This grant will expand the program covering medical and dental costs for additional patients who have no other way to pay for needed care.

For nearly 130 years, The Cecilia Fund (TCF) has provided funds to cover medical and dental bills for patients who have exhausted all other options. As the pandemic caused increasing financial hardships, more people facing serious diagnoses found themselves unable to pay for medical treatment. 

TCF clients are referred from social workers and healthcare providers such as the Cancer Center, Visiting Nurses, Sansum Clinic, and Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. TCF typically serves 100 people every year. This grant will cover critical medical and dental care for an additional 35 to 45 patients.  

An all-volunteer organization with low overhead, TCF has built relationships with local healthcare agencies to whom it makes direct payments, often negotiating significant discounts. TCF grants range from $80 to $5,000, and average $1,500. This grant will assist the most vulnerable with critical healthcare expenses.