Ballots due 5 pm on Friday, January 15...

Don’t forget that votes to select our 2009-10 grant recipients must be in the hands of Jan Campbell at the Santa Barbara Foundation by  5 pm this Friday. Individual members and group captains can deliver completed ballots in person (15 E. Carrillo St.), by fax (805-966-2345), by email at womensfund@sbfoundation.org (include control number and put “Ballot” on subject line). “Snail mail” might not make the 5 pm deadline but if you wish to try: Jan Campbell, SB Foundation, 15 E. Carrillo St., SB 93101. The important thing is to get your vote in by 5 pm on Friday to be counted. 

Excitement builds...then celebrating begins!

We’ll learn the results of our voting and meet our new grantees at our Sixth Annual Presentation of Funds Luncheon on Monday, February 8, at El Paseo Restaurant, noon. Women’s Fund members who contributed $250 or more in 2009 should have received a written invitation in the past week. RSVP by February 3 by emailing womensfund@sbfoundation.org, or call (805) 963-1873 x115.  Don’t forget – the results are a secret until our luncheon so we’ll all be surprised together!

Get involved, volunteer on a committee in 2010!

We invite all women in our community to join the Women’s Fund and become more fully informed strategic philanthropists. How involved you become is up to you. To be a Women’s Fund member in 2010, you’re only required to make a contribution of $2,500 (individually or as part of a group). However, there are opportunities to volunteer on committees if you wish to become more involved in the success of the Women's Fund.

The Women’s Fund is recruiting women to join committees in 2010. For more information and to sign up for a committee please contact the 2010 chairs listed below or Sarah de Tagyos at sdetagyos@cox.net who will forward your request to the appropriate committee chair. 

The 2010 Operations Committee is chaired by Fleurette Barsom-Janigian and Sarah de Tagyos and consists of subcommittee chairs who lead the following teams. Women’s Fund members are welcome to volunteer for any of these subcommittees:

• Membership Support – recruiting and renewing members; managing membership records (Parm Williams and Meredith Scott are 2010 co-chairs)
• Financial Management – budgeting and tracking contributions, expenses and awards (Jo Gifford is 2010 chair)
• Communications & Marketing – creating WF messages, monthly e-newsletter, news media, website, all print materials (Jennifer Guess is 2010 chair)
• Mailing Management – handling logistics (not content) for mailings, e.g., spring membership letter, event invitations, fall follow-up reminders (Carol Palladini and Carol Hicks are 2010 co-chairs)
• Presentation of Funds Luncheon – planning, coordinating all aspects of February 2011 award luncheon
• Site visit – planning, coordinating all aspects of fall visit to grantees (Stina Hans is 2010 chair)
• Grantee liaison – serving as primary contact between WF and grantees for reports, impact stories, photos, events (Stina Hans is 2010 chair)

The 2010 Research Committee is chaired by Tish Gainey and Donna B. Fisher Yates who welcome experienced researchers and new volunteers to the team. Committee responsibilities include:

• Identifying areas of community need and agencies addressing those needs
• Conducting in-depth research
• Preparing ballot and information for member voting

The Research Committee meets the 1st Thursday of every month from 9:30-11:30am.