Advancing progressive change by strengthening movements for Economic, Environmental, Political, Racial, and Social Justice.
Focus Areas
community organizingmovement buildingracial equityenvironmental justiceworker rightsimmigrant legal reliefyouth leadership and youth-led projectssocial housing / housing justicecapacity building for grassroots organizations
Who They Fund
Black communities and cultural groupsIndigenous youth and farmworker communitiesundocumented students and immigrant populations
About Fund for Santa Barbara
Fund for Santa Barbara Inc backs movement-building and equity work across Santa Barbara County, with grantmaking that reaches racial justice, immigrant legal relief, housing justice, environmental justice, worker rights, and youth leadership. A distinctive feature of the fund is its mix of general support and issue-specific grants for local organizing groups, from anti-racism work to rapid-response support for urgent community needs.
Recent awards show that it funds both established institutions and grassroots coalitions. In 2025, Healing Justice Santa Barbara received $60,000 for general support, while Collective Cultures Creating Change - Lompoc received $54,570 for a program or project. The fund also supported Martin Luther King Jr Committee Santa Barbara with $48,300 for general support, and One Community Action of Santa Maria Valley with $30,000 for a program or project. Other grants reached groups working on immigrant relief, cultural celebration, women’s health, and tenant or housing advocacy, reflecting a portfolio organized around community organizing and systemic change rather than isolated services.
What Fund for Santa Barbara Funds
In racial equity and anti-racism work, the fund gave $100,000 to Santa Barbara Foundation for preservation of Black leg, and $30,000 to National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Santa Maria-lom for general support. Cultural and commemorative work also appears in the grant list, including $25,000 to Santa Maria Lompoc NAACP for Juneteenth Celebration.
Health equity is another visible area. Planned Parenthood California Central Coast received $30,000 for general support, while Savie Health Corp received $18,500 for movement building/Stop the Hate. The fund also supports youth-facing organizing: Santa Barbara County Action N received $20,000 for Youth Alive, and Gateway Educational Services received $15,000 for a program or project.
Immigrant advocacy is present through the Tri-County Immigrant Relief Fund, which supports legal representation and emergency services across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.
How Fund for Santa Barbara Gives
Typical awards cluster in a relatively tight range: p25 is $8,500, median is $10,000, and p75 is $14,400. The recent list also includes larger grants, but the center of gravity sits around five-figure awards. The fund’s portfolio includes both one-time program support and longer-running movement-building grants; the Multi-Year Movement Building Grant is specifically reserved for pre-existing partners with at least three funding cycles and covers 24 months. It accepts unsolicited applications in some programs, including the Racial Equity Fund and Capacity Building offerings, while other programs are invitation-only or partner-based.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$464K
Total Assets
$5.6M
Total Revenue
$3.7M
Total Expenses
$2.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $9K and $14K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$14K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Intensidad de financiamiento
BajaAlta
Sede
Leadership
Eric Cardenas
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Deep Analysis
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EIN (identificación fiscal): 77-0070742Último Formulario 990: 2025Activos totales: 5,6 M US$3 declaraciones registradasEncuentra su declaración 990 completa →
general operating supportprogram/project grantsmovement building / grassroots organizingadvocacy and public policy supportcapacity building (staffing/reimagining)
Topics
racial justice & cultural preservation (Black & multicultural celebrations)immigrant/undocumented services and advocacyhousing stability & tenant rights (rent stabilization, fair housing)criminal justice reform & reentry (beyond incarceration)homelessness support and lived-experience leadershiphealth equity (women's health, patient escort services, healing justice)environmental justice (anti-nuclear/Close Diablo)
Where Fund for Santa Barbara Makes Grants
Grantmaking is entirely in California, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The strongest city-level presence is in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria, and Lompoc, with additional grants in Ventura, Oxnard, and New Cuyama. Santa Barbara County is the core geographic frame for most programs, while the Tri-County Immigrant Relief Fund extends into Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. Recent recipients include organizations in Goleta, Santa Maria, and Ventura as well as smaller communities such as Lompoc and New Cuyama.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fund for Santa Barbara
What kinds of organizations does Fund for Santa Barbara Inc support?
It supports nonprofit organizations and community groups working on economic, environmental, political, racial, and social justice. The recent grant list also shows support for immigrant legal relief, youth leadership, housing justice, women’s health, and cultural and racial equity work.
What is the typical grant size?
The distribution centers on modest grants: p25 is $8,500, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $14,400. Some programs allow larger awards, including a movement-building grant program up to $40,000 and a county racial equity grant program up to $100,000.
Does the fund offer multi-year support?
Yes. The Multi-Year Movement Building Grant supports pre-existing partners with a significant funding history, defined as three or more funding cycles, and provides support over 24 months.
Can organizations apply unsolicited?
Some programs accept unsolicited applications, including the Racial Equity Fund and Capacity Building workshops and resources. Other programs, such as the Multi-Year Movement Building Grant and the Tri-County Immigrant Relief Fund, are not open to unsolicited applications.
Where does the fund give?
Its giving is local and entirely in California. Santa Barbara County is the main geography, and the Tri-County Immigrant Relief Fund also covers Ventura County and San Luis Obispo County.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Oportunidades de Subvenciones Abiertas
Financiamiento actual y próximo de Fund for Santa Barbara al que tu organización sin fines de lucro podría postularse.
Abierta ahoraCierra en 12 días (9 oct 2026)Monto: Hasta 3 mil US$
Youth Making Change (YMC)
Youth-led social changeCommunity developmentEconomic justice+4 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Applicants must be youth ages 12-24 and propose a youth-led project with participants aged 12-24 taking leadership roles in development and submission of the application. The project must operate democratically, benefit youth in the community, address a problem affecting youth, have a sponsoring organization such as a school or community group, have an EIN or federal tax identification number and organizational bank account or use an eligible fiscal sponsor, align with the FUND's guidelines, and be located in Santa Barbara County.
Fecha límite: 2026-2027 applications are due Friday, October 9, 2026.
¿Quién puede postularse? Applicants must meet fund-specific eligibility requirements and undergo eligibility review. Stipends must be used for event accessibility initiatives and expended within six months.
Fecha límite: Rolling basis; stipends must be expended within six months.
Abierta ahoraRecepción continua / abiertaMonto: Hasta 25 mil US$
Voice & Vote Emerging Need Grant
Voting rightsVoter educationVoter registration+2 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Requests must support nonpartisan work protecting or expanding equitable ballot access, including civic engagement and voter education targeting low-propensity voters, and must meet The FUND’s general guidelines and eligibility requirements. Pre-application screening is required.
Fecha límite: Offered year-round until funds are exhausted; three-month funding term.
Abierta ahoraRecepción continua / abiertaMonto: Hasta 5 mil US$
Emerging Needs Grant (ENG)
Emergency organizingCommunity organizingSocial justice+1 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Applicants must meet the general eligibility criteria, submit an inquiry outlining the emerging need and urgency and demonstrating alignment with the FUND's guidelines and priorities, and pass staff screening. Requests for poor planning or management, cash-flow problems, depletion of funds, or insufficient fundraising efforts are not considered.
Fecha límite: No fixed deadline stated; inquiries are for urgent, unforeseen needs.
Abierta ahoraRecepción continua / abiertaMonto: Hasta 5 mil US$
Mickey Flacks Social Housing Fund
Social housingHousing justice
¿Quién puede postularse? Applicants must meet The FUND’s general Funding Guidelines and Priorities and the fund-specific eligibility requirements. Details are available from The FUND upon inquiry.
Fecha límite: Offered year-round until funds are exhausted; 12-month funding term.
Las fechas límite y los requisitos de elegibilidad son un resumen de fuentes públicas y pueden cambiar — confirma siempre los detalles en la página oficial de solicitud del financiador antes de postularte.
