Santa Barbara Foundation Leads Our Philanthropic Community Through Thick and Thin

There are an estimated 1,900 nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara County, each dedicated to helping the community in some way. Perhaps the most complex, comprehensive, and inclusive of them all, though, is the multifaceted Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF), which lies at the heart of the region’s philanthropic efforts.

Last year, the Foundation, through the generosity of its donors, provided more than $31 million to the community. While this metric is important, it by no means paints a complete picture of what SBF does. “We have the ability – beyond the dollars – to show up in a variety of ways to improve and enhance the quality of life for people in Santa Barbara County,” says Jackie Carrera, the Foundation’s President and CEO. “For example, last year when COVID-19 first hit our region, we realized right away there was a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders. So, we contacted and partnered with organizations that had 3D printers or volunteers, entities like MOXI Wolf Museum, UCSB, and Bucket Brigade, to develop the PPE Project whereby over 11,000 pieces of PPE were distributed countywide. Whether we make grants, organize, convene, advocate, produce reports or share resources, our aim is to mobilize our collective brainpower, passion, and philanthropic capital to solve problems.”

The Foundation, formed in the late 1920s as the Great Depression created immense need throughout the community, has always been defined by its responsive and timely actions, most recently including its wide-ranging COVID-19 efforts and its critical support of “safety-net” services for vulnerable populations and working families. These currently include healthcare and behavioral health services, food, shelter and housing, workforce development, childcare, and disaster relief (COVID-19). Additionally, the Foundation provides philanthropic banking and advising services to donors and nonprofit organizations and actively raises funds to connect donors to priority issue areas. At the end of 2020, the Foundation held assets of $512 million for Santa Barbara County.

The healthy financial footing means the Santa Barbara Foundation is poised to be a philanthropic leader for years to come, but its commitment to the health of the nonprofit sector as a whole is also vitally important. To that end, the Santa Barbara Foundation works to strengthen the social sector by ensuring its organizations and leaders have the knowledge, skills, and resources to fulfill their mission. Strong nonprofits lead to a strong community, and the Foundation’s Collaboration for Social Impact works to fortify nonprofits by facilitating workshops, seminars, and coaching and mentoring, while also supporting capacity-building in the areas of leadership development, technical assistance, financial management, technology, cross-organizational collaboration, and personal health and wellness. The Foundation has also fostered special initiatives, such as the Community Caregiving Initiative, the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network, Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint, and the Santa Barbara County Veterans Collaborative, which was officially launched in June. 

Partner with the Santa Barbara Foundation

Many effective nonprofits are devoted to a single issue, such as protecting a watershed, supporting a school, or providing healthcare for the homeless. SBF supports these efforts through discretionary and non-discretionary investments, but it also has the capacity to serve nonprofits and donors in a variety of other ways. One way is by building substantive collaborative relationships with key community organizations. This takes time, but also understanding – to learn the needs of nonprofits and the constituents they serve, and to then be responsive to those needs. 

For example, when a nonprofit organization applies for one of the Foundation’s Community Grant Programs, staff provide educational webinars and talk directly with organizations to improve each application’s chance of success. The Foundation takes extra care vetting all grants through a Community Grants Committee made up of community experts, philanthropists, Foundation Trustees, and staff before awarding discretionary dollars. And once awarded, the conversation continues, and staff check in on the nonprofit’s progress and challenges, and when needed, make connections for additional support. In addition, SBF staff presents funding opportunities to donors that might be interested in funding.

As a learning organization, Foundation employees convene directors of these nonprofits and others, even those that were not awarded grants, to discuss trends and challenges and share data and systems, with the goal of encouraging collaborations that benefit our region.

The Foundation also works on the grassroots level with community members looking to donate. For them, the Foundation provides a portfolio of giving vehicles that align with donors’ philanthropic interests. They aid in investing funds for nonprofits and advise donors as to what each nonprofit offers.

“We want to work with you. We work to help donors find organizations that align with their philanthropic areas of interests and passions,” says Jessica Sanchez, Director of Donor Relations at SBF. “Donors can call us or contact us on our website at any time with questions and we will be there to help. The Foundation has supported many Santa Barbara County nonprofit organizations and essential community projects, so we are a great resource for donors who want to learn more about their community and align their passions.”

SBF’s charitable vehicles provide opportunities for potential donors to give to their “areas of interests and passions.” Whether a Planned Gift, Donor Advised Fund, Donor Designated Fund, Field of Interest Fund, or Unrestricted Fund, or something else – the staff at the Foundation is ready to help you create your philanthropic giving plan. 

The Foundation Works in Times of Disaster

The Foundation has learned from prior disasters that working together is essential to supporting those most affected. When disaster strikes, such as a global pandemic, the Foundation launches the Community Disaster Relief Fund and coordinates with local funders to share information, rapidly deploy grants to nonprofits, and provide support. They provide grants to small businesses as well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation has so far provided COVID-19 Response Grants to 245 nonprofits and over 280 small and microbusinesses.

In an exciting new partnership, SBF worked with Deckers Brands to establish Santa Barbara Better Together Fund (SBBT), a charitable fund of the Santa Barbara Foundation. With an initial gift of $500,000 and in partnership with local municipalities, SBBT built a fund that has given over a million dollars to help 210 small businesses from Santa Maria to Carpinteria affected by COVID-19. Additionally, the Elaine Stepanek Foundation Restaurant Fund at the Santa Barbara Foundation provided $500,000 to more than 70 small, independently owned, dine-in restaurants in Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. In addition, the Foundation continues to award grants to small and microbusinesses through the Emergency Business Assistance Grant Program in partnership with the County of Santa Barbara later this year.

The Foundation continues to participate in community collaborations that came together as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Staff meets with groups like the Community Wellness Team, which includes 13 behavioral-health organizations working to support those in need. This and the 91-organization strong Latinx & Indigenous Migrant COVID-19 Response Task Force and the PPE Project, are just a few efforts the Foundation proudly supports. 

“The pandemic has brought us closer,” says Carrera. “We are seeing a high level of collaboration between nonprofits, donors, government, and everyone countywide. The Foundation will continue to encourage cooperation and we are fortunate to have community members and a social sector that will also continue to do so.

“At the core of the Foundation are caring people who love the community. We believe that together we can be better.”

The work of the Santa Barbara Foundation is deeply rooted in a spirit of philanthropy that is guided by the mission to uplift our community and make it better for generations to come.

Give to the Strategic Priorities Fund

It’s been a tough couple of years, especially for our vulnerable populations and working families, who are becoming more vulnerable every day. The need for behavioral health care has skyrocketed, health disparities are becoming even more prevalent, and thousands in our county are choosing between feeding their families and staying in their homes. Your gift to the Strategic Priorities fund will be strategically leveraged by SBF to create maximum impact in these issue areas.