Investing in our Community’s Young Scholars

BY KARA SHOEMAKER | May 21, 2021

At the Santa Barbara Foundation, we believe investing in our youth, from the youngest children all the way to college-bound teenagers, is essential to building a better future for our county. Our goal is to provide our youngest residents with options to thrive and reach their greatest potential. One way we support our youth is through our longstanding collaboration with the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, serving as its largest funder. In 2020 alone, we provided over $1 million in support.

“The Santa Barbara Foundation is the single largest contributor to our scholarship funds,” said Tim Dougherty, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Scholarship Foundation. “We also value the Santa Barbara Foundation as a partner and collaborator on issues of concern to area nonprofits and the wider community.”

Each year, the Santa Barbara Foundation funds Floro Scholarships (North County students), Fleischmann Scholarships (Santa Barbara County students), and the Spaulding Scholarship (top candidate in the county) for 40-50 outstanding graduating high school students from Santa Barbara County. These remarkable young leaders utilize these scholarships to continue their educations at highly esteemed universities across the country.

“These scholarships recognize community service. That is, they recognize students’ commitment to the community outside the classroom. The restrictions on social interaction over the last year have complicated student efforts in this area, but many have contributed to their neighbors’ wellbeing in thoughtful ways,” said Dougherty.

The pandemic has impacted students in other ways. Dougherty notes that during their last grant cycle, the Scholarship Foundation received fewer applications for graduate school due to the pandemic and the associated uncertainty surrounding campus instruction next academic year. Unsurprisingly, some applicants have expressed apprehension about their financial circumstances, while others have openly worried about their state of mind. Despite all this, the need for financial aid remains as strong as ever – the Scholarship Foundation still received nearly 3000 applications for financial aid. On May 15, 2021, the Scholarship Foundation announced that it awarded college scholarships totaling more than $8 million Santa Barbara County students for the 2021-22 academic year.

The Santa Barbara Foundation is proud to support the incredible work of the Scholarship Foundation and our community’s young scholars. To learn more about the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, please visit: sbscholarship.org.