mindset of abundance that actively invests in children and teachers. This abundance mindset has already led to significant developments in the lives of students, teachers, and families – bringing hope to children and families living in poverty.

DignityMoves works to end homelessness throughout California by providing interim supportive housing and wrap-around case management for their clients transitioning to more stable and permanent housing. The $125,000 grant DignityMoves received from the Women’s Fund will help cover the costs of building a child-care center at the new Family Village in Santa Barbara.

Jack proudly shared that the new Family Village – their first project for families – will include 30 units, each with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and living area; along with the child care center, public areas, and full social service offices.

He added, “The reason we do all of this is because ‘Housing is the greatest social determinant of health.’ While many factors influence health – like education, income, and access to healthcare – housing is foundational. It shapes our physical and mental well-being, influencing our quality of life… Recognizing and addressing the intersection of housing and health, we can work towards a time where everyone can thrive.”

Following the presentations, participants gathered in small groups for dynamic Q & A sessions with the grantee experts, which will be a feature of all the forums this year.

Upcoming Women’s Fund Programs

January 23, 2025 – Learn & Connect Open House at SB PAL (Santa Barbara Police Activities League), 4:00-6:00 pm

February 25, 2025 – Learn & Connect Open House at Unity Shoppe, 5:00-6:30 pm

April 3, 2025 – Grants In Action Forum: Pathways to Mental Health featuring CADA, Casa Pacifica, and PathPoint at the CEC Hub, 5:00-6:30 pm

133 East De La Guerra Street, #15
Santa Barbara, CA 93101