With a membership of over 1400, The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara demonstrates the power of the people to do good, in this case, women. When 500 of the group, including their friends and supporters, gathered at the Lobero on May 20th, they celebrated giving grants to eleven local organizations totaling $1.25 million - a record, and a testament to collective giving.
2020 is not likely to make it onto anyone’s “My Favorite Year” list. But 2020 will make it onto the Women’s Fund list of most generous years. During this extraordinarily disruptive year of extraordinary need, Women’s Fund members—you—showed extraordinary generosity.
This past year, some of you “rounded-up” your donation or even doubled your usual contribution. We received unexpected gifts of $5,000 and even $10,000. We were thrilled to welcome 95 women as members – about half the number we saw in 2019 – in a year when personal resources faced unusual demands.
The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara research process is one of the things that set us apart – it’s rigorous, thorough, and productive. This year, it’s also flexible. How are we working differently to meet the critical needs of women, children and families in south Santa Barbara County? And where are we in the process?
We are listening, adapting, and broadening!
On May 8, 2017, 345 members and guests of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara gathered for the 13th annual Presentation of Grants Reception at the Fess Parker Doubletree hotel. Grants totaling $485,000 were distributed to area nonprofits for eight programs: the Accelerated Reader Program, AHA! (Attitude, Harmony, Achievement), Casa Pacifica, Channel Islands YMCA (for Noah’s Anchorage), Domestic Violence Solutions, PEAC (Program for Effective Access to College), Peoples’ Self-Help Housing, and St. Vincent’s.
On May 2, 2018, more than 400 members and guests of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara gathered at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort (formerly Fess Parker) for their 14th annual Presentation of Grants, where they awarded $535,000 to seven area nonprofits.
An all-volunteer, collective donor group with nearly 900 members, the Women’s Fund combines the donations of its members into significant grants focused on the critical needs of women, children and families in south Santa Barbara County. Such a large turnout reflected the high level of interest members have in helping meet the community’s needs, or as the organization’s motto states, “changing lives together.”
A bright spot in education in these challenging times, the Goleta Education Foundation is thrilled and grateful to announce receipt of a $65,000 grant awarded by the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara to create a STEAM lab at El Camino School. The existing computer center, with fixed seating and outdated equipment, will be transformed with flexible seating, interactive monitors, laptops, and tablets.
On September 24, about 240 members and guests of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara gathered at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort to hear presentations by their most recent grant recipients on the impacts of the $535,000 in grants bestowed last spring.
An all-volunteer, collective donor group with nearly 900 members, the Women’s Fund combines the donations of its members into significant grants focused on the critical needs of women, children and families in south Santa Barbara County. Over the course of nearly a year, its Research Committee conducts in-depth research on nonprofit programs and projects and submits a ballot of finalists to the general membership for a vote on the ultimate grantees.
On September 26, members and guests of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara gathered at the The Fess Parker to hear presentations by their most recent grant recipients on the impacts of the $485,000 in grants bestowed last spring.
An all-volunteer, collective donor group with about 750 members, the Women’s Fund combines the donations of its members into significant grants focused on the critical needs of women, children and families in south Santa Barbara County.
Grant recipients: Doctors Without Walls Executive Director Maggie Sanchez, CADA Executive Director Scott Whiteley, Casa Pacifica CEO Shawna Morris, Dignity Moves COO Freya Estreller, LEAP Executive Director Lori Goodman, City Net President/Executive Director Brad Fieldhouse, Unity Shoppe Board Chair Susan Rodriguez, SB Police Activities League Executive Director Judie Lugo, SB ACT Executive Director/Co-Founder Rich Sander, and PathPoint CEO Harry Bruell | Credit: Gail Arnold
Seven local nonprofits received a total of $460,000 in grants from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara on Monday afternoon at the Montecito Country Club, bringing the organization's total contributions to the community, since it began in 2004, to more than $5.1 million.