The Unity Shoppe distributes food, clothing, and basic necessities to people impacted by temporary poverty, natural disasters, and health crises. At their center on Chapala Street they were seeing the the number of people seeking food rising, outstripping the capacity of the center’s freezers and refrigerators. With a $75,000 grant from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, they purchased a new industrial refrigerator, four freezers, five dollies, six carts, and a six-month supply of eggs and frozen chicken. They expanded storage for perishable food by replacing failing equipment with new,…

Rebecca Barretto is a teen who visits the Santa Barbara police activities league every week.

“Basically, like my second home I’ve made a lot of friendships here and I’ve gained a lot of new skills and so many opportunities and just to be more involved with my community," said Barretto.

Barretto’s dream is to become an architect.

“Very excited ever since I was 5 years old I knew I wanted to be an architect. I used to rearrange my doll houses and I made my dad build me like a six story house for my dolls," said Barretto.

Now she’s collaborating with architect…

Grant recipients: Doctors Without Walls Executive Director Maggie Sanchez, CADA Executive Director Scott Whiteley, Casa Pacifica CEO Shawna Morris, Dignity Moves COO Freya Estreller, LEAP Executive Director Lori Goodman, City Net President/Executive Director Brad Fieldhouse, Unity Shoppe Board Chair Susan Rodriguez, SB Police Activities League Executive Director Judie Lugo, SB ACT Executive Director/Co-Founder Rich Sander, and PathPoint CEO Harry Bruell | Credit: Gail Arnold

On May 7 at the Lobero Theatre, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara announced the recipients…

The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara has awarded $200,000 to the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT) to support the new downtown Daytime Navigation & Workforce Development Center for people experiencing homelessness.

The grant was awarded at the Women’s Fund 20th Anniversary Celebration, May 7 at the Lobero Theatre.
The center, at 621 Chapala St., is a partnership between the city of Santa Barbara and SB ACT. Center services will include housing navigation, healthcare, behavioral health services, and basic needs, five days per week.

The center…

In a remarkable demonstration of collective giving, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara made history by awarding an unprecedented $1.125 million in grants to local nonprofits.

This groundbreaking achievement unfolded on May 7 at the iconic Lobero Theatre, where members and guests gathered to hear the announcement of 10 transformative grants.

The Celebration of Grants event not only marked a momentous year for the Women’s Fund, commemorating its 20th anniversary, but also marked a legacy of granting $11.6 million to local nonprofits since its inception in 2004.

This year'…

To listen to the interview with Women's Fund Chair, Jamie Dufek, and Vice Chair, Carolyn Jabs on "Education Today"

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Twenty years ago, a group of twelve women embarked on a mission to help women, children, and families in Santa Barbara. 

The small group wanted to support nonprofits for those most vulnerable in a big way. 

“We started with twelve women around a table … who had a vision for this kind of giving model in the community. And it’s one of those timeless models that works … that people get excited about," said board chair Jamie Dufek of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.

Over the years, the Women’s Fund grew into a powerhouse of sorts, increasing in size to 1,300 members…

Board members Lauren Trujillo, Jamie Dufek (Chair) and Lynn Karlson (former Chair) 

The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, an all-volunteer nonprofit that pools the donations of its 1,300 members to make large grants, will award a record $1.125 million this year to local nonprofits serving women, children, and families. While the organization has grown immensely in its 20 years, the underlying concept remains the same.

There are no fundraisers or paid staff. Instead, an intelligent, informed, dedicated group of women research local needs and invite selected nonprofits to submit…

Last year, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara (WFSB) posed a lofty goal to its members; to raise $1 million in funding for 2024 in honor of its 20th anniversary.

The team at the WFSB has just announced it met and exceeded that goal, with an estimated record-breaking grants pool of $1.125 million. Indeed, happy 20th Anniversary!

Their annual celebration of the 2024 grantees is scheduled for May 7 at the Lobero Theatre.

What’s new this year for the grantees is increased grant amounts due to inflation, increasing capital costs, the need to keep staff salaries competitive,…

Largest Grants Pool in 20-Year History of Helping Nonprofits Address Critical Needs of Local Women, Children, and Families

The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, a philanthropic organization founded 20 years ago by 12 local women, is proud to announce it will award a record-breaking grants pool of $1.125 million as part of its 20th anniversary celebration. With this significant investment, the Women's Fund continues improving the lives of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County.

Over the past two decades, the Women's Fund has donated nearly $10.5 million to…

A local YMCA service for homeless young adults has made big strides since it’s opening day.

Last year, the Youth & Family Services YMCA in Santa Barbara opened its newest location, the Haley St. Navigation Center.

It now serves as the only day-time drop-in center for young adults up to 24 years old who are experiencing homelessness and housing instability in the city.

This year, the center is projected to serve over 180 young people in need, more than doubling the total number of clients served compared to last year.

Their hope is to continue growing as they…

Now celebrating its 20th year of combining charitable dollars into significant local grants, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara announced the election of its all-volunteer board of directors for 2024. 

Since 2004, the Women’s Fund has donated more than $10.5 million to 142 local nonprofits. The grants address the critical needs of women, children, and families in south Santa Barbara County.  

Newly elected to officer roles for the 1,300-member organization are Board Chair Jamie Dufek, Vice Chair Carolyn Jabs, Treasurer Kathy Dunlap, and Corporate Secretary Sabina White. Newly…