Mission

The Santa Barbara Foundation is a community foundation established in 1928 to enrich the lives of the people of Santa Barbara County through philanthropy. The Foundation achieves this by responding to community needs well as by serving those who wish to carry out their philanthropy in Santa Barbara County and beyond. The Foundation serves as a leader, catalyst, and resource for philanthropy. We build and prudently manage a growing endowment for the community's present and future needs. We provide secure, flexible and effective opportunities for donors to improve their community. We strive for measurable community improvement through strategic funding in such fields as education, personal development, health, human services, culture, recreation, community enhancement, and the environment.