Every three years, the Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF) takes a close look at the nonprofits at the heart of Santa Barbara County — examining challenges, strengths, and opportunities. Developed in partnership with the UCSB Center for Evaluation and Assessment and informed by nonprofit professionals throughout the county, this report documents the vital role these organizations play in delivering housing, food, health care, education, disaster response, environmental protection, arts and culture, and more.
Highlights of the report reveal the nonprofit sector:
The report was spearheaded by Stacie Furia, PhD, Senior Director of Learning and Evaluation, Santa Barbara Foundation, Tarek Azzam, PhD, Director, UCSB Center for Evaluation and Learning; and Natalie Jones, PhD, Associate Director, UCSB Center for Evaluation and Learning. DataLake provided quantitative data analysis and the Towbes Foundation supported, in part, funding for the research. Read the executive summary and full report here.
In conjunction with the release of the report, SBF hosted the inaugural State of Nonprofits in Santa Barbara County Event on June 2, bringing together 200+ leaders from the nonprofit, business, philanthropic, and civic sectors, to discuss key findings, share innovations, and take action together.
Collaboration and the challenges of volunteer recruitment were the main themes discussed by a panel of nonprofit leaders who also serve as Collaboration for Social Impact Advisory Board Members: Ashley Costa, Executive Director, Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization; Kai Tepper, Executive Director, Children’s Creative Project; Beth Skidmore, Executive Lead/Chair, Rooted Santa Barbara; and Steve Windhager, Executive Director, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; moderated by Anne Whatley, Director, Collaboration for Social Impact, Santa Barbara Foundation. In addition to encouraging collaboration and strengthening volunteer management, other report recommendations include supporting the true costs of nonprofit services and the growth of nonprofits in Mid- and North/East County.
Two outstanding organizations and their leaders were recognized for their support of Santa Barbara County’s nonprofit sector. Angel lscovich, MD, Chair, Board of Trustees, Santa Barbara Foundation, recognized Eder Gaona-Macedo, Executive Director of The Fund for Santa Barbara, and Janet Garufis, Chairman and CEO of Montecito Bank & Trust, with a “Social Impact Partner Spotlight.”
“Eder and The Fund for Santa Barbara have long been champions of community voice, grassroots leadership, and social change. Their work reminds us that meaningful impact begins with listening to those closest to the challenges and investing in their vision for a more just, inclusive, and equitable community,” noted Iscovich.
He continued, “Janet and Montecito Bank & Trust have demonstrated a deep, generous, and enduring commitment to this region through partnership, philanthropy, and civic leadership. Their support of nonprofits across Santa Barbara County reflects a powerful belief that business can be a force for good, and that strong communities require strong local institutions.”
The event also featured opening remarks by Gregg Hart, California State Assemblymember, District 37, and a closing video address by Monique Limón, California State Senate President pro Tempore. Thank you to all the attendees at the various events and to all the nonprofit professionals who took the time to provide valuable information on the state of their organizations.
_________________________
Watch the video “The Power of Nonprofits” from the inaugural State of Nonprofits in Santa Barbara County Event here, highlighting Santa Maria YMCA, Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden, Creative Netwerk, and Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center.
The report was previewed with a roundtable of nonprofit leaders in May in Solvang, released on June 2 at the inaugural event in Santa Barbara, followed-up by a public webinar. Watch the webinar here.
Santa Barbara Foundation LOGO