In the November 2025 issue…

• Grantee of the Month: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
• Membership Corner: Looking Beyond Your Membership, Plus Congratulations!
• Members Learn and Connect at Mothers’ Helpers

CASA provides critical, personalized support to more than 500 abandoned, abused, or neglected children in Santa Barbara County’s foster care system. The foster care journey is often challenging, and these children need dedicated attention and guidance to help them navigate it successfully. CASA volunteers meet weekly with their assigned child, collaborating with social workers, teachers, therapists, and others to advocate for the child’s best interests and present comprehensive reports at court hearings.

However, CASA’s ability to serve these children was limited by an outdated data management system. Without robust data, it becomes difficult to track each child’s progress, provide the courts with accurate information, and tailor advocacy to individual needs. Insufficient data also hinders CASA’s ability to demonstrate its impact to funders, volunteers, and the broader community.

A $75,000 grant from the Women’s Fund enabled CASA to upgrade its data management system, purchase new equipment, and hire a data management specialist. With the new person on board and other improvements in place, the team at CASA was able to produce their first run of data!

These improvements will ensure that judges receive the specific data they need to make informed decisions about foster children’s placement and care. Enhanced data capabilities will also strengthen CASA’s case to donors and grant makers and help attract more volunteers by clearly demonstrating the need for and impact of their work.

At this year’s Celebration of Grants event, Casa Executive Director Kim Davis emphasized the importance of the data management upgrade: “We want to not just tell people that CASA makes a difference – we want to prove it.” With better tools to track outcomes, CASA will be able to show clear, local evidence of its impact and inspire even more community members to volunteer.

“Everyone hears the state and national statistics, and many nonprofits rely on them,” Davis shared. “But we have known for years that Santa Barbara County’s foster youth are doing better than those numbers.” The upgraded system will allow CASA to measure key outcomes such as high school graduation rates, access to specialized education and medical care, and how often children return to foster care. These indicators, along with others, will help illustrate the role CASA volunteers play in improving a child’s trajectory.

Santa Barbara County is unique in that its CASA program serves 85 percent of the children who need an advocate. With stronger data, CASA looks forward to demonstrating how the added attention, consistency, and advocacy provided by volunteers truly changes lives.

Accurate data empowers volunteers to track outcomes for individual foster children, identify patterns, and advocate for resources where they are needed most. As Kim Davis summed up, “Your investment gives us the tools to serve smarter, advocate stronger,” ensuring that positive outcomes for foster children become “the expectation, not the exception.”

• Contributed by Catherine Nietzel

It’s hard to believe that we are in our final month of the year! And this year has been especially hard for nonprofits and the clients they serve.

• Get more involved. As a member, volunteering your talents and time can help the Women’s Fund thrive as you enjoy the satisfaction of getting to know other generous women. Contact the Volunteer Engagement Committee at volunteer@womensfundsb.org for ideas.
• Help offset expenses by supporting the Women’s Fund as a Member Underwriter. Members who provide $2,500 or more are recognized alongside our business sponsors.
• If you own a business, become a business sponsor, helping to pay for our expenses for educational programs and operations so more of our member donations can go directly to the grants pool. Sponsors who give $2,500 or more are recognized throughout the year in Women’s Fund materials. Contact us at sponsorships@womensfundsb.org.
• And of course, renew your membership! As 2025 comes to an end, please remember to renew your Women’s Fund membership by clicking here or going to https://womensfundsb.org/renew by December 31^st. If you are unsure if you renewed or not, please go to https://womensfundsb.org/members/2025 and look for your name.

Thanks to all our members who have already renewed their membership for this year. We are so thankful for your contributions!

Congratulations to These Groups!

Below is the list of groups who have already secured one or more votes. As a reminder, a Women’s Fund group secures one vote once they have gathered $2,750 in member contributions.

Over 60 women gathered on Dec. 9^th to attend the Grants In Action “Learn and Connect” event held at Mothers’ Helpers, Inc., in Goleta. Mothers’ Helpers is a community-driven nonprofit that provides newborn essentials – diapers, clothing, cribs, pack-n-plays, and more – to families facing financial hardship. By gathering baby items no longer being used and distributing them to others in need, Mothers’ Helpers alleviates families’ financial stress, while reducing waste – promoting both generosity and sustainability.

Attendees were asked to bring diapers and baby wipes to donate to the Support Center and our members answered generously! 

After a brief reception over wine and snacks, we were treated to informative presentations about the Mothers’ Helpers program, the work they are doing for the community, and how our grant has helped make a difference for the nonprofit. 

One presentation featured Michelle Erickson, the Executive Director of Mothers’ Helpers. Michelle shared that the Women’s Fund $80,000 grant did more than allow the agency to hire a part-time bilingual support center coordinator; it also helped establish legitimacy for Mothers’ Helpers, leading to a 130% increase in grant funding! With the additional funding and staff support, Mothers’ Helpers has more resources to help hundreds of local families a year.

We then heard from Kaylee, a young mother of two, whose family was one of 662 families served by Mothers’ Helpers last fiscal year. She explained how much the agency helped support her and her youngest child after they found themselves in need. She said the material items the nonprofit provides – diapers, clothing, cribs, and more - have helped her family immensely. And she shared that the support and compassion received from Mothers’ Helpers has had a huge impact on her family.

Another presentation featured Luz Diaz, Support Center Coordinator, whose position was funded by our grant. She explained her role as Support Center Coordinator and showcased the Mothers’ Helpers facility where all donations are gathered, assessed, and sorted for future distribution. Luz told the group that one of her first projects was to “re-vamp” the support center, creating a more organized and professional looking space for families and volunteers. In the six months since Luz started, she and others have helped to transform the donations intake area formally known as “The Pile” into a meticulously organized storage and display space, complete with a dedicated administrative office and a nursery area where families can play while at the facility.

We also created holiday gift bags (featuring chocolates, a candle, and other items) and wrote cards that will be distributed to the new mothers when they come in.

After spending the evening learning about and listening to agency representatives as well as a mother who the organization has helped firsthand, I left the event inspired by all the incredible work Mothers’ Helpers is doing for the local community. And our grant has significantly impacted the organization’s reach, legitimacy, volunteer efforts, and ability to better provide the resources and support to families in need.

• Contributed by Casey McAdams

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