HOW WE WORK
The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara is committed to building a large community of educated, strategic givers who are inspired to make lasting change in our communities through collective giving.
We do this by combining our charitable dollars into significant grants addressing the critical needs of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County from Carpenteria to Isla Vista. We hope you'll join us!
It's hard to know where to put your charitable dollars. The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara has earned a stellar reputation for researching the needs in the community and vetting the nonprofits that address those needs.
Each year our very thorough research committee draws up a shortlist of potential projects and our full membership votes on which projects to support. This process allows us to work with substantial organizations that put our contributions to great use.
Watch a video that illustrates an agency's journey from application to grant.
The Women's Fund goal is to ensure that the grants we give are successful for our nonprofit recipients and the best use of our member's charitable dollars. The agencies receiving our grants are required to provide mid-year and year-end reports on the projects we've funded and the impact they've had on the agency and its clients.
Our members are also invited to see or hear about the outcomes directly through our Grants in Action program which offers Site Visits and Educational Forums.
Please note: The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara does not award grants directly to individuals. We support local nonprofits that address the needs of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County from Isla Vista to Carpinteria.
Nonprofit agencies must be invited to submit an application for funding.