Seeing the impact of our gifts in action was a gift in itself for nearly 200 members of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, who this week toured and heard progress reports from six local nonprofit agencies - the 2010-11 recipients of $565,000 in Women's Fund grants last May.

The 7th annual Women's Fund Site Visit proved to be a popular event once again, as women filled three buses and toured My Home at Artisan Court (part of Channel Islands YMCA), WillBridge of Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria Children's Project at Main and then at lunch heard progress reports from The Children's Project Academy, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) and Mobile Waterford.

"It is inspiring and rewarding to come together and see what a difference our grantees are making. The Site Visit always reminds me that by pooling our donations, we are able to make a much greater impact than most of us could ever have on our own," said Barbara Hauter Woodward, Site Visit Chair.

Highlights of the Site Visit will be featured in our December newsletter.

Site Visit attendees also learned that the Women's Fund has raised $400,000 so far this year. We're on the road to creating a $500,000 grants pool for 2012.

This success is due to the generosity of our members as well as Women's Fund member Betty Elings Wells, who in 2010 committed $250,000 in a 2-for-1 matching grant for every dollar the Women's Fund raised above $350,000.

We used $150,000 of Betty's grant as part of our grantee awards last May and will use the remaining $100,000 as we match members' dollars through the end of the year. The grants pool we create with our 2011 memberships and contributions will make up the awards we vote on in March and distribute at our Presentation of Funds Luncheon on April 30. (Mark your calendar!)

Remember that every $1 donated to the fund by December 31 will be matched by $2 from Betty's generous donation. If you haven't joined for 2011 - or fulfilled your pledge - please do so today!

Donations that underwrite our 2011 expenses will also be matched so if you would like to help underwrite any portion of our still uncovered costs, we would love to move more money into our 2012 grants pool.

If you would like to help with any of the three opportunities below, contact us at info@womensfundsb.org.

• WF website and e-newsletters ($700)

• WF envelopes ($700)

• Address labels for membership mailing ($140)

We'd like your feedback on the Site Visit. Any comments you have about the invitation, RSVP process, bus tours, luncheon, speeches, etc. -- please click here and email your thoughts about the day. A lot of the changes we made in this year's event came from feedback we received last year. So let us know what you think. We really do listen!

Second, we want to thank the fabulous people who made this event possible.

Our generous underwriters who paid all the costs for the Site Visit:
Carole MacElhenny, Santa Barbara Airbus, Carolyn Novick, Ferguson's Bath & Kitchen Gallery, Christy Kelso, Stina Hans, Barbara Lowes, Rugs & More, Nikki Rickard, Kath Lavidge, Barbara Hauter Woodward.

Our dedicated volunteers who put this event together: Site Visit Chair Barbara Hauter Woodward; committee chairs Mary Garton, Kath Lavidge, Barbara Lowes, Pam Maines, Parm Williams, Sarah de Tagyos.

Click here for a complete list of our 46 hard-working Site Visit volunteers!