Board members Lauren Trujillo, Jamie Dufek (Chair) and Lynn Karlson (former Chair) 

The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, an all-volunteer nonprofit that pools the donations of its 1,300 members to make large grants, will award a record $1.125 million this year to local nonprofits serving women, children, and families. While the organization has grown immensely in its 20 years, the underlying concept remains the same.

There are no fundraisers or paid staff. Instead, an intelligent, informed, dedicated group of women research local needs and invite selected nonprofits to submit…

Last year, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara (WFSB) posed a lofty goal to its members; to raise $1 million in funding for 2024 in honor of its 20th anniversary.

The team at the WFSB has just announced it met and exceeded that goal, with an estimated record-breaking grants pool of $1.125 million. Indeed, happy 20th Anniversary!

Their annual celebration of the 2024 grantees is scheduled for May 7 at the Lobero Theatre.

What’s new this year for the grantees is increased grant amounts due to inflation, increasing capital costs, the need to keep staff salaries competitive,…

Largest Grants Pool in 20-Year History of Helping Nonprofits Address Critical Needs of Local Women, Children, and Families

The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, a philanthropic organization founded 20 years ago by 12 local women, is proud to announce it will award a record-breaking grants pool of $1.125 million as part of its 20th anniversary celebration. With this significant investment, the Women's Fund continues improving the lives of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County.

Over the past two decades, the Women's Fund has donated nearly $10.5 million to…

A local YMCA service for homeless young adults has made big strides since it’s opening day.

Last year, the Youth & Family Services YMCA in Santa Barbara opened its newest location, the Haley St. Navigation Center.

It now serves as the only day-time drop-in center for young adults up to 24 years old who are experiencing homelessness and housing instability in the city.

This year, the center is projected to serve over 180 young people in need, more than doubling the total number of clients served compared to last year.

Their hope is to continue growing as they…

Now celebrating its 20th year of combining charitable dollars into significant local grants, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara announced the election of its all-volunteer board of directors for 2024. 

Since 2004, the Women’s Fund has donated more than $10.5 million to 142 local nonprofits. The grants address the critical needs of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County.  

Newly elected to officer roles for the 1,300-member organization are Board Chair Jamie Dufek, Vice Chair Carolyn Jabs, Treasurer Kathy Dunlap, and Corporate Secretary Sabina White. Newly…

Banding Together for Big Impact 

Banding together to parlay small donations into large — and often transformational — grants for worthy causes, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara “expects to award one million dollars or more in 2024, our largest grants pool ever,” shared Jamie Dufek, the all-volunteer board chair who leads this diverse “giving circle” of about 1,300 local women. Since its establishment in 2004, for the past 20 years, the Women’s Fund has been on a mission to educate and inspire women to engage in making lasting change in our community, and together they pool their…

Mayor Randy Rowse, Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara Director Rob Fredericks and others cut the ribbon to the 28-unit Vera Cruz Village on Thursday, August 31, 2023. | Credit: Ryan P. Cruz

New Development Provides Permanent Housing for Low-Income, Disabled, and Formerly Homeless Residents

Twenty-eight individuals in desperate need of permanent housing now have a place to call home in downtown Santa Barbara.

On Thursday, August 31, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara hosted a grand opening of the Vera Cruz Village, a 28-unit affordable…

The project is part of a bigger plan to get people off the streets and into transitional housing with services, and then find them permanent homes.
 

Note: 

The Women's Fund was recognized from the podium at the grant opening of Vera Cruz Village and also in the program:

"Thanks to a generous grant from the Women's Fund to the Housing Authority's nonprofit affiliate 2nd Story Associates, all 28 Vera Cruz's studio units were completely furnished, including beds, side and dining tables, chairs and dressers."

KCLU…

On May 9, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara awarded an impressive $925,000 to 10 local nonprofits. As always with these annual awards, the grants targeted critical needs of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County.

This year’s recipients were 2nd Story Associates, Alpha Resource Center, Alzheimer’s Association CA Central Coast Chapter, Family Service Agency, Food from the Heart, Hillside House, Independent Living Resource Center, Legal Aid Foundation of S.B. County, S.B. County Immigrant Legal Defense Center, and St. Vincent’s. Six grants are for programs, four…

The highlight of the year for the 1,200 members of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara is when they reveal which local nonprofits their members have selected to receive transformational grants.

This year, on May 9, hundreds of attendees watched spellbound in the Marjorie Luke Theater as each recipient was announced. Inspiring stories of how these gifts will transform the incredible work of each organization gave deep meaning to the importance of this rare group of philanthropic women. The Women’s Fund is changing lives every day.  

Jamie Dufek, board chair of…