The Gretler Foundation concentrates its philanthropy locally in Santa Barbara with a strong emphasis on supporting higher education and student opportunities—most prominently through sizable, recurring gifts to UCSB for athletics and enhancement funds. It also funds local scholarship endowments and community health infrastructure projects, indicating a focus on place-based investments that benefit students and residents. The foundation’s giving is strategic and high-value rather than broad-based, favoring a small set of local institutions.
The Gretler Foundation’s clearest pattern is repeated, high-value support for UCSB-related priorities in Santa Barbara. Across recent years, the foundation has backed athletics, academic enrichment, and student opportunity at The Ucsb Foundation, including support for men’s and women’s basketball, athletics enhancement, economics and economic forecast programming, and Propel Scholars. That cluster sits alongside other local commitments that point to a place-based strategy rather than broad national grantmaking. The foundation also funds community infrastructure and student-facing institutions in the same city. It has made $100,000 gifts to Cottage Rehabilitation Foundation for the CRH Relocation Project and supported the Scholarship Foundation of Sb through the Gretler Foundation Endowed Fund. Smaller grants extend the pattern into local health, education, and youth development, with awards to Sansum Diabetes Research Inst, Goleta Education Foundation, Hope School District Education Fnd, and Boy Scouts of America Los Padres Co. The overall picture is a local funder focused on higher education, scholarships, athletics, and selected community services.
Higher education is a central theme. The Gretler Foundation gave $130,000 to The Ucsb Foundation for the Fund in Econ & Economic Forecast Pr, $100,000 for the Athletic Director's Enhancement Fund, and $30,000 for UCSB Propel Scholars. Athletics support is another recurring thread. Recent awards include $130,000 to The Ucsb Foundation for 500K AD Funds & 150K Men's Basketb, $25,000 for Women's Athletics Excellence Fund, and $20,000 for Women's Basketball. The foundation also backs education and family services outside UCSB. It gave $30,000 to Good News in Action Inc for New Life Christian School and $28,500 to Family Service Agency for Child & Family Counseling Svcs. In addition, it awarded $20,000 to University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences for Optics Winter Schl & Workshop, showing support for specialized learning programs as well.
Typical grant size is modestly concentrated, with a p25 of $15,000, a median of $20,000, and a p75 of $30,000. The recent record also includes several larger gifts at $100,000 and $130,000, showing a split between routine support and occasional major awards. Recipients appear across multiple years, including The Ucsb Foundation, Cottage Rehabilitation Foundation, Family Service Agency, Good News in Action Inc, Sansum Diabetes Research Inst, and the Scholarship Foundation of Sb. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The pattern is consistent with institutional grantmaking rather than open solicitation.
$303K
$14.9M
$1.8M
$546K
Most grants fall between $15K and $30K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a few repeat local grantees (especially multi-year or multiple gifts to UCSB), supplemented by targeted one-off support to local scholarship and health-related projects.
Notable grantees: The UCSB Foundation, Cottage Rehabilitation Foundation, Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
Grantmaking is highly concentrated in California, which receives 88% of grants. Santa Barbara is the core city in the recent record, with repeated awards to The Ucsb Foundation, Cottage Rehabilitation Foundation, Family Service Agency, Sansum Diabetes Research Inst, and the Scholarship Foundation of Sb. Other California recipients include Goleta Education Foundation and Hope School District Education Fnd. Outside California, the only named recipient location in the recent grants is Tucson, AZ, through University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences.
The recent grants point to universities, scholarship groups, schools, health and counseling providers, and youth-serving organizations. Examples in the record include The Ucsb Foundation, Scholarship Foundation of Sb, Cottage Rehabilitation Foundation, Family Service Agency, Good News in Action Inc, and Boy Scouts of America Los Padres Co.
Its recent giving centers on UCSB athletics and academic support, scholarship and student aid, local education, family counseling, and selected health or facility projects. Named program areas include Athletics Director’s Enhancement Fund, Women’s Athletics Excellence Fund, Propel Scholars, Child & Family Counseling Svcs, and the CRH Relocation Project.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is centered at $15,000 for the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include larger $100,000 and $130,000 awards.
It repeatedly supports the same institutions across years. The Ucsb Foundation, Cottage Rehabilitation Foundation, Family Service Agency, Good News in Action Inc, Sansum Diabetes Research Inst, and the Scholarship Foundation of Sb all appear in multiple recent grant years.
Its grantmaking is concentrated in California, which accounts for 88% of grants in the data. Santa Barbara is the main city in the recent grants list, with additional California recipients in Goleta.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $130,000 | 2026 | FUND IN ECON & ECONOMIC FORECAST PR |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $130,000 | 2026 | 500K AD FUNDS & 150K MEN'S BASKETB |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $125,000 | 2026 | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | ECONOMIC FORECAST PROJECT |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | SOCIAL SCIENCES DEANS FUND |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS-STUDNT SCHLRSHP |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | WOMEN'S ATHLETICS EXCELLENCE FUND |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS-STUDNT SCHLRSHP |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GRETLER FELLOWS |
| FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | COUNSELING SERVICES |
| GOOD NEWS IN ACTION INC | ALBANY, LA | $25,000 | 2026 | NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL |
| SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INST | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF OPTICAL SCIENCES | TUCSON, AZ | $20,000 | 2026 | WINTER SCHOOL |
| HOPE SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FND | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GOLETA EDUCATION FOUNDATION | GOLETA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SANTA BARBARA EDUCATION FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | TEACHER GRANTS, STEAM CAPMS, PEAC |
| MARYAM PARNAM FOUNDATION | ORANGE, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | NAPA CENTER THERAPY POP-UP |
| SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INST | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GRACE FISHER FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | NAPA CENTER THERAPY |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $7,500 | 2026 | VOLLEYBALL LOCKER ROOM FUND |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $130,000 | 2025 | FUND IN ECON & ECONOMIC FORECAST PR |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $130,000 | 2025 | 500K AD FUNDS & 150K MEN'S BASKETB |
| FOUNDATION FOR COTTAGE REHAB & GV COTTAGE HOSPITALS | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | HOSPITAL RELOCATION PROJECT |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | DEAN'S INVESTMENT GROUP |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS-STUDNT SCHLRSHP |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | WOMEN'S ATHLETICS EXCELLENCE FUND |
| GOOD NEWS IN ACTION INC | ALBANY, LA | $30,000 | 2025 | NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS-STUDNT SCHLRSHP |
| FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | COUNSELING SERVICES |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS-ADMIN EXP |
| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF OPTICAL SCIENCES | TUCSON, AZ | $20,000 | 2025 | WINTER SCHOOL |
| SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INST | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | GRETLER FELLOWS |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL |
| GOLETA EDUCATION FOUNDATION | GOLETA, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HOPE SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FND | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SANTA BARBARA EDUCATION FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TEACHER GRANTS, STEAM CAPMS, PEAC |
| SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INST | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TEDDY BEAR CANCER FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HEARTS THERAPEUTIC EQUESTRIAN CTR | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FIRST TEE CENTRAL COAST | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | NO-FEE SESSIONS |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $130,000 | 2024 | INTERCOLLEGIATE ATH DIR ENHAN FD |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $130,000 | 2024 | FUND IN ECON & ECONOMIC FORECAST PR |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $130,000 | 2024 | 500K AD FUNDS & 150K MEN'S BASKETB |
| COTTAGE REHABILITATION FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | CRH RELOCATION PROJECT |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | WOMEN'S ATHLETICS EXCELLENCE FUND |
| THE UCSB FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS |
| GOOD NEWS IN ACTION INC | ALBANY, LA | $30,000 | 2024 | NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL |
| FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $28,500 | 2024 | CHILD & FAMILY COUNSELING SVCS |
SOCIAL SCIENCES DEANS FUND
THE UCSB FOUNDATION
$25,000GRETLER FELLOWS
GOOD NEWS IN ACTION INC
$25,000NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INST
$20,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF OPTICAL SCIENCES
$20,000WINTER SCHOOL
HOPE SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FND
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
GOLETA EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
MARYAM PARNAM FOUNDATION
$10,000NAPA CENTER THERAPY POP-UP
SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INST
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
GRACE FISHER FOUNDATION
$10,000NAPA CENTER THERAPY
FOUNDATION FOR COTTAGE REHAB & GV COTTAGE HOSPITALS
$100,000HOSPITAL RELOCATION PROJECT
THE UCSB FOUNDATION
$50,000DEAN'S INVESTMENT GROUP
THE UCSB FOUNDATION
$30,000UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS-STUDNT SCHLRSHP
GOOD NEWS IN ACTION INC
$30,000NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
THE UCSB FOUNDATION
$30,000UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS-STUDNT SCHLRSHP
FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY
$25,000COUNSELING SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF OPTICAL SCIENCES
$20,000WINTER SCHOOL
GOLETA EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
HOPE SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FND
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
HEARTS THERAPEUTIC EQUESTRIAN CTR
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
FIRST TEE CENTRAL COAST
$5,000NO-FEE SESSIONS
THE UCSB FOUNDATION
$130,000500K AD FUNDS & 150K MEN'S BASKETB
COTTAGE REHABILITATION FOUNDATION
$100,000CRH RELOCATION PROJECT
THE UCSB FOUNDATION
$30,000UCSB PROPEL SCHOLARS
GOOD NEWS IN ACTION INC
$30,000NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY
$28,500CHILD & FAMILY COUNSELING SVCS