On Wednesday, May 2, 2018 more than 400 members and guests gathered at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort where grants were handed out to seven local nonprofits totaling $535,000 from funds collected from membership donations made during 2017. This was largest amount awarded solely from members’ donations since the founding of the Women’s Fund.

Supported by Women’s Fund grants, these remarkable organizations will provide mental health support to help prevent possible re offending and incarceration of Teen Court youth, remediate the effects of dyslexia in K-3 students, respond to disruptive classroom behavior for 3-5 year olds and provide quality child care and business development training for in-home Family Child Care providers. Three capital grants will also partially fund a refrigerated truck to collect, store and distribute fresh food, increase the number of beds and build bathroom facilities for women needing emergency shelter and replace and rebuild sections of a leaking roof for a clubhouse that serves low-income youth in Carpinteria.

Photography by Peter de Tagyos and Stephen Robeck