About Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara
The mission of the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara is to ensure the availability of superior cancer care and patient support services for all residents of Santa Barbara County. The Foundation is the leading fundraising and grant-making institution in Santa Barbara County dedicated to cancer care and the largest contributor to Ridley-Tree Cancer Center.
Focus Areas
Cancer carePatient support servicesMedical technology & equipment acquisitionGenetic counselingPatient navigationOncology nutritionWellness and exercise programsScreening & preventionClinical research supportLocal community grants
Who They Fund
children with cancer / pediatric patients
About Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara
The Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara directs most of its giving to Ridley-Tree Cancer Center and related cancer services in Santa Barbara County, with annual support that reaches into the millions. In the recent grants list, the largest award went to Sansum Clinic for general cancer care, reflecting the foundation’s emphasis on diagnosis, treatment, research, and patient support delivered locally. The foundation also funds pediatric and general cancer care through Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, and it repeatedly supports Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics for cancer prevention and care programming. Its work is centered on cancer care in a single county rather than a broad regional or national portfolio. That local focus shows up in both large operating-style grants and smaller program grants tied to specific services such as prevention, navigation, and supportive care. The foundation’s mission is to ensure the availability of superior cancer care and patient support services for residents of Santa Barbara County, and its grantmaking is built around that mandate. Recent awards also show support for research mentorship, pediatric cancer support, and wellness services connected to cancer treatment and survivorship.
What Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara Funds
Cancer prevention and care programming is a recurring area of support. The foundation gave $66,000 to Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics in 2025 for cancer prevention and care program work, matching the same amount it awarded in 2024 and 2023 for that purpose. It also funded $37,000 to Ucsb in 2024 for research mentorship, with additional $12,000 grants to the university in 2025 and 2023 for the same purpose. Patient and family support is another visible thread. In 2023, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation received $21,500 to provide financial support to families of children with cancer. Support also reached outside direct oncology services through $12,000 grants to Santa Ynez Community Outreach in 2024 and 2025 for Meals on Wheels programs. The foundation has also backed treatment-related quality-of-life services. In 2025, it gave $20,000 to Paxman US for the UCLA cold cap program, a chemotherapy side-effect mitigation effort.
How Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara Gives
Typical awards are modest relative to the foundation’s large annual total: the p25 grant is $16,750, the median is $66,000, and the p75 is $88,462. Recent giving shows a clear mix of large operating support and smaller program grants. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Sansum Clinic, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, and Ucsb, which suggests recurring support rather than one-time awards. The foundation is not a DAF or an individual-giving fund; it is a grantmaking foundation that also serves as leaseholder and largest annual donor to Ridley-Tree Cancer Center. Unsolicited applications are not part of the active programs listed.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.7M
Total Assets
$157.5M
Total Revenue
$12M
Total Expenses
$7.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $17K and $88K, with a median of $66K.
25th Percentile
$17K
Median
$66K
75th Percentile
$88K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LORI WILLIS
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