2010 Articles
Noozhawk
Noozhawk Talks: Carol Palladini Nurtures Women's Fund into Growing Force
Philanthropy pool unites 400 women and makes a $2.5 million difference in the nonprofit community
By Leslie Dinaberg, Noozhawk Contributor | Published on 02.21.2010
"Low-key, yet high-impact" is an apt description for both the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara and its founder, Carol Palladini. Formed in 2004 around the idea that rather than spending their energy planning elaborate fundraisers, women could work together and pool their donations to help meet the community's most critical needs, the group has already given more than $2.5 million to 33 nonprofit agencies in the Santa Barbara area.
Carol Palladini, a founder of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, says she's proud of the way the organization has evolved but credits simplicity, flexibility and 400 enthusiastic members for its success. (Leslie Dinaberg / Noozhawk photo)
Leslie Dinaberg: Tell me about your inspiration for the Women's Fund?
Carol Palladini: The inspiration was simply reading the Sunday Los Angeles Times back in 2004. I had gotten off all boards, I felt burned out with fundraising and all of the things that go with it, and I read this article about a woman in L.A. who started the Everychild Foundation. She described the same kind of burnout I had and she thought what if a bunch of women got together and wrote big checks and made a big difference, and the article went on to explain all that. There was a Women in Philanthropy Group at the Santa Barbara Foundation that was strictly educational and I said, "Why don't we ask this woman to come up?"
I remember somebody asked "what's the downside" in the Q&A after she spoke, and she said, "There is no downside." Then I was really sold.
So we got together (the founding committee was Palladini, Perri Harcourt, Shirley Ann Hurley, Jean Kaplan, Dale Kern, Joanne Rapp, Elna Scheinfeld, Meredith Scott, Kay Stern, Anne Smith Towbes, Marsha Wayne and Fritzie Yamin) and just started talking about what would a Women's Fund look like in Santa Barbara.
Being able to partner with the Santa Barbara Foundation, it came together really fast and our goal was to keep it really simple. ... Our mission says we have to have at least $50,000 to give away. That was never in question; the first year, $140,000 came in.
LD: Did you decide from the get-go to make multiple grants?
CP: We knew we wanted to narrow it to helping women, children and families. ... Membership was $2,500 from every member or group membership, we just thought that we would see. The amount would be different every year. Simplicity and flexibility were the two watchwords. Our ballot has never been exactly the same. ... Keeping it simple is a challenge because we have more than 400 members now.
LD: Has it evolved as you expected?
CP: No. I was very naive. I thought that this idea of just collecting all this money every year and giving it away was going to be fairly easy and not complex, and it is complex.
Part of our mission is creating better-informed women in the area of philanthropy and I think we're doing that, too.
LD: Are you still relying on the Santa Barbara Foundation to help with the research?
CP: Yes. The last few years we have made a donation to the Santa Barbara Foundation to help cover our costs for them; they keep our database. They have a liaison to collective giving groups - there are several now - and she works closely with us. They are a huge help and we love partnering with them.
LD: So the criteria are women, children and families. What were the three priorities for 2009?
CP: They are always pretty broad. Last year they identified three areas of greatest community need: human services, housing and shelter, education and personal development for school-age children.
LD: In the final vote, do all of the categories end up with funding?
CP: No, the women tend to go a certain direction each year. It's very interesting.
LD: With a little more history, it will be interesting to look at the trends - with federal and state budget cuts and people tightening their belts on donations.
CP: Yes, you can just assume they are all hurting. Anybody who does anything good could use more money to do what they do. It's really true and things happen in the community, like last year the young man who was killed by a gang member, this year homeless people dying. There are things that capture the local news that really spotlight issues in our community, and I think our women are pretty responsive to that.
LD: What aspect of the Women's Fund are you most proud of?
CP: The women. I am so impressed with the quality of women who put themselves forward. I've been on boards where you have to beg and cajole and really look around to get people to lead your organization. We've had fantastic women who just have come forward and said, "I'll do that." And a lot of them have business and professional backgrounds that they bring to it.
And I'm so impressed with the number, and this bunch has grown. Somebody told me the other day that 90 percent of the growth is by word of mouth. So I'm impressed with all the women saying, "This is a great thing and I want to tell my friends and I want to bring my friends in." Part of that is the ability to have these group memberships. That's something we didn't know at the beginning is how incredibly popular that would be.
(The groups) also allow us not to lose members when bad times come. If you can't do the $2,500, you don't have to go away. You just say, "I need to step down for a while. Put me in a group instead" or "I want to join such and such a group."
LD: It seems like a surprisingly diverse membership, too.
CP: That's true. Because you go to various events and various nonprofits and it tends to target a certain age group and it's just all mixed. We have very elderly ladies and we have young mothers - a lot of that is thanks to Rachael Steidl and SBParent.com. It's great and it just grows.
LD: There's something about the simplicity that appeals across the board. Do those involved in the Women's Fund remain involved with other things?
CP: When we first started some organizations were quite worried that they would actually lose money from women switching over to the Women's Fund. Not only has that not happened, but women who are used to giving to their favorite charities continue to do so and have added this on. But, also women who weren't giving very much beyond their school PTA, which I know is important, are starting to give. So I think it's both: it is creating new philanthropists. ... Some women maybe only gave to the arts, and they say I can join this fund and do some social good without having to research it all myself. So it's really some of everything.
LD: That is a wonderful aspect, too. There's a lot to learn about nonprofits and it's intimidating.
CP: Exactly. When we do our site visits once a year to the recipients who have gotten money from us the year before, we not only see how our money is working but newer women learn so much. Even people who have been around a while say, "I had no idea!" I've had that experience. I knew about Domestic Violence Solutions but I had no idea how it really operated and that it was really a place. It's just amazing.
LD: What innovations do you see in the nonprofit community nationally?
CP: It is my fondest hope that giving circles of all sizes and types are not just a trend in our country now, that they are something long lasting because collective giving is so effective. I don't care how it's done. I don't care if it's a group of friends that gets together once a month and each chips in $50 and they do something good for the community or whether it's on a really, really large scale. It makes a lot of sense.
LD: What do you do like to do when you're not volunteering for the Women's Fund?
CP: I like to be out of my office, away from the computer. I enjoy cooking very much. My husband usually is my helper; he calls himself the sous-chef. ... I enjoy long walks and hiking ... I do enjoy sewing and just getting away from it all. And reading and music help sustain me.
LD: If you could pick three adjectives to describe yourself, what would they be?
CP: Responsible (laughs), I would say fun loving. I like to do a lot of different things. Oh, caring, deeply caring, overly emotional and caring. Whether it is politics or tragedies or children.
LD: If you could be invisible anywhere, where would you go and what would you do?
CP: I'd probably hang out in the U.S. Congress. I have a lot of trouble understanding those guys.
Vital Stats: Carol Palladini
Born: July 18 in Chicago
Family: Husband Bill, three grown sons and "four and a half" grandchildren (one will be born in Montana in June)
Civic Involvement: Founder, Women's Fund of Santa Barbara; former board member, Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties and CASA of Santa Barbara County
Professional Accomplishments: Taught junior high and high school social studies and history
Best Book You've Read Recently: The Lovely Bones and Eat, Pray, Love
Favorite Local Spot: It would have to be a restaurant. You know where we enjoy going, the Corktree Cellars in Carpinteria. It's very neighborhoody; you can go have a casual dinner. We've really been enjoying that. Great menu.
Little-Known Fact: Growing up I was extremely shy and nervous. I had a very powerful strong mother and other things going on in the household and I was pretty shy. If anyone had told me when I was a child that I would end up a more take-charge kind of person and a more creative kind of person and willing to put myself out there, I would have said you're not talking about me. I had some good mentors along the way and somehow I found myself. But I'm certainly not the same person I was before I was a young adult.
- Noozhawk contributor Leslie Dinaberg, a member of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, can be reached at leslie@lesliedinaberg.com.
Santa Barbara Independent
Women's Fund Gives $365K
Large Grants to Shelters
Thursday, February 11, 2010 by RACHEL MATTOVICH
Top row left to right] Richard Kravetz, executive director of Domestic Violence Solutions; Randy Sunday, executive director of Sarah House; Mike Foley, executive director of the Casa Esperanza Homeless Shelter; Brian Clark, regional coordinator for Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara [front row] Women's Fund members Tish Gainey, Rachael Steidl, Sister Betty Marie Dunkel (interim executive director of St. Vincent's of Santa Barbara), Stina Hans, Fleurette Barson-Janigian, Carol Palladini
The six-year-old Women's Fund of Santa Barbara awarded a hefty total of $365,000 in grants to five local nonprofit agencies, focusing this year on organizations that provide shelter. In a ceremony at the El Paseo Restaurant on Monday, February 8, Casa Esperanza Homeless Shelter was awarded the largest grant, at $90,000; followed by Catholic Charities ($85,000); Domestic Violence Solutions ($75,000), St. Vincent's of Santa Barbara ($75,000) and Sarah House, a hospice residence for low-income individuals ($40,000). Founding board chair Carol Palladini expressed gratitude to the Women's Fund's 400-plus members for donations that continue to roll in despite this time of economic crisis.
A partner to the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Women's Fund describes itself, in its literature, as a community group of volunteer donors that respond to the critical community needs of women, children, and families in the Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria areas. Women's Fund members research critical community needs and determine by vote which agencies will receive the funds collected during the year. The members aim to not only help the community, but also, through collective philanthropy, to serve as a means of bringing women together and inspiring them to become leaders in compassion; demonstrating the impact of collective giving.
Since 2004, the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara reports that it has given more than $2.5 million to 33 nonprofit agencies that benefit thousands of women, children, and families within the greater Santa Barbara area. The Women's Fund is interested in making and big impact and so it gives large gifts. Click here for more information about The Women's Fund .
Five nonprofits benefit from Women's Fund grants
By ERIC LINDBERG — Feb. 9, 2010
Five local nonprofits will be able to provide additional support services for women, children and families after receiving sizeable grants from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara during an annual awards luncheon yesterday.
Organizers split up this year's pool of cash — $365,000 donated by the fund's membership of more than 400 women — among Casa Esperanza Homeless Center, Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara, Domestic Violence Solutions, Sarah House and St. Vincent's of Santa Barbara.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has,” said Fleurette Barsom-Janigian, co-chair of the fund's oversight committee, quoting Margaret Mead during the awards ceremony.
The gifts will support a variety of services, from a new volunteer coordinator at Casa Esperanza to the installation of solar panels at Catholic Charities to boost its food budget.
For officials at Domestic Violence Solutions, the $75,000 grant they received represents an opportunity to enhance a volunteer training program.
“We've been caught in the crossfire,” said Richard Kravetz, the organization's executive director, explaining that the recent recession has led to an increase in domestic violence along with a drop in donations.
The grant will allow Domestic Violence Solutions to train more volunteers and help take some of the burden off staff. Each volunteer needs 40 hours of training before they can work with victims of domestic violence, Kravetz said.
“This is the kind of money that helps us transform our program,” he said.
A $40,000 grant to Sarah House will help sustain staff levels and expand holistic end-of-life care for low-income and homeless residents, as well as those with HIV or AIDS.
St. Vincent's will benefit from a $75,000 award by providing additional case management staff to help low-income and homeless families receive support services and affordable transitional housing.
Catholic Charities plans to use its $85,000 grant to install solar panels on the roof of its food pantry. The resulting reduction in energy costs will allow the organization to increase its budget to feed low-income families.
Casa Esperanza received the largest grant — $90,000 that will, in part, support a coordinator to focus the efforts of those volunteering their time to help the homeless.
“Even in the best of times, we can't hire enough professional staff to solve the problem of homelessness,” said Mike Foley, the shelter's executive director.
He is hopeful that the volunteer coordinator position, a strategy that has yet to be employed on the issue of homelessness in Santa Barbara, will unleash the power of all those seeking to help the homeless.
The remaining funding will benefit the shelter's women's wellness program, which offers resources and coaching solely to homeless women on topics ranging from housing to how to be safe while living in the streets.
“This is a very important gift,” Foley said, adding later, “The women's fund is making an important statement to the community that the problem can be solved.”
Carol Palladini, the fund's founding chair, said the annual awards result from a unique form of charitable donation known as a women's giving circle. Each member simply donates money to the pool and votes on general areas of need in the community where the funding should be directed.
After a research committee narrows down a list of possible recipients in those areas, the fund's members vote again for specific charities.
“They love the concept, they love the simplicity,” Palladini said.
Since the fund launched six years ago, its membership has grown from 67 women to more than 400 members.
“Women are nurturers and want to take care of the people in their community,” Palladini said, adding that the fund’s members are also smart about how their money is used.
Instead of being spread thin among a long list of organizations, the fund only offers grants that will have a meaningful impact.
A $25,000 donation might mean much more to a smaller grassroots group than a larger organization, said Rachael Steidl, co-chair of the oversight committee. She said the fund is dedicated to getting the most out of each grant.
“If 400 women got together and voted and these five are the winners, it must be for a good reason,” she said.
NONPROFITS GAIN FROM WOMEN'S FUND
Morgan Hoover -- February 9, 2010 3:12 AM
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara awarded grants totaling $365,000 to five local nonprofits Monday, which brings their total awarded grants over the last six years to more than $2.5 million among 33 nonprofits in the county.
The nonprofits that received the most recent contributions are Casa Esperanza Homeless Center, which received $90,000; Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara, which received $85,000; Domestic Violence Solutions, which received $75,000; Sarah House, which received $40,000; and St. Vincent's of Santa Barbara, which received $75,000.
For more information, go to www.womensfundsb.org.
Women's Fund of Santa Barbara Awards Grants to 5 Local Nonprofits
The all-volunteer organization distributes $365,000 among agencies chosen for their contributions to the community.Among those accepting grants from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara during Monday's luncheon were, top row left to right, Richard Kravetz, executive director of Domestic Violence Solutions; Randy Sunday, executive director of Sarah House; Mike Foley executive director of the Casa Esperanza Homeless Shelter; Brian Clark, regional coordinator for Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara; and, middle row left, Sister Betty Marie Dunkel, interim executive director of St. Vincent's of Santa Barbara. Joining them are Women’s Fund members Stina Hans, middle row right, Tish Gainey, bottom row left, Rachael Steidl, Fleurette Barsom-Janigian and Carol Palladini. (Women’s Fund courtesy photo)
By Kevin McFadden, Noozhawk Contributor | Published on 02.09.2010
Amid a flagging economy, fiscal pundits talk about people tightening their belts and putting the kibosh on charitable donations. Not so for the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, to which individual donations increased 1 percent in the past year. On Monday, the philanthropic fund paid it forward at its 6th Annual Presentation of Funds Luncheon at El Paseo Restaurant, awarding grants totaling $365,000 to five local nonprofit agencies.
The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara is an all-volunteer group that pools its member resources to help local nonprofits. In its six years, the group has awarded grants totaling more than $2.5 million to 33 nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria. One of the advantages of being a volunteer organization is that 97 percent of collected funds go directly to the annual award recipients.
What began with 67 members awarding $140,000 to two organizations in 2004 has grown to more than 400 members distributing $365,000 to five recipients in 2010.
Carol Palladini, the group’s principle founder and chairwoman of the founding committee, attributes the success of the Women’s Fund largely to the close-knit makeup of the Santa Barbara community. “The amazing thing is that it has grown almost entirely by word of mouth,” Palladini told Noozhawk. “Our members just really like the simplicity of it. They like that they can see the effects in their own community, and we’ve been very fortunate to prosper the way we have.”
While the concept may be simplistic, the selection process each year is actually a rigorous, time-consuming challenge for the members of the group’s research committee, co-chaired this year by Tish Gainey and Stina Hans.
The Women’s Fund received grant requests from 330 local agencies this year. From that massive pool, 34 agencies were chosen for further consideration. After months of intense research and scrutiny, the list was winnowed to 12 finalists. Ballots were sent to Women’s Fund members, and through a vote, the five recipients were chosen based on their contributions to the community.
This year’s recipients are:
» Casa Esperanza Homeless Center ($90,000) — for case management and volunteer training staff to provide homeless individuals and families with services that lead to stable housing and employment.
» Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara ($85,000) — for installation of solar panels on the agency’s food pantry, lowering energy costs and increasing its budget to feed low-income families.
» Domestic Violence Solutions ($75,000) — for a volunteer coordinator, salary support and program costs to help victims of domestic violence living in the DVS Santa Barbara shelter and Second Stage housing achieve stability and self-sufficiency.
» Sarah House ($40,000) — to sustain staff levels and expand holistic end-of-life residential care for low-income and homeless individuals and those with HIV/AIDS.
» St. Vincent’s of Santa Barbara ($75,000) — for case management staff to provide low-income and homeless mothers and their children the PATHS (Program of Affordable Transitional Housing and Services) to independence and self-sufficiency.
More than 225 women were on hand Monday to witness the presentation of the awards. Fleurette Barsom-Janigian, co-chairwoman of the 2009 oversight committee, said a few words of gratitude at the end of the luncheon.
“When I look out into this crowd of women,” she said, “I am reminded of a famous quote by Margaret Mead, who said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’”
Mike Foley, executive director of Casa Esperanza, expressed his gratitude.
“This gift sends a message to the entire community that homelessness is an issue that must be tackled — it is an issue that we must solve,” he said.
Catholic Charities regional coordinator Brian Clark also spoke. “We are in need of creative ways to continue to fund this operation,” he said. “This pledge from the Women’s Fund will help us to continue to meet a steadily increasing need for assistance in our community.”
In addition to the awards, special thanks were given to Susan Case, Sarah de Tagyos, Jo Gifford, Stina Hans, Dale Kern and Parm Williams for underwriting various costs to keep Women’s Fund expenses to a minimum. Special recognition also was given to key partners The Orfalea Fund, which has contributed $900,000 since 2006 and already has pledged $20,000 for 2010, and the Santa Barbara Foundation, which has served as the fiscal home to the Women’s Fund since 2004. Jan Campbell, staff liaison to the Santa Barbara Foundation, was recognized for her efforts.
For the sixth year, the luncheon was underwritten by fund member Meredith Scott and her husband, John, and fund member Kathryn Calise.
Women's Fund Announces Grants updated: Feb 08, 2010, 4:00 PM
By Edhat Subscriber
Santa Barbara, CA - On Monday, February 8, 2010, the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara awarded grants totaling $365,000 to five local nonprofit agencies at their 6th Annual Presentation of Funds Luncheon. Over the past six years the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara has awarded grants totaling $2,515,000 - to 33 nonprofits in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria.
The nonprofits receiving 2009-2010 Women's Fund awards:
Casa Esperanza Homeless Center ($90,000) - for case management and volunteer training staff to provide homeless individuals and families with services that lead to stable housing and employment.
Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara ($85,000) - for installation of solar panels on the agency's food pantry, lowering energy costs and thus increasing their Foodbank budget to feed low-income families.
Domestic Violence Solutions ($75,000) - for a volunteer coordinator, salary support and program costs to help victims of domestic violence living in the DVS Santa Barbara shelter and in Second Stage housing achieve stability and self-sufficiency.
Sarah House ($40,000) - to sustain staff levels and expand holistic end-of-life residential care for low-income and homeless individuals and those with HIV/AIDs.
St. Vincent's of Santa Barbara ($75,000) - for case management staff to provide low-income and homeless mothers and their children the PATHS (Program of Affordable Transitional Housing and Services) to independence and self-sufficiency.
"We're thrilled to award these grants to so many worthy agencies working to improve our community in the areas of human services, housing and shelter, and education," said Rachael Steidl, Women's Fund Co-Chair. "In today's economy, charitable support is even more critical for the survival of local programs serving our community and its most vulnerable citizens. We feel privileged to help these agencies continue and expand their excellent work."
During a time of economic instability, the Women's Fund is pleased that member donations have remained constant over the past year, and that membership has grown from 67 women in 2004 to more than 400 at the end of 2009. The Santa Barbara Foundation has been a partner and fiscal home for the Women's Fund since 2004.
The grants were announced at the Women's Fund annual luncheon at El Paseo Restaurant, which was generously underwritten by Women's Fund member, Meredith Scott and her husband John, and Women's Fund member Kathryn Calise.
"I joined the Women's Fund because it addresses community needs in a very innovative and collaborative way," said Women's Fund member Katya Armistead. "We share information about worthwhile programs that are doing good work and then pool our funds so we are able to make more of a difference together than we could as individuals."
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is a collective group of volunteer donors focused on the needs of women, children and families in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria. Committed to "Changing Lives Together," Women's Fund members pool their charitable donations, research critical community needs and then determine by vote which agencies will receive the funds collected during the year.
For additional information about the Women's Fund visit www.womensfundsb.org.
KEYT
Paula Lopez reporting (6:07 on 2-8-10 broadcast)
Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara has awarded $365,000 in grants to local charities in another example of what’s right in our community. $90,000 will go to the Casa Esperanza Homeless Center. A large chunk of that will go to volunteer recruitment and training to get more average Santa Barbarans involved in fighting the homeless epidemic.
Mike Foley, Executive Director of Casa Esperanza: “We’ve got to energize and create volunteer opportunities for everyday people in the community. So the grant that we receive today, $60,000 of that funding is going to go to hire a volunteer coordinator who’ll bring the energy and effort of every-day Santa Barbarans to solving the problem of homelessness with Casa Esperanza.”
Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara was another big recipient. It will receive $85,000 to install solar panels on the agency's food pantry – a move that will lower energy costs and increase its foodbank budget.
2009 Articles
Women’s Fund Donors Follow Their Money on Site Visits
More than 100 members tour facilities to see how their $725,000 in grants is being used
Noozhawk, October 12, 2009 >>
By Leslie Dinaberg
Seeing the impact of their gifts in action was a gift in itself for more than 100 members of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, who toured local nonprofit agencies last week to see what their $725,000 in grants were doing to improve the community.
First stop was PathPoint (formerly known as Work Training Programs Inc.), recipient of $75,000 for a rehabilitation specialist for adults with mental illness who are living in the 61-unit El Carrillo homeless recovery housing project operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara.
Jennifer Newbold, vice president/director of operations, shared a letter from “Mary,” one of the residents who had struggled through domestic violence, rape, substance abuse, untreated mental illness and the removal of her children from her custody.
“So here I was at 42 and on the street. They treated me like a murderer not like a lady that need some help. PathPoint staff was there when I needed to walk and talk about my past and future. They helped me get off booze and street drugs. They encouraged me to go on with my life and helped me get a volunteer job,” for which she was recently honored for volunteering the most number of hours.
“I am now a "queen of my own apartment’ with the help of others,” the letter continued. “Thank you goes to PathPoint for all they have done for me, to the Judge that helped me get off the street, to the housing authority and for the grants (like the Women’s Fund) that help people like me.”
“Steve,” a formerly homeless man who was hit by a train and lost a leg, also shared his story and opened up his apartment to the visitors. “I was a one-man crime wave before I got help,” he said. “God wanted to make sure I hit my bottom before I came back, thanks to the help of good people like you.”
“It was so moving,” Women’s Fund member Carrie Randolph said. “It makes you feel really good about your donations.”
The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara is a collective group of volunteer donors focused on the needs of women, children and families in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria. Fund members pool their charitable donations, research critical community needs, and then determine by vote which agencies will receive the funds collected during the year. More than $2.2 million has been awarded by the fund, which counts as key partners The Orfalea Fund and the Santa Barbara Foundation.
Casa Serena’s Main House was the group’s next destination. Program director Nancy Belknap gave a tour of the residential program’s facility, where women are taught the life skills they need to complete a safe path to recovery from alcoholism. The Women’s Fund’s $75,000 donation funded scholarships for recovery services.
“To date we have been able to serve over 30 women and all that that means for their families and the community as a whole,” explained Belknap.
Cynder Sinclair, executive director of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC), led the tour of her organization. The Women’s Fund’s $80,000 donation enabled the clinics to upgrade a computer health-tracking system designed to increase prevention exams and tests for women, and avoid expensive emergency room visits for routine illnesses for women and their families. Sinclair thanked the Women’s Fund for “helping SBNC build a medical home for thousands of the most vulnerable Santa Barbara residents.” In addition to this year’s donation, in 2005 the Women’s Fund granted SBNC $105,000 to complete the capital campaign for the Eastside Family Dental Clinic, which the group also toured.
Also on the program was a luncheon at the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, which received $80,000 to expand after-school programs for at-risk teens in areas vulnerable to gangs, along with progress reports from the other six 2008-09 grant recipients:
» Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy, which received150,000 toward a new building to expand the hands-on science and engineering program for high school students.
» Future Leaders of America, which received $65,000 for a Latino youth leadership and education program designed to create college-educated, civic-minded role models who give back to their communities.
» Breast Cancer Resource Center, which received $30,000 for a new computer system to help provide peer support and information to cancer patients and their families.
» AllforOne Youth & Mentoring, which received $65,000 for a program director to help high-risk youth make healthy choices and avoid gang involvement.
» The Parent Project, which received 35,000 for parent-adolescent communications training to help strengthen relationships between elementary/junior high students and their families.
» CORE at Santa Barbara Junior High, which received a grant of $70,000 for an individualized intervention program designed to explore productive choices for at-risk seventh- and eighth graders.
2009 Women’s Fund Site Visit – KEYT coverage, 6 p.m. October 7, 2009
Anchor intro: More than 100 women took their own magical mystery tour today to several local nonprofit agencies. Earlier this year the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara gave more than $700,000 in grants as KEY news reporter Mike Klan tells us the women wanted to know how their money was spent.
Reporter: Two busloads of women spent the day touring and visiting with local nonprofit agencies to see how their $725,000 in grant money is changing lives in the Santa Barbara community.
“Every time I go on these site visits to see what our money is doing, I’m just blown away all over again.” - Carol Palladini, Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara
Stop three was Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics on Milpas Street where the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara gave $80,000. Some of that money was used for a new dental x-ray sensor.
“So that we can take x-ray without having to wait for x-ray to be developed and it saves a lot of time so we can see a lot of patients.” - Dr. Nguyen, SBNC
The Women’s Fund is a collective donor group that has contributed over $2 million in grants to 28 local groups since the fund behind 5 years ago.
“It’s like they understand why this work is so important, especially now when people are losing their jobs, losing their insurance and they have nowhere to go.” - Cynder Sinclair, SBNC
The onsite visits allow members of the Women’s Fund to see their gifts in action.
“Listening to the people that work here and how excited they are about what they can do with this money and how many more people they can help, and then they share stories with us about people who’ve actually benefited. It’s heartwarming.” - Katya Armistead, Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara
After this stop, it was back on the bus to see how another group was putting their money into motion.
This is Mike Klan for KEY News.
Women's Fund of Santa Barbara Awards $65,000 To Future Leaders of America
The pooled fund's grant will help support education opportunities for Santa Barbara's Latino youth
Noozhawk, March 21, 2009
By Angeles Arroyo
Future Leaders of America was the proud recipient of a coveted and competitive grant award from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara this week. Fund representatives Tish Gainey and Parm Williams presented a $65,000 check at the nonprofit organization's board meeting Monday. Representatives from all area high schools, SBCC, Future Leaders of America executive director Angeles Arroyo and board members were on hand for the ceremony.
The mission of Future Leaders of America is to provide leadership training and educational experiences, and to promote the personal development of high school and college Latino youth, for the purpose of fostering a greater awareness and participation in their community.
The program instills in each participant a desire to attain a positive outlook, a college education, a clear sense of values, a high level of self esteem, the ability to make healthy choices, the ability to communicate effectively, a high level of personal integrity and responsibility, an appreciation of others with different values and ideas, and skills to work effectively with others.
The 400-member strong Women's Fund of Santa Barbara pools its charitable dollars to assist local nonprofit organizations meeting critical community needs. Since its founding in 2004, the fund has awarded $2.2 million to 28 nonprofit groups in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria, with 97 percent of the funds going directly to programs helping local people. The fund awarded a record $725,000 at its annual luncheon last month.
The Future Leaders of America grant will be designated for the implementation of empowerment conferences and leadership training for Latino youth and their families, including a family leadership camp, youth summer leadership camp, a university seminar, a women's conference, and for the purchase of a van to aid transportation needs for low-income participants.
Click here for more information on the Future Leaders of America. Click here for more information on the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.
Read on Noozhawk.com >>>
Women's Fund Pool Fuels 10 Grateful Groups
Noozhawk, February 11, 2009
By William M. Macfadyen
A record $725,000 in grants is made by the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara to the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy and nine other organizations.
In a climate of economic uncertainty, the tendency is to stand pat rather than step forward. The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara didn't get the message.
On Tuesday, more than 250 women - and a smattering of men - packed themselves in to El Paseo Restaurant to learn who got what when the fund's 2008 grants were announced. The 5-year-old pooled investment organization has been growing steadily, from 79 members doling out $140,000 to two groups in 2004 to nearly 400 members distributing a record $725,000 to 10 nonprofit agencies this year.
All told, $2.2 million has been awarded by the fund, which counts as key partners The Orfalea Fund, contributors of $353,000 in 2008, and the Santa Barbara Foundation, its fiscal home since 2004.
The concept is relatively simple: Volunteer donors pool their resources, research the critical community needs of women, children and families on the South Coast, and then vote on which agencies will receive the donations they've collected. In reality, it's a thorough and exhaustive process, especially considering there are nearly 100 individual members of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara and 40 creatively named membership groups of various sizes and interests. Two committees essentially run the fund - one an oversight panel handling finances, policies and membership development, and the other a research committee winnowing prospective partners to the final balloting phase.
While the journey may be arduous, the payoff is a sweet one for those chosen to receive the Women's Fund grants. Based on the wide eyes and voice-trembling gratitude in the acceptance speeches, this year's class of recipients certainly understood the ramifications of the bounty, coming as it does in what already is the most challenging fundraising environment any of the groups has likely faced.
In keeping with the fund's original intention of making a few "wow" gifts rather than many small donations, the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy was awarded a $150,000 grant. The money will go toward the academy's $6 million capital campaign for a new facility on the Dos Pueblos High campus.
Academy director Amir Abo-Shaeer told the audience that his goal for the program since its inception has been "to create an environment where students want to be." His first class, he said, had 35 boys and just two girls.
"I looked out at these freshman boys ... and I was very frightened," he recalled to laughter.
Now, however, the nationally acclaimed academy serves 128 students, almost half of whom are girls - far surpassing the national averages for women in science and engineering. The new 12,000-square-foot complex will enable that enrollment to be tripled. Click here for more information about the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy Foundation.
Other Women's Fund recipients were:
- AllforOne Youth and Mentoring ($65,000) for a program director to help high-risk youth make healthy choices and avoid gang involvement.
- Breast Cancer Resource Center ($30,000) for a new computer system to aid in providing peer support and information to cancer patients and their families.
- Casa Serena ($75,000) for a resident scholarship fund to help women - with their children - complete a safe path to recovery from alcoholism.
- CORE at Santa Barbara Junior High ($70,000) for an individualized intervention program designed to explore productive choices for at-risk seventh- and eighth-graders.
- Future Leaders of America ($65,000) for a Latino youth leadership and education program designed to create college-educated, civic-minded role models who give back to their communities.
- The Parent Project ($35,000) for parent-adolescent communications training to help strengthen relationships between elementary/junior high students and their families.
- PathPoint ($75,000) for a rehabilitation specialist providing eviction prevention, crisis prevention and recovery stabilization services for adults with mental illness who have been negatively affected by government budget cuts.
- Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics ($80,000) to upgrade a computer health tracking system designed to increase prevention exams and tests for women, avoiding emergency room visits for routine illnesses for women and their families.
- United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara ($80,000) to expand after-school programs for at-risk teens in areas vulnerable to gangs in Carpinteria, Goleta and on Santa Barbara's Westside.
"We're thrilled to award these grants to so many worthy agencies working in the areas of education, health care and violence prevention," said Jo Gifford, co-chairwoman of the fund's oversight sommittee.
"In today's economy, charitable support is even more critical for the survival of local programs serving our community and its most vulnerable citizens. We feel privileged to help these agencies continue and expand their excellent work."
Gifford said she was inspired by something author Walter Isaacson, who spoke at last week's Westmont President's Breakfast, said about Benjamin Franklin. "The good we do together," Franklin said, "is more than the good we do alone."
That sentiment was shared by Julia Rodgers, a fund member who helped start a new group of 24 young mothers called Instead of Shoes.
"The great thing about the Women's Fund is that it brings together a group of women of different ages and backgrounds," Rodgers said. "Our common bond is that we all care passionately about the Santa Barbara community."
In addition to the awards, the fund officially welcomed its new leadership. Rachael Ross Steidl and Fleurette Barsom-Janigian are co-chairing the oversight committee in 2009 while Tish Gainey will be co-chairing the research committee with Stina Hans, who is continuing in her post. Stepping down from leadership roles are Gifford, Fran Adams and Sarah de Tagyos.
Meanwhile, Parm Williams of the oversight committee, was recognized for her service, as was Gregg DeChirico, the fund's staff liaison at the Santa Barbara Foundation.
Tuesday's luncheon was underwritten for the fifth year by fund member Meredith Scott and her husband, John, and this year by fund member Kathryn Calise.
Click here for more information about the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.
Women's Fund of SB donates $725,000 to local nonprofits
CASA Magazine, February 13 2009
By Jeanette Casillas
Women's Fund supports nonprofits
Santa Barbara News-Press - February 10, 2009
By Bill McMorris
During times of economic downturn conventional wisdom says that charitable giving will decrease dramatically; the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara alleviated some of these concerns on Monday by presenting $725,000 in donations to 10 local nonprofit organizations.
Representatives from the charitable organizations gathered with members of the fund at El Paseo restaurant.
"We're thrilled to award these grants to so many worthy agencies working in the areas of education, healthcare and violence prevention," said Jo Gifford, who chairs the group's oversight committee. "We feel privileged to help these agencies continue and expand their excellent work."
Nearly 98 percent of all donations go to charity, as members volunteer their time to research and select grant receipients, an advantage that the group has over conventional foundations, according to Ms. Gifford.
Dozens of candidates for grants were whittled down to a list of 14 by a committee. A December vote by fund members selected the final 10.
The group awarded its largest grant, $150,000 to the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy to help construct a new building for the program.
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, which provides healthcare to needy women, received $80,000 to upgrade their computer system. The Breast Cancer Resource Center was awarded $30,000.
PathPoint, a program providing housing to the mentally ill was given $75,000, as was Casa Serena, an alcohol rehabilitation facility for women and their families.
The group also reached out to groups serving at-risk youth. United Boys & Girls Club was awarded $80,000 to expand its after-school programs.
CORE, an intervention program for at-risk seventh- and eighth-grads students received $70,000. AllforOne Youth and Mentoring, another program aimed at reducing gang participation, was given $65,000; Future Leaders of America, which looks to increase civic-mindedness and leadership among Latinos, received the same amount.
Women's Fund of Santa Barbara also provided $35,000 to the Parent Project. The money will help increase healthy communication between adults and adolescents.
The Women's Fund is the brainchild of Meredith Scott and Carol Palladini. It started five years ago with 79 members and has grown to nearly 400.
"It is amazing to see how far we have come since then," Ms. Palladini said proudly.
"Our goal is to pool our money so that we can make more of difference than any of us could as individuals," added Ms. Scott.
The organization requires a $2,500 membership fee, although it allows women to join in groups, dividing the fee among individuals.
Patty Hopkins-Aco and Joyce Johnson joined the group this year, along with several other members of their book club, inspired by the works of philanthropist and author Greg Mortenson.
"After reading Mortenson we decided that we should do something," said Ms. Hopkins-Aco, a special education teacher. "When we got a mailing from the Women's Fund it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give back to our local community."
"Your money goes a lot further when you consolidate it, has more of an impact," she added.
"What makes the fund unique is that if you can only afford to give $200 to $300 individually, it can still benefit 10 different causes that are all important."
The organization has written more than $2.2 million in grants since 2004 with the help of the Orfalea Fund, which matches member donations.
"We were actually approached by people at the Orfalea Foundation, who said 'We like what you are doing. . .how can we help,'" said Ms. Scott.
The organization hopes to raise even more funds next year, bucking the trends of the past.
"During economic recession people tend to pull back when they are really needed more than ever," said Ms. Palladini. "As important as our contribution is, we cannot rest; at this moment we start anew in our effort to feed, house and heal women and children."
The group is already preparing for next year. Membership mailings are planned for April and donations are being accepted through December.
Interested parties can visit www.womensfundsb.org.
Women's Fund gives $725,000 to nonprofits
Daily Sound - February 10, 2009
By Eric Lindberg
A varied array of local nonprofits received a total of $725,000 from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara during its annual awards luncheon yesterday.
During the past five years, the organization has awarded more than $2 million to programs that serve families, women and children on the South Coast.
"We're thrilled to award these grants to so many worthy agencies working in the areas of education, health care and violence prevention," Jo Gifford, chair of the Women's Fund Oversight Committee, said in a news release. "In today's economy, charitable support is even more critical for the survival of local programs serving our community and its most vulnerable citizens."
Along with donations from members of the Women's Fund, this year's awards were funded by a $353,000 grant from the Orfalea Fund. A total of 10 nonprofits received awards ranging from $30,000 to $150,000:
-AllForOne Youth and Mentoring received $65,000 to fund a program director position
-Breast Cancer Resource Center received $30,000 for a new computer system
-Casa Serena received $75,000 for a scholarship fund to help women recover from alcoholism
-CORE at Santa Barbara Junior High School received $70,000 for an individualized intervention program
-Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy received $150,000 toward a new building to expand its hands-on science and engineering program
-Future Leaders of America received $65,000 for a Latino youth program designed to create role models
-The Parent Project received $35,000 for parent-adolescent communications training
-PathPoint received $75,000 for a rehabilitation specialist to assist mentally ill adults
-Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics received $80,000 to upgrade a computer health tracking system
-United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara received $80,000 to expand afterschool programs for at-risk youth
Women's Fund of Santa Barbara Sets New Leadership
Noozhawk.com - February 8, 2009
By Leslie Dinaberg
In just five years, the group has provided more than $1.4 million in donations for area nonprofits.
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara has announced its leadership for 2009. Rachael Ross Steidl and Fleurette Barsom-Janigian have been named co-chairwomen of the oversight committee, and Stina Hans and Tish Gainey have been named co-chairwomen of the research committee.
The Women's Fund is a collective donor group, which has awarded more than $1.4 million to local nonprofit organizations since its inception five years ago. Women's Fund's more than 375 members pool their charitable donations, research critical community needs and then vote on which agencies will receive the funds collected during the year. The oversight committee is responsible for Women's Fund policies, operations, membership development and communications. The research committee is responsible for conducting independent research of local programs addressing critical community issues and creating the process that determines where the collected funds will go.
The Women's Fund focuses on nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria that meet the critical needs of women, children and families. The Orfalea Fund has been a generous collaborator since 2006, and the Santa Barbara Foundation has been a partner and fiscal home for the Women's Fund since 2004.
On Monday, the Women's Fund will announce the recipients of a new round of grants totaling $725,000.
Rachael Ross Steidl
Steidl served on the oversight committee for two years and helped launch the Women's Fund Web site in 2008. She is the founder and CEO of ParentClick.com, an online resource for local families in 24 cities nationwide and known locally as SBParent.com . She is actively involved in the community and serves as board president for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, as well as on committees for Youth Making Change, school PTA, and is a former Santa Barbara Foundation's Katherine Harvey Fellow.
Steidl was honored by the Junior League of Santa Barbara as Woman of the Year for 2008. Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, recognized her with the Small Business Award for the California Small Business Association. She has a master's degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. She is also a Santa Barbara native and the mother of three girls.
Fleurette Barsom-Janigian
Barsom-Janigian served on the oversight committee last year. Before moving to Santa Barbara in 2006, she lived in Los Angeles, where she was an active member of the Junior League, chairing different projects and events. She was also an educator, teacher trainer and did administrative work for more than 10 years. She has a bachelor's in education from USC, and has a master's in school administration from California Lutheran University.
Barsom-Janigian is currently involved in the Assistance League of Santa Barbara and is a sustainer in the Junior League of Santa Barbara. She also volunteers as an advocate for children with special needs in the public school setting. She is married to Dr. Eric Janigian and enjoys raising their two young children.
Stina Hans
Hans has been a member of the research committee for three years, co-chairing it in 2008. She has worked as an educational services consultant and reader for UCLA in undergraduate admissions, as well as an adjunct professor at SBCC for the past 10 years.
Her corporate career includes the presidency of Vista Hospital Systems Inc. and MCBA Inc., a business software provider. During her 25 years in the business world, Hans served on a number of boards, including the international boards of the Young Presidents' Organization and the World Presidents' Organization. She is the only woman to receive the Weaver Award for being a "leader among leaders." In the 23 years Hans has been in Santa Barbara, she has served on various community and educational boards.
In addition to serving on the research committee for the past three years, and as research co-chairwoman in 2008, she is currently active with SBJM Scholarship Board and Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and serves on those boards. She earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Massachusetts, Columbia Point, and her master's in counseling and guidance from Cal Lutheran. She and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter.
Tish Gainey
Gainey is a longtime Santa Barbara resident. For many years she worked as a project director for a firm that produced children's television programming and multimedia educational products. She has been active in the community in educational, nonprofit and governmental capacities. Gainey served as board chairwoman at Marymount of Santa Barbara and as site council president at both La Colina Junior High and San Marcos High schools. Gainey has served on the boards of Catholic Charities, the St. Cecilia Society and the Hope Ranch Homeowners Association.
A current member of the oversight committee of Santa Barbara County's Planning & Development Process Improvement Team, Gainey also served on the 2nd District Neighborhood Council, and was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve on the Goleta Vision Committee. In 2006, 2nd District Supervisor Susan Rose honored her for her work in Planning Process Improvement. Gainey has a bachelor's in political science from UC Berkeley and a certificate in financial planning from UCLA. She and her husband have one son at New York University.
2008 Articles
Women's Fund of Santa Barbara Grants $600,000 to Local Nonprofits
Special to Noozhawk & SBParent.com, January 30, 2007
By Leslie Dinaberg
"Collaborative efforts are part of the future of philanthropy," said Natalie Orfalea, addressing members at the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara's annual luncheon on January 28. As Chairperson of the Orfalea Fund and Co-Founder of the Orfalea Family Foundation, Orfalea is an expert on collaborative giving, and was instrumental in developing her foundation's partnership with the Women's Fund. 
With Orfalea matching all of the money raised by the Women's Fund, they were able to award $600,000 to support the work of eight local nonprofit organizations: Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara, Casa Pacifica, Family Service Agency, Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, Isla Vista Youth Projects, People's Self Help Housing, Storyteller Children's Center, and Transition House.
This brings the total amount given to the community by the Women's Fund to $1,425,000, in just four short years of existence. The grassroots group was founded by a small group of women-comprised of Chairperson Carol Palladini and Perri Harcourt, Shirley Ann Hurley, Jean Kaplan, Dale Kern, Joanne Rapp, Elna Scheinfeld, Meredith Scott, Kay Stern, Anne Smith Towbes, Marsha Wayne and Fritzie Yamin- who were interested in contributing to the community without having to sell tickets, make decorations, solicit auction items or spend valuable resources to bring in funding for nonprofits.
It's a simple, yet powerful, idea that's growing in the philanthropic community: Why not take the time, energy and money spent on producing and attending elaborate fund raisers and write a single check once a year to put that money where it's most needed.
The concept of giving circles-pooling resources with other donors to have a bigger impact-is catching on too, not just with the Women's Fund but within the Women's Fund as well. To become a member of the Women's Fund, a woman simply writes a tax-deductible check for $2,500 once a year and in return receives one vote to decide where the funds will be distributed. When the group started in 2004, it targeted women who could easily make the $2,500 donation required to participate in the fund.
In recent years, the circle of giving has widened to include group members-often younger women in the community who can't afford the entire $2,500 donation-who pool their money and share one vote. 
SBParent.com has put together two of these groups, and there are 28 other sets of women who are neighbors, coworkers, friends and acquaintances who also contributed to the fund as group members, with anywhere from two to 12 members pooling their funds to come up with the required $2,500.
The idea of the money donated going directly to help people, rather than being spent on events or fundraising expenses appealed to SBParent's Julie Sorenson & Rachael Steidl. Other members said they joined the group to meet like-minded women or to learn more about the nonprofits serving the community. Assisted by the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Research Committee does all the legwork to identify causes that align with the Women's Fund goal of giving to meaningful projects affecting women, children and families.
The largest gift awarded by the Women's Fund this year was a $150,000 leadership grant to Storyteller Children's Center, for its $2.5 million expansion campaign which will be launched in 2008. Storyteller, which provides high-quality free preschool for homeless and at-risk children, will use the funds to help establish a second center on De la Vina Street. The organization will serve 1,000 homeless and at-risk children and their families in the next decade, said executive director Terri Allison. "One in every five children in Santa Barbara County lives in poverty," she said. And while these funds will greatly expand the availability of services, "for every child who joins Storyteller, we must place one on our waiting list."
Family Service Agency's 211 Human Services Helpline was awarded $95,000, an amount which will provide one-third of the funding needed to carry on the operation of the helpline when government funds expire in 2008.
Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara was awarded $85,000 to pay for a licensed social worker to recruit, screen, train and support 20 foster families, doubling the number of infants and toddlers that were placed in foster care in 2007. "These parents risk their own broken hearts," said executive director Meichelle Arntz, "and this money allows us to provide them with additional support."
Isla Vista Youth Projects, which lost state funds in 2007, received $60,000 for a family advocate and counselor for one year. This gap funding will restore programs to keep low-income families healthy by through regular medical and dental care.
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara was awarded $55,000 for its Teen Mentoring Program. This program expansion will allow girls 13 to 18 years old to participate in Girls Inc. for the first time locally. In the past they only served girls up to age 12.
Casa Pacifica received $55,000 to purchase three cars to enable caseworkers and mental health professionals to deliver 24/7 mobile emergency services for youth in immediate psychiatric crisis and to provide assistance for families with youth who are at risk for being placed in foster care.
People's Self Help Housing was granted $50,000 to fund a third educator for its year-round specialized mentoring learning program that serves school-aged children in low-income families.
Transition House also received $50,000, which will provide gap funding for the salary of one case manager for one year. Transition House case managers meet one-on-one with at-risk families to craft solutions to help them restore self-sufficiency.
As if helping these worthy organizations weren't reward enough, Oversight Committee chairperson Jo Gifford told the crowd of approximately 150 women that she recently learned that givers are happier than non-givers, less depressed, and full of the hormones that reduce stress. "So with that in mind, I stand before the happiest, least depressed, and least stressed women in Santa Barbara."
2007 Articles
THE POWER OF THE PURSE
Santa Barbara Foundation ADOBE NEWS, Spring 2007
Members and supporters of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara translate their values into action to serve as a catalyst for change on behalf of the women and children in our community.
The Annual Presentation Luncheon of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, held at the end of January, was nothing short of extraordinary. More than 150 local women-teachers, mentors, nonprofit workers and volunteers-gathered to enjoy the fruits of their labor and learn the identities of this year's recipients.
Now in its fourth year, the Fund raised $225,000 in 2006. Already feeling quite successful, members were stunned and delighted by a surprise announcement that the Orfalea Fund had awarded a matching grant, which doubled the amount to be distributed. In addition, the Fund has agreed to match 2007 contributions. With adding money held in reserve, the Women's Fund awards totaled $485,000.
Lois Mitchell, President of the Orfalea Family Foundation and the Orfalea Fund, said, "In continuing the Orfalea focus of community collaborative partnering, we are honored to match all individual contributions enabled by the Women's Fund. Together our collective support to local agencies will truly make a caring and significant impact:'"
Established in 2004, the Women's Fund has grown steadily, attracting more members every year. Grants resulting from the $140,000 collected in 2004 provided assistance to single mothers and dental care to the children of low-income families. The following year, $200,000 was raised and grants focused on the problems of teens and domestic violence. Last year, members were concerned with education and the physical and mental health of children and teens.
The four recipient agencies of this year's awards were Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, Child Abuse Listening & Mediation (CALM), and the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The amounts received were $180,000, $100,000, $100,000 and $105,000 respectively.
Part of the Fund's success is that members know that almost all their contributions (minus a minimal amount for expenses) go directly to charity. Working with existing community service providers and conducting careful research, the Fund decides on areas of greatest need within the scope determined by the members. Further fine-tuning results in a ballot on which the members vote. This process is conducted with such dedication and thoroughness that it attracted the attention of the Orfalea Fund.
Members and supporters of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara translate their values into action to serve as a catalyst for change on behalf of the women and children in our community who face daily challenges of poverty, violence, discrimination, and lack of education and opportunity. They understand that when women and families prosper, communities thrive.
The Fund has come a long way and is truly making a difference.
2006 Articles
WOMEN'S FUND
On the Town, February 5, 2006
by Lorraine Wilson
(reprinted with permission from
the Santa Barbara News-Press)
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is committed to funding projects that affect women, children and families. The nonprofit fund works under the umbrella of the Santa Barbara Foundation and thus has no staff or overhead expenses.
Every dollar donated gets to the charities chosen for the year. Even the once-a-year luncheon is donated this year again by Meredith and John Scott of EI Paseo Restaurant.
In its first year, the group was able to give $105,000 to complete the capital campaign for the Neighborhood Dental Clinic and give $35,000 to the St. Vincent's housing program for single mothers.
In 2006, founder Carol Palladini and Nancy Martz presented checks to Teen Center, which received $90,000 to furnish the center set to open on Chapala Street in September; Noah's Anchorage, a YMCA program for teens on the streets, which received $20,000 for a van; Planned Parenthood, which received $40,000 for their teen mentoring program, Adelante Amigos; and Domestic Violence Solutions, which received $50,000 for a program working to help teens develop safe, healthy relationships. In today's world, 20 percent of teens have experienced violence when dating.
Unless you join a committee, there are no meetings except the luncheon to give away money. A research committee examines each suggested charity and makes a site visit. All members vote on the choice for the gifts.
To join with a vote, you pledge $2,500. Or women can join in a group and collectively pledge the same amount and cast one collective vote.
Membership has grown in just one year to 80 members. For more information or to join, call Meredith Scott at 697-1954, or mail checks to: The Women's Fund, S.B. Foundation, 15 E. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara CA, 93101.
WOMEN'S FUND HELPS TEENS
Santa Barbara Foundation ADOBE NEWS, Spring 2006
The day was all about helping teens as the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara awarded grants totaling $200,000 to four local nonprofits: Domestic Violence Solutions received $50,000 for their Peer Education Program; Noah's Anchorage was awarded $20,000; Parks and Recreation Community Foundation was given $90,000 for the new Santa Barbara Teen Center; and Planned Parenthood was handed a check for $40,000 toward its Adelante Amigos youth development program. Awards will be used to provide young people with counseling, mentoring, bilingual after-school programs, and in some cases, shelter.
Established in 2004, the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is made up of a group of committed women who have already given gifts totaling $340,000 to impact issues affecting women, children and families in the greater Santa Barbara area. Members contribute $2,500 or more annually and all vote on who the recipients will be. For more information, please contact Meredith Scott at 967-1954.
THE WOMEN'S FUND
Montecito Journal, February 23 - March 8, 2006
A group of about 100 women met at El Paseo Restaurant for their second annual luncheon. The goal of the Women's Fund is to raise money for philanthropy without giving fundraisers. Founding Chairman Carol Palladini told me, "I read in the Los Angeles Times about a similar group and it made my heart race. We needed to do it in Santa Barbara."
As Carol told the audience, "I have only two words: awesome and incredible. In one-and-a-half years we have raised three hundred and seventy-eight thousand dollars by your writing checks." There are individual donations and group donations. Jane Eagleton encouraged to, "go see what your checks do." Last year the Women's Fund donated to the Eastside Dental Clinic and St. Vincent's program for single mothers.
Chair of the Research Committee Nancy Martz announced that the focus for 2006 was teens. At the luncheon Noah's Anchorage Youth Crisis Center received $20,000 for a new van while Adelante Amigos of Planned Parenthood got $40,000 to bring a six-year program to Santa Barbara for at-risk girls designed to "change their lives." Another $50,000 went to Domestic Violence for its Safe Healthy Relationship Program. Two teens from the new Santa Barbara Teen Center on Chapala Street (due to open in September) said they were "blown away" by the $90,000 the Center received for equipment and furniture.
Elna Scheinfeld and Meredith Scott will be co-chairs of the Oversight (Steering) Committee in 2006. Jo Gifford and Melissa Brooks are in charge of the Research Committee for funding charities. Meredith and her husband, John, underwrote the entire luncheon at El Paseo, which they own.
The Santa Barbara Foundation has underwritten 211 operation expenses for the Women 's Fund. If you'd like to be part of this group, which affects women, children and families, call the Foundation's Donor Relations Officer Laura Wyles at 963-1873, ext. 114 or Meredith Scott at 967-1954.
TAKE A BOW
by Karna Hughes, April 18, 2006
(reprinted with permission from
the Santa Barbara News-Press)
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara recently donated $90,000 to the Parks & Recreation Community Foundation for the proposed Santa Barbara Teen Center at 1235 Chapala St. Funds will be used for furnishings and equipment.
"This gift represents a century of car washes for us," said Jeff Hurley, a member of the Santa Barbara Youth Council.
SANTA BARBARA WOMEN'S FUND SUPPORTS SHARe
Domestic Violence Solutions Newsletter, Spring 2006
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, a donor-advised fund created in 2004 by local philanthropically minded women, presented DVS with a check for $50,000 at a luncheon in January.
The funds will be used to underwrite the costs of SHARe...the Word, DVS' peer education program. Safe, Healthy, Adolescent Relationships (or SHARe as it is called for short), addresses the issue of teen dating violence through compelling classroom presentations about healthy versus unhealthy relationships.
2005 Articles
DONATIONS HELPED TO CHANGE
FAMILIES' LIVES
by Marilyn McMahon, November 6, 2005
(reprinted with permission from
the Santa Barbara News-Press)
Carrie and Mario Zaragosa and their four children are among the families whose lives have been enriched by the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.
So are Nicole Lumbattis, Justine McCoy and her 1-year-old son, Christian.
The Zaragosas and Ms. Lumbattis are patients at the Eastside Family Dental Clinic at 923 N. Milpas St.
Ms. McCoy participates in the program for Affordable Transitional Housing and Services program at St. Vincent's.
Because of sizable donations from the Women's Fund, they have benefited from expanded services provided by the two organizations.
For the Zaragosas, who have no insurance, the clinic is a lifesaver.
"After my children receive the treatment they need and my husband has a root canal, I plan to have my teeth cleaned," said Mrs. Zaragosa. "The clinic staff make the visit to the dentist a positive experience for the children, so they are excited about dental hygiene. As a matter of fact, my son Mario likes the dentist so much, he eagerly anticipates his visit every time."
Ms. Lumbattis, a young, single woman with a low income, said the dental clinic has been a "blessing. The clinic has been able to cover much of the costs associated with rebuilding my mouth, my smile and hope."
"I don't know what I would have done if there had been no PATHS program," said Ms. McCoy, a 19-year-old single mother who grew up in Simi Valley.
"I dropped out of high school in 10th grade and am working on my GED now. I'm thinking about becoming an X-ray technician. I've learned so much about parenting, communicating with my child and others, and money management since June when I came to St. Vincent's."
Terra Basche, development director for the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, knew nothing about the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, but when she heard that it had donated $105,000 to the clinic, "It gave me goose bumps. The amount was awesome. It was so perfect because it finished our $1.4 million campaign for the Eastside Family Dental Clinic, which opened Oct. 21, 2004."
Formerly the Carrillo Family Dental Clinic, it was at 923 Laguna St. There was a four-month waiting period for non-emergency service.
"There was one dentist and two operatories (dental chairs and related equipment) in less than 8000 square feet," Ms. Basche said. "In our new clinic, there is a one-month wait and five operatories. We have expanded the client base from serving only children and their caretakers to singles and homeless. We are currently seeing an average of 475 patients per month, or 5,700 per year, which is more than double of that in our previous location."
As St. Vincent's, the $35,000 donation from the Women's Fund is being used to keep three mothers in the PATHS program for one year, according to Sister Alicia Martin, executive director.
"We have 21 mothers and 38 children in the program and it costs us $1,500 a month to fund each one," she explained.
"Each woman pays us $350 a month from her welfare check, and we provide the ancillary services such as case management, weekly classes in parenting, self-esteem, money and anger and stress management. Childcare is also provided. Our goal is to prepare them for certificated programs so they will be able to support themselves and break the cycle of poverty and abuse."
To enter the program, the mothers must make a commitment to change their lives, she added. (Reprinted with Permission of the Santa Barbara News-Press)
Women's Fund of Santa Barbara
On the Town, February 6, 2005
by Lorraine Wilson
(reprinted with permission from
the Santa Barbara News-Press)
It was a thrilling experience for me to attend the inauguration. No, it was not in Washington, D.C., but here in Santa Barbara.
It was the beginning of a new philanthropy run by women with the umbrella support of the Santa Barbara Foundation.
It is simply called the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.
And how it functions is also simple. Women pledge an annual gift of at least $2,500 and they vote for the charity they would like to see funded that year.
Women can also group together and collect the same amount and have one collective vote.
There are no functions to support, no decorations to plan, only the gift and the vote-and once a year, possibly, a luncheon to disperse the funds. So easy.
Carol Palladini is the leader of a committee of founders of the Women's Fund and said,
"We intend to use all the money collected for the charities. We thank committee member Meredith Scott for providing today's luncheon at the El Paseo, which she and her husband own.
We do not intend to use any of the funds to pay for luncheons. If we have to, we will have tea and crumpets in some member's home."
She challenged the members to a goal for next year of $250,000 and said, "It is doable if each of you renew your pledge and invite one other person to join."
The two charities to receive funds for 2005 were announced: St. Vincent's represented by Sister Alicia Martin, received $35,000 for their work with single mothers.
The funds will be spent on education programs to help the women become independent, said Sister Alicia.
The second recipient was the Neighborhood Clinic' Dental Clinic and David Landecker, executive director, said, "This gift of $105,000 will complete our capital campaign for the Dental Clinic next door to the Eastside Neighborhood Clinic and help those in need. Thank you."
Members at the luncheon (not everyone could make it) in addition to the founders included: Patty Bliss, Jan Baxter, Lynda Fairly, 2nd District County Supervisor Susan Rose, Carole Ackerman, Natalie Myerson, Michele Brustin, Carnzo Clark, Ginni Dreier, Phyllis de Piccioto, Claire Van Blaricum, Dianna Frank, Nancy Edebo, Cindy Lyons, Carole MacElhenny, Sheila McGinity, Ann Pless, Carol Thompson, Maryan Schall, Ann Lawler, Judy MccKee, Maggie Day, Michel Nellis and Jacqueline Caster, who founded an organization in Los Angeles that was used as a model.
Mrs. Palladini gave us all an ideal to remember when she said, "You have not given money to a fund. You have given money to real people."
WOMEN'S FUND OF SANTA BARBARA
Santa Barbara Foundation ADOBE NEWS, Spring 2005
The identities of the first recipients of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara were revealed at a special luncheon on January 31. More than 50 women watched David Landecker of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics receive a check for $105,000. This award completes the organization's campaign to build a dental clinic.
A broken arm did not deter Sister Alicia of St. Vincent's Institution from accepting an award of $35,000, which will be used to help low-income mothers and their children.
For more information on the Women's Fund, please contact Raynette Cornejo at 963-1873 ext 114, or access the Foundation's website: www.sbfoundation.org.
MAKING THEIR PRESENCE FELT
Women's Fund getting more bang for bucks
The South Coast Beacon, February 10, 2005
By Leslie Dinaberg
Looking for a low-key, high-impact way to tap into the power of collective philanthropy, Carol Palladini was inspired when she read a Los Angeles Times article about the Everychild Foundation. The idea is simple. Take the time, energy and money spent on mounting and attending elaborate fund raisers and write a single check once a year.
The appeal was also simple: "Many women in the Santa Barbara area feel not only a need, but an obligation to be a powerful force for good in our community," Palladini wrote in the invitation letter to the inaugural members of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.
A few short months after that initial request, the Women's Fund awarded its first donations on Jan. 31, giving $105,000 to the Santa Barbra Neighborhood Clinic's Eastside Family Dental Clinic and $35,000 to two St. Vincent's programs, PATHS (Program of Affordable Transitional Housing and Services) and Casa Alegria, an infant and toddler care facility.
"A group of women had been meeting at the Santa Barbara Foundation to talk about women and philanthropy," explained Palladini. That group eventually evolved into a founding committee that included Palladini, Peri Harcourt, Shirley Ann Hurley, Jean Kaplan, Dale Kern, Joanne Rapp, Elna Scheinfeld, Meredith Scott, Ann Smith, Kay Stern, Marsha Wayne and Fritzie Yamin, as well as Raynette Cornejo, the Santa Barbara Foundation liaison.
Their intention was to take a year to develop the plan for the Women's Fund, "but people started calling and saying "when can we write checks?' which is amazing because usually you have to cajole and pull money out of people," said Palladini.
"All it took was a letter of invitation to 500 women and the money started coming in, " said Palladini.
Each member contributes a minimum of $2,500 per year, which is then deposited in a Donor Advised Fund administered by the Santa Barbara Foundation. At the end of the year, 90 percent of the funs collected are donated to one or more local nonprofit organizations.
"Our umbrella for giving is meeting unmet needs for women, children and families in the greater Santa Barbara area," said Palladini. "The main goal is not to divvy it up in little tidbits, so that the impact of collective women's giving is really felt."
Granting is decided by a simple majority vote of members. Women who wish to ease the cost of dues may form a donor group, which then shares one vote in how the money is spent.
To join, send a check payable to the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, c/o Santa Barbara Foundation, 15 E. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara 93101. For more information, contact Palladini at 565.0342 or e-mail her at carolpall@earthlink.net.
EASTSIDE FAMILY DENTAL CLINIC
Newsletter, April 2005
Carol Palladini, founding Chair of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbra, presents a check to David Landecker for the final $105,000 needed to complete the Eastside Family Dental Clinic Capital Campaign in January 2005. Also pictured is Sister Alicia Martin, Executive Director of St. Vincent's, who also received a generous donation from the Women's Fund.
Together with Direct Relief International and Cottage Hospital, Eastside Family Dental Clinic was able to provide a Free Dental Clinic Min March 2005 for low-income individuals in need. Direct Relief has been a wonderful partner, offering the valuable time and talent of Direct Relief's Domestic Program Officer, Martha Angeles, to assist in organizing the activities of the Dental Education Center.
"The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara was thrilled to give our very first large grant to a project that so completely fits our mission. We desire to collectively have a major impact in addressing unmet needs of women, children and families in our community and are proud to be a part of this wonderful new dental clinic, " said Carol Palladini, Founding Chair.
ONE-INDUSTRY TOWN
The Dish, May 3, 2005
by Martha Smilgis
(reprinted with permission from
the Santa Barbara News-Press)
If Washington, D.C.'s focus is politics and L.A.'s is showbiz, there's a good case to be made that S.B. revolves around fundraising. Rare is it to find a denizen who has not served time on the charity circuit...Now, for those stymied by board burnout, savvy can-do lady Carol Palladini has launched The Women's Fund, a generic, no-frills approach to giving.
Under the watchful eye of the Santa Barbara Foundation, Women's Fund's members write checks ($2,500 per vote) that go directly to projects affecting local women and children (such as dental care). The Women's Fund streamlined approach is for those who want to bypass "queen bee" lunches and galas and opt instead for quick efficient action. (565-0342)...
EVERYCHILD MODEL INSPIRES
SANTA BARBARA GROUP
Everychild Foundation Newsletter, May 2005
When Santa Barbara resident Carol Palladini read about the Everychild Foundation in an article from the Los Angeles Times, she was excited by the possibility of starting a similar group in her area. Palladini contacted the Foundation to learn about the Everychild model in detail.
In the spring of 2004, the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara was launched, with an initial goal of recruiting 40 founding members donating annual dues of $2500 to fund unmet needs benefiting women, children and families in Santa Barbara.
Nine months later, on January 31, 2005, the Women's Fund presented its first two grants, totally $140,000. Coincidentally, the Fund's first grant went to complete a new dental clinic supplying services to the poor and uninsured==much like the first Everychild grant for the QueensCare dental van.
As Founding Committee Chair Carol Palladini comments, "Our 2005 membership invitations will soon go out, and we'll be having some coffees in hopes of gaining many new members and growing our fund to $250,000 this year! The Founding Committee of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is so grateful for the wonderful model given us in the work and great success story of the Everychild Foundation."
WOMEN'S FUND OF SANTA BARBARA: Chapter Two
Santa Barbara Foundation Adobe News, Summer 2005
Last year, a core group of concerned and caring women came together to form the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara in partnership with the Santa Barbara Foundation. The fund was an immediate success: it raised more than $150,000 in a few short months. In January of this year, the group awarded $105,000 to complete the Eastside Family Dental Clinic capital campaign and gave $35,000 to St. Vincent's to help single mothers and their children create stable and successful lives.
Encouraged by this success, Fund organizers are looking to give even more in 2006. They hope to enlist 50 new members and significantly increase the size of the awards. It's easy to participate: write a tax-deductible check for $2,500 or more a year and you will be assured a vote to decide the distribution of funds. You may choose to combine your donation with other women to make the $2,500 contribution. Your group will share one vote. You also have the option of donating $100 or more and receive an invitation to the grant presentation in January.
Membership checks will be accepted until December 15, 2005, but you must join by June 30, 2005 if you wish your charitable interests to be considered by the Women's Fund committee.
If you want to join a dynamic group of compassionate women, please contact Raynette Cornejo, Donor Relations Officer, via email: rcornejo@sbfoundation.org or by phone: 963-1873, ext. 114. You may make your contribution by credit card by calling 963-1873 or going online at www.sbfoundation.org. You can also send a check to Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, c/o Santa Barbara Foundation, 15 East Carrillo, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
WOMEN'S FUND
Santa Barbara Foundation, Adobe News Fall 2005
Established in 2003, the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara made its first gifts, totaling $140,000, to two area charities in 2004. Members voted to complete the new Dental Clinic of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and to help the Paths Program of St. Vincent's in its support of single mother families. This year, the excitement has spread and the Fund has already surpassed last year's total, with over $160,000 contributed in just the first half of 2005!
Membership and donations will be accepted until December 15 when a ballot will be sent to all members to choose this year's recipients. The results are kept secret until the Presentation Luncheon, held in January.
Local women appreciate the power of combining contributions to make a larger impact on critical needs in the community. They simply write a single tax deductible check of $2,500 or more once a year. That check joins others to be deposited in a Donor Advised Fund administered by the Santa Barbara Foundation and is given to two to three nonprofits in the greater Santa Barbra area. Women who wish to east the cost of dues may form a membership group. They share the one vote a $2,500 contribution allows. Memberships are on the rise this year, as more women see a powerful way to collectively help women, children and families in our community.
If you would like to know more the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, please contact Tanya Gonzales, Vice President of Development, by phone at 963-1873, ext. 117, or via email at tgonzales@sbfoundation.org. Donations may be made online at www.sbfoundation.org.
COLLECTIVE GIVING: Women's Fund
of Santa Barbara takes a new tack when
it comes to supporting local charities
by Marilyn McMahon, November 6, 2005
(reprinted with permission from the Santa Barbara News-Press
"Been there, done that" might well be the motto for the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, a dynamic group of local women who decided they had had enough of spending their time and energy raising money for local charities.
They were tired of going to endless committee meetings, planning decorations, selling tickets for benefits and working volunteer hours. Carol Palladini is one of them.
An active volunteer with Planned Parenthood and Court Appointed Special Advocates while living in Pasadena, Mrs. Palladini continued her commitment to the two organizations when she moved to Montecito with her husband nine years ago. In March, Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties named her Volunteer of the Year.
"I was heavily involved but getting burned out," she said. "When I read the article in the Los Angeles Times about Jacqueline Castor, it resonated with me. It told how she had "grown tired of traditional benefit dinners that were difficult to sell out, left organizers exhausted and reaped little gain in relation to the effort involved.'"
The article, which appeared three years ago, told how Ms. Castor, a former lawyer and now full-time mother, had found a simple way to help the needy-write out a check for $5,000 once a year and get other women to do the same. When the money was pooled, they could make a significant contribution to one charity. In their case, it was the Everychild Foundation.
"That idea clicked with me," Mrs. Palladini said. "I had to do this."
A core group of six from the Women in Philanthropy group at the Santa Barbara Foundation gathered in January 2004 in the spacious living room of her home in the foothills of Montecito. It was supposed to be an exploratory session to see if the idea was feasible, but soon the women were hammering out basic guidelines.
- Keep it simple-no board of directors, no scheduled meetings, no grant proposals, no fund raising events.
- Raise a lot of money without spending much time and effort.
- Anybody can make a donation, but only women can be voting members.
- To be voting members, a woman must contribute a minimum of #2,500 annually.
- Women wishing to make smaller donations could form a group to collectively make the $2,500 and decide together how their single vote would be cast.
- The focus would be on funding meaningful projects affecting women, children, and families.
- The fund would also focus on educating and inspiring women to become leaders in philanthropy and to demonstrate the impact of collective giving.
In the brief time the fund has been operating, its success has been beyond the founders' wildest imaginations.
"Our goal was to raise $100,000 the first year, but when word got out, we began to get calls from women asking where they could send their money," said Mrs. Palladini with a laugh. "We had $100,000 in several months. There was no cajoling, no convincing. It was not drudgework.
In less than six months, they had a total of $157,000, which they put into a tax-deductible Donor Advised Fund administered by the Santa Barbara Foundation.
As much as they disdain anything that smacks of organization, the founders decided they needed three committees, which meet sporadically. Mrs. Palladini and Elna Scheinfeld are co-chairwomen of the Oversight Committee, which ensures that the fund is working as intended and monitors the use of funds by recipient organizations.
Nancy Martz is chairwoman of the Research Committee, which accepts suggestions from members and the larger community about potential projects to fund.
"Last year, there was no formal committee to plan the luncheon at which the funds were announced. We all pitched in and made it happen," Mrs. Palladini said. "This year, Fritzie Yamin is the chairwoman.
With their framework in place and money in hand, Ms. Martz and her research committee went into action. The 12 members began by sorting through areas-of-interest cards filed by Women's Fund members.
"Then, we checked with other local foundations such as the Fund for Santa Barbara, Hutton Foundation and First Five to find out who was doing really good work," Ms. Martz said. "We also gathered information anonymously in a variety of ways to narrow our list down to several categories. It was exciting to learn about organizations in town-a real educational process."
Some committee members we so impressed they gave individual donations, according to Ms. Martz. "In fact, we're finding that many of our members are donating individually in addition to the Women's Fund.
Last November, the committee had completed its work and mailed ballots to voting members of the fund. Included were a description of each organization and how the money would be used.
"They told me they agonized over their sections," said Mrs. Palladini.
Chosen as recipients were the Eastside Family Dental Clinic, which needed $105,000 to complete its capital campaign, and St. Vincent's, which was given $35,000 for its Adopt-a-Mom Program for Affordable Transitional Housing and Services.
"It was very exciting to give away $140,00," said Ms. Martz.
"The big impact is important," stressed Mrs. Palladini. "A woman donating sizeable amounts of money makes a real difference in how she things about herself and the organization."
Mum was the word until the honorees would be announced at a luncheon scheduled Jan. 29, 2004-exactly one year from the date of the exploratory meeting==at El Paseo Restaurant. Fund members were kept in the dark, and so were the staff and volunteers at the two nonprofits.
The only people notified were the executive directors of each agency-Sister Alicia Martin of St. Vincent's and David Landecker, then head of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, under which the dental clinic operates. Each was invited to bring a key person from their organization.
"One of the most surprised people at the luncheon was Reilly Pollard, then president of the Neighborhood Clinic board of directors. David hadn't told him about the $105,000 donation because he sad he was told to keep it secret," said Mrs. Palladini.
Although 10 percent of all funds collected are held back for administrative purposes, mailing and outreach costs, none are used for the presentation luncheon, which was underwritten by fund member Meredith Scott and her husband John.
"We will not spend any of the money on feeding our members, and they appreciate that," said Mrs. Palladini, who said that the group's goal for this year is $200,000. "The Women's Fund is an idea whose time has come."
2004 Articles
WOMEN'S FUND OF SANTA BARBARA
Santa Barbara Foundation ADOBE NEWS, Fall 2004
An exciting new concept is germinating in our community: donate a modest sum once a year and have a significant impact on critical needs affecting women, children and families. No fundraising dinners to attend. No roping in your friends. No volunteering required.
A group of women, led by volunteer Carol Palladini, are hard at work on a local Women's Fund that is hoping to donate $100,000 a year to one or more local projects and organizations. The idea is simple. Take the time, energy, and money spent on mounting and attending elaborate fundraisers and write a single check once a year. That check will join others to be deposited in a Donor Advised Fund administered by the Santa Barbara Foundation and donated to one or more nonprofits in Santa Barbara County.
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara will welcome anyone who wishes to contribute but women will be the only voting members. Each member will contribute $2,500 or more by June 30 each year. Granting will be decided by a simple majority vote of members and recipients will be announced in January of the following year. Individuals who wish to ease the cost of dues may form a donor group. They will, however, share the one vote a $2,500-contribution allows.
Considerable excitement is being generated as the core group of 25 women speak to friends and acquaintances. For those who wish involvement beyond check writing, there is ample opportunity to participate in planning and decision-making on three proposed committees, which will monitor donors and collected funds, research potential grantees, and make the grant presentations.
If you would like to know more about the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, please contact Carol Palladini via e-mail: carolpall@earthlink.net. Want to donate today? Please send your check to Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, c/o Santa Barbara Foundation, 15 East Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.