Welcome to The Giving List 2022
You are receiving this book because of your ability to impact philanthropy in Santa Barbara. Whether as an individual, a professional working within a charitable foundation, or a financial professional guiding your clients’ charitable investments, your contribution to Santa Barbara’s nonprofit sector is substantial.
You have the means, intelligence, and experience to uplift Santa Barbara through the direct power of your giving and your ability to influence your peers on the causes that matter the most. We hope we are helpful in that endeavor.
What you find in your hands is a compendium of stories describing the work being done by some of the most vital nonprofit organizations in this region. Organizations on the front lines of recovery, pressing for social and racial justice, protecting our children, supporting the arts, and fighting to preserve our precious natural world. The nonprofits in this book are not the only important ones in Santa Barbara. They reflect a carefully curated collection of what we believe represents some of the most vital work being done in this vicinity.
This book is, in a way, a love letter to Santa Barbara, my adoptive home. My husband and I moved our family here a dozen years ago, and not a day goes by that I’m not blown away by Santa Barbara’s powerful culture of giving back. How people here are defined more by the difference they make than the money they make. How everywhere you turn there are people deeply steeped in Santa Barbara’s rich philanthropic spirit.
The same is true of those featured in this book. From social sector leaders who constantly uplift the community, to the corporations that have baked social responsibility into their strategies, to the nonprofits that are doing the work on the ground, each has something important to say about why, how, and to which organizations we contribute, matters.
Santa Barbara County is home to thousands of nonprofits and has a deep and colorful philanthropic history. These organizations play a critical role in meeting some of the region’s most pressing challenges. In order to provide these services, they rely on the strong support of Santa Barbara’s vast donor network, which includes the commitment of people like you.
Our intention is to cut through the fundraising noise so that you can more easily determine on which causes and organizations to focus your giving.
We have found that most giving guides are missing the most important aspect of connecting donors with causes: powerful storytelling. So, we have worked closely with each organization in this book to tell its unique story to you.
Our world is changing rapidly. The recognition of equity, inclusion, diversity, and access as a critical consideration in all aspects of life includes philanthropy. It involves not only the causes we support, but the ways in which we support them. It is for this reason that helping organizations of all shapes and sizes gain direct access to individual donors is not just important, it’s critical. Because nothing is as impactful as giving locally, and the best way to change the world is to uplift our own beloved community.
This book would not be possible without the help and support of some of Santa Barbara’s premier institutions.
We are deeply grateful to the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Natalie Orfalea Foundation, the Mosher Foundation, the Zegar Family Foundation, the McCune Foundation, and the Hutton Parker Foundation for supporting our matching grant program.
A special thanks to TVSB for your partnership in this endeavor. The impact of your ongoing commitment to supporting Santa Barbara’s nonprofit community is immeasurable.
And to our anchor partner, Montecito Bank & Trust, for being with us on this journey from the start. You are a shining example of how a first-rate community bank can fundamentally impact the fabric of its local community by investing in the nonprofits that provide a vital safety net for the people who live here. Your leadership provides a master class for giving back.
We hope you are as inspired by this book as we have been making it.
Sincerely,
Gwyn Lurie
CEO,ß The Montecito Journal Media Group