Giving List Santa Barbara by Montecito Journal

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Santa Barbara

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Welcome to The Giving List Santa Barbara, 2023/24

t is my great pleasure to present to you The Giving List Santa Barbara, 2023/24 edition. Santa Barbara is my adopted home. With its physical beauty, community spirit, and commitment to local philanthropy unmatched, I can think of no place in the world I would rather live. But like so many cities today, Santa Barbara is straining under the weight of these complicated times. And as economic challenges rise, so do the needs of our local residents. That’s why we are more grateful than ever for the hard work and unrelenting commitment of Santa Barbara’s local nonprofits! On the front lines of a cataclysmic housing crisis, massive environmental challenges, assaults on women’s reproductive rights, and the growing need for greater racial and gender equity, these organizations are what stand between Santa Barbara’s most vulnerable residents and what lies beneath the safety net they provide. The Giving List was created to help nonprofits tell their powerful stories in a way that would allow donors to better understand and appreciate the critical services they provide. It was also intended to expose donors to nonprofits that may otherwise not make it on their radar, including newcomers who may not yet have a sense of the incredible array of local nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara. We hope that this publication will help you break through some of the noise created by so many pressing needs. The organizations in this book are not the only ones that

are doing great work in our community. But they are certainly representative of Santa Barbara’s vibrant nonprofit and philanthropic culture. They are organizations doing vital work at a critical moment in this community’s history, and we believe that they are among the best of Santa Barbara’s nonprofit organizations and are worthy of your strong support. This Giving List Santa Barbara would not be possible without the continued support of our stalwart community partners, Montecito Bank & Trust and the Santa Barbara Foundation. Both organizations exemplify the unrelenting commitment to community that is the hallmark of Santa Barbara. I can think of no better example than the bold move recently made by the Santa Barbara Foundation to take the lead on attempting to find and be part of solutions to our local housing crisis. This kind of community leadership is what will no doubt make the difference as we navigate the challenging headwinds facing communities near and far. We hope you enjoy this book, and that you will use it as a resource as you decide where to invest your much needed resources. With Gratitude, Gwyn Lurie CEO, The Montecito Journal Media Group

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Giving Back

How to DAF?

e launched The Giving List to help the nonprofit organizations featured in this book spend less time fundraising and more time doing the critical work demanded of them.

An increasingly popular and efficient tool to manage your giving is a donor-advised fund, or DAF.

Confronting the myriad and mounting challenges facing communities, the nation, and globe requires the ingenuity and dedication exhibited by the nonprofits that fill our pages. We have assembled their stories with the hope that you will see their value and invest in them. A large proportion of the nonprofits we feature are smaller and more grassroots. This means that while they may have the ideas and leadership to forge change, they don’t necessarily have the diversified revenue streams to reach their fullest impact. We are hoping you will change that by donating and helping them secure the predictable, unrestricted revenue they need to focus on what’s most important: the work. With you, we have the chance to invest in organizations with the potential to take on some of our most pressing challenges.

A DAF is like a charitable banking account, managed by a community foundation or by some of the world’s largest investment banking firms, where you can make a donation today and direct grants to worthy nonprofits later. A key advantage with a DAF is that it allows you, the donor, to take a tax deduction in the year you donate money or complex assets, while not compelling you to distribute the money immediately. This can mean time to make more thoughtful decisions about how you want to direct your charitable contributions. Many financial institutions and community foundations have low to zero start-up fees, making it possible for donors at any level to DAF.

Please join us by supporting your local nonprofits on the front lines of justice, whether that be fighting racism; using the arts to change culture; helping children, youth, and families in need; or striving to preserve our environment. We will all be better for it.

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How To Read This Book

he Giving List was created to make it easier for you to navigate the dizzying array of worthwhile causes and nonprofit organizations. To that end, we have distributed The Giving List to people like you: individual donors, staff within the region’s small and large private foundations, and to philanthropic advisors, wealth managers, and estate planners. As you dive into this book, we want to point out some of its unique features, and of The Giving List program as a whole.

Since launching January of 2022, our bi-weekly newsletter, The Giving List Newsletter, has become a venue for updates from our nonprofit partners and stories from the frontlines of philanthropy. We would love for you to join The Giving List Newsletter; please visit www.TheGivingList.com and follow the prompts.

Ongoing Support Our partnerships with the nonprofits in these pages do not end with the printing of this book. Each profile will live on TheGivingList.com through 2024, where we will be updating each profile once a month so that you can continue to track the important ongoing work of each and every Giving List organization.

You can also join our newsletter...

We hope that you will use the website as a guide not only for yourselves, but as an easy way to share the work of our partners – whether they be nonprofits, community foundations, or funder affinity groups – with your friends, family, and colleagues. Staying Connected We are building a community of people who care deeply about philanthropy and understand the vital role it plays in our world, and we want you to join.

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... by waving your phone’s camera over this QR code.

The Santa Barbara community and impactful nonprofits are dedicated to all facets of early childhood education and care. This Storyteller Children’s Center student receives year-round, therapeutic-informed education, which attempts to break the cycle of poverty, instill social-emotional resiliency, and foster academic success. (Photo by Kelly Sweda Photography)

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Contents

Santa Barbara Humane was founded in 1887 and

was one of the first animal welfare agencies in the country. With campuses in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Humane provides low-cost veterinary care, vaccines, and spay/neuter; affordable and humane dog training classes; pet adoption; and animal rehoming services. As a local community organization not funded by any national agency, Santa Barbara Humane relies on the generous support of our community to ensure cats and dogs receive the care they need. �� P. 34

Social Sector Leaders: Santa Barbara Foundation Always up to the Next Challenge �� P. 14

Profile – Yvette Birch Giller.

Growing Up With Philanthropy. ��P. 36

For the Children is dedicated to supporting and assisting children by providing childhood speech-language, literacy, and education programs for a lifetime of improved communication and confidence. ��P. 22

RiteCare Childhood Language Center

Homelessness and Housing

Gwendolyn Strong Foundation works to fill in

the gaps needed to create real change, and build a more inclusive future for those with disabilities. They provide practical family support, fund research, and are building the first inclusive playground in Santa Barbara. They work to inspire courage, foster inclusion, and create a kinder world around the globe. And above all else, they NEVER GIVE UP. ��P. 24

aims to provide its clients with the ability to lead healthy and productive lives through its Counseling Clinic, Life Skills Parenting and Education Program, Safe Parking and Rapid ReHousing Program, and the Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program. ��P. 40

New Beginnings

Wayfinder Family Services ensures that children, youth, and adults facing challenges always have a place to turn. They strive for a world in which every child and family can overcome the obstacles they face – a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive ��P. 26

PATH’s mission is to assist homeless individuals achieve self-sufficiency, by helping as many as possible access the services they need to transition to stable employment and housing ��P. 42

Profile – Luz Reyes-Martín.

Profile – Tammy Johnson.

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation’s

UCSB Arts & Lectures annually presents more than 100 public events from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. ��P. 48

Endless Opportunities to Make a Difference ��P. 28

Fulfilling Philanthropic Journeys. ��P. 44

Giving Paws

The Arts

mission is to strengthen disaster response in America by rescuing and recruiting dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters �� P. 32

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Granada Theatre – owned and operated by the

Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts – serves Santa Barbara by providing a vibrant, state-of-the-art venue where world-class artistic performances are available to the widest possible audience, promoting appreciation for the performing arts and enhancing the quality of life in our community. ��P. 50

has had a distinguished 80-year history of fascinating exhibitions and programs of international significance. The museum’s 25,000-piece permanent collection spans both the centuries and the globe. Offering a robust calendar of events, tours, classes, educational programs, lectures, and free resources for adults, families, and kids, the museum makes it easy for visitors to connect more deeply with the artwork. ��P. 52

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Santa Barbara Symphony seeks to enrich the lives of

SB residents by producing and presenting the highest quality musical experiences performed with artistic excellence, which is accessible to the entire community; and to inspire a passion for symphonic music in the next generation of audience members, musicians, and funders. ��P. 54

Profile – Christian McGrath.

Christian McGrath Just Got Here and Already Knows His Way Around. How? ��P. 56

Youth Development NatureTrack fosters a fascination with nature for

students in kindergarten through 12th grades through free field trips led by trained volunteer docents to a variety of local ecosystems from the forest to the beach. Formulated in conjunction with their school curriculum, kids are engaged in fun and educational activities as they learn to become stewards of our natural resources. No students, volunteers, or teachers are left behind as the special program Freedom Trax allows those in wheelchairs to join in the field trips ��P. 60

AHA! (Healthy Attitudes, Emotional Harmony, and Lifelong Achievement) equips teenagers, educators, and parents with social and emotional intelligence to dismantle apathy, prevent despair, and interrupt hatebased behavior ��P. 62

Storyteller Children’s Center helps Santa Barbara’s homeless, at-risk toddlers and preschoolers achieve Kindergarten Readiness by providing therapeutic preschool and support services for their families ��P. 64

Family Well-being Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) is a highly respected, progressive agency providing Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse Treatment, and Prevention/Education services to adults, adolescents, children, and their families. CADA offers integrated treatment on a continuum of care including: Social Model Detox & Residential Treatment; Intensive Outpatient (IOP); Outpatient Treatment; Mental Health Therapy; Prevention and Education ��P. 68 Family Service Agency (FSA) helps strengthen and advocate for families and individuals of all ages and diversities, helping to create and preserve a healthy community. Established in 1899, FSA improves the health and well-being of our community’s most vulnerable children, families, and seniors by ensuring access to food, shelter, and other basic needs, as well as providing case management, advocacy, and mental health program ��P. 70

Catholic Charities was founded over a century ago by men and women who believed that the collective efforts of the church to faithfully serve people in need could change the course of poverty in our nation. At Catholic Charities we help people, regardless of their faith, who are struggling with poverty and other complex issues. At CCUSA, our advocacy and disaster relief programs – and our support of member agencies in our network – is making tangible progress toward providing help and hope to our neighbors across the country. �� P. 72 is a research and advocacy venture committed to funding world-class, innovative, and cross-disciplinary cancer research to find a cure for those individuals born with a RUNX1 mutation. Patients with this gene mutation have a heightened risk for developing blood cancers. Runx1 has one goal: Prevent Cancer �� P. 74

RunX1

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Profile – Santos Guzman.

Profile – Reverend Dr. David Moore, Jr.

Upholding Community and Faith in Santa Barbara P. 90

The Story of Santos, Taqueria El Bajio, and the Holiday Lights on Milpas ��P. 76

Community Resilience

Education

The Fund for Santa Barbara is a community foundation that supports organizations and groups working for progressive social change in Santa Barbara County. The FUND is dedicated to helping find solutions to current and emerging social problems and issues that challenge our society as a whole ��P. 94

Friends of VADA is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization created to support the Visual Arts & Design Academy (VADA) both financially and with in-kind volunteer help. The Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA) is a small learning community at Santa Barbara High School with about 225 students in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. They are a unique “school-within-a-school” that integrates rigorous academic coursework with projectbased, career-focused art and design instruction, in a supportive and creative environment ��P. 80

Sweet Wheel Farms/Santa Barbara Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation teaches organic farming techniques and provides expert agricultural knowledge that can aid in sustainably and ethically feeding fragile populations and transforming food deserts into flourishing food forests. Additionally, the SBAFE Foundation donates to those in need and supports other charitable organizations with natural and organic farmed products ��P. 96

California Missions Foundation is a nonprofit

public benefit corporation dedicated to preserving the landmark California Missions and associated historical and cultural resources for the benefit of the public through funding preservation activities and facilitating educational programs, conferences, and scholarship ��P. 82

M.E.R.R.A.G. (pronounced “mirage”) is a network of trained volunteers who live and/or work in the Montecito area. Members are prepared to respond to a community disaster during the critical first hours following an event. Since 1987, the mutual “self-help” organization has served Montecito’s 9,000 residents with the guidance and support of the Montecito Fire, Water, and Sanitary districts ��P. 98

Santa Barbara City College Foundation fuels

the excellence of Santa Barbara City College by engaging the community, building relationships, and inviting the generosity of donors. The resources raised and managed by the Foundation enrich college programs, remove barriers, and empower students to succeed �� P. 84

Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization,

active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay �� P. 100

Mission Scholars seeks to level the playing field,

providing high-performing, underrepresented students access to the same level of support that their wealthier peers receive ��P. 86

102

Holocaust Museum LA is the only cultural institution in Los Angeles with a sole focus on the horrific impact and the enormity of the Holocaust that is free for students. Through customized tours, artifactrich exhibitions, creative educational programs, and intergenerational conversations with survivors, the Museum teaches students and visitors to think critically about the lessons of the Holocaust and its social relevance today ��P. 88

Healthcare Sansum Diabetes Research Institute is dedicated to improving the lives of people impacted by diabetes through research, education, and clinical care �� P. 104 | Santa Barbara |

SEE International provides free sight-restoring

surgeries and essential eyecare services to people who would otherwise be unable to access the care they need �� P. 106

Cottage Health believes the people of Santa Barbara should have the best healthcare in the nation – right here at home – in our community. That’s why it is committed to being one of the best hospitals in the country… and to always be reaching higher �� P. 108 Sansum Clinic’s mission is to provide an excellent healthcare experience, recognizing its first priority is the patients it serves ��P. 110 Hospice of Santa Barbara, since 1974, has been

providing compassionate care and support to those impacted by serious illness and the bereaved in our community. It is the second oldest hospice program in the United States, and it continues to build today on its distinguished history ��P. 112

Profile – Gabriella Taylor.

The Unexpected Challenges of Philanthropic Women �� P. 114

116

Advocacy Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County provides free legal assistance to Santa Barbara County residents. Their mission is to provide high-quality civil legal services to low-income and other vulnerable residents in order to ensure equal access to justice. They change lives through direct representation, legal advice and information, and community education �� P. 118 Hillside is a residential facility for 59 people with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, and epilepsy. They provide a home that supports residents’ efforts to maximize their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional abilities so that they can attain their highest level of independence in an environment where people are treated with dignity and respect ��P. 120

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence unites people of all identities, races, and ethnicities from coast to coast, young and old, progressive and conservative, and everything in between, fed up and fired up, to protect our country from what is killing it. Guns. P. 122

Profile – Susan F. Petrovich.

Preserving Santa Barbara’s Environment While Protecting Farmers and Ranchers Rights ��P. 124

126

Environment Community Environmental Council (CEC) builds on-the-ground momentum to reverse the threat of the climate crisis. They transform the systems that fuel it. They safeguard the community from its impacts. And every day, they move people to create a more resilient California Central Coast �� P. 128 Explore Ecology works with over 30,000 children a year, inspiring them to engage with the natural world, think critically, and experience the value of environmental stewardship. Explore Ecology programs include the Art From Scrap Creative ReUse Store and Gallery, Environmental Education, Watershed Resource Center, and School Gardens. Their goal is to promote a greater understanding of the connections between people and their environment and to encourage creative thinking through hands-on environmental education and artistic expression ��P. 130 White Buffalo Land Trust builds healthier soils, sequesters carbon, increases biodiversity, improves the health of our water cycle, reaches our climate goals, and builds resiliency ��P. 132 Marine Watchdogs is an environmental action company using technology to monitor and preserve ocean ecosystems. Among other things, they lobby and produce public service messaging focused around toxic waste runoff into the ocean and reducing single-use plastics, especially water bottles ��P. 134

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136

To learn more about joining The Giving List Community, please contact: vicki@thegivinglist.com

Community Treasures Ganna Walska Lotusland preserves and enhances the unique, historic estate of Madame Ganna Walska, care for and improve its collections, and develop its conservation and horticulture programs, so they educate us, inspire us, and advance our understanding and appreciation of the importance of plants in our lives and in the life of the planet �� P. 138

CEO & Founder Gwyn Lurie

gwyn@montecitojournal.net President & Founder Tim Buckley

Elings Park Foundation supports Elings Park, which is the largest community-supported nonprofit public park in America. More than 200,000 visitors use the 230-acre park annually �� P. 140

tim@montecitojournal.net Executive Editor Vicki Horwits

vicki@thegivinglist.com

Profile – David Bolton.

Art Director Trent Watanabe

Learning From the Past: Preserving California’s Mission History �� P. 142

Deputy Art Director Stevie Acuña Director of Partnerships & Operations Jessikah Fechner

jmoran@montecitojournal.net Copy Editor Lily Buckley Harbin Administration & Billing: Valerie Alva

frontdesk@montecitojournal.net Contributors:

Joanne A. Calitri, Stella Haffner, Steven Libowitz, Gary Marks, Brian Rinker, Dipti Vaidya, Jeff Wing

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is published by: Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC. Corporate Offices located at: 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108 For inquiries: phone (805) 565-1860 email tim@thegivinglist.com

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Nonprofit by Category Index Advocacy

and Farm Education Foundation . . 96

Brady Center to Prevent

Homelessness & Housing

Brady Center to Prevent

The Fund for Santa Barbara . . . . . . . 94

Gun Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

New Beginnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Gun Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

White Buffalo Land Trust . . . . . . . . 132

Catholic Charities -

PATH Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Santa Barbara Foundation . . . . . . . . 14

Hillside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Legal Aid Foundation of

Community Treasures

Council on Alcoholism

Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . . . 118

California Missions Foundation . . . . 82

and Drug Abuse (CADA) . . . . . . . . . 68

Human Rights

Sansum Diabetes Research Institute 104

Elings Park Foundation . . . . . . . . . . 140

Hillside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Santa Barbara Foundation . . . . . . . . 14

Ganna Walska Lotusland . . . . . . . . 138

Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . . 70

Public Square

Animals

Education

Gwendolyn Strong Foundation . . . . 24

California Missions Foundation . . . . 82

National Disaster Search Dog

California Missions Foundation . . . . 82

Hospice of Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . 112

Elings Park Foundation . . . . . . . . . . 140

Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Explore Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

New Beginnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Gwendolyn Strong Foundation . . . . 24

Santa Barbara Humane . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Friends of VADA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

RUNX1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Ganna Walska Lotusland . . . . . . . . 138

SEE International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Children

Social Justice

Holocaust Museum LA . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Storyteller Children’s Center . . . . . . 64

Community Environmental Council . . 128

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Inc. -

Marine Watchdogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . 26

Holocaust Museum LA . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Mission Scholars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Explore Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

NatureTrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Fostercare

of Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . 118

Family Service Agency

RiteCare Childhood Language

Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . 26

The Fund for Santa Barbara . . . . . . . 94

of Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . . 70

Center of Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . 22

Friends of VADA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Santa Barbara Foundation . . . . . . . . 14

Global Reach

The Arts

Gwendolyn Strong Foundation . . . . 24

Santa Barbara Humane . . . . . . . . . . . 34

National Disaster Search Dog

Friends of VADA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

RiteCare Childhood Language

Santa Barbara Museum of Art . . . . 52

Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Ganna Walska Lotusland . . . . . . . . 138

Center of Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . 22

SBCC Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Sansum Diabetes Research Institute 104

Granada Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . 26

Storyteller Children’s Center . . . . . . 64

Direct Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Santa Barbara Museum of Art . . . . 52

Sweet Wheel Farms/S.B. Agriculture

SEE International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Santa Barbara Symphony . . . . . . . . . 54

Legal Aid Foundation

Community Resilience

and Farm Education Foundation . . 96

AHA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

UCSB Arts & Lectures . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Health

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles

White Buffalo Land Trust . . . . . . . . 132

Cottage Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Youth Development

Inc. - Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . 72

UCSB Arts & Lectures . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Council on Alcoholism

AHA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Community Environmental Council . . 128

Environment

and Drug Abuse (CADA) . . . . . . . . . 68

Council on Alcoholism

Direct Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Community Environmental Council . . 128

Direct Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

and Drug Abuse (CADA) . . . . . . . . . 68

Family Service Agency

Elings Park Foundation . . . . . . . . . . 140

Hillside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Mission Scholars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

of Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . . 70

Explore Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Hospice of Santa Barbara . . . . . . . 112

NatureTrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Legal Aid Foundation

Ganna Walska Lotusland . . . . . . . . 138

New Beginnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Santa Barbara Museum of Art . . . . 52

of Santa Barbara County . . . . . . . . . 118

Marine Watchdogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Sansum Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Storyteller Children’s Center . . . . . . 64

M.E.R.R.A.G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

White Buffalo Land Trust . . . . . . . . 132

Sansum Diabetes Research Institute 104 SEE International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Family Well-being

Sweet Wheel Farms/S.B. Agriculture

AHA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

and Farm Education Foundation . . 96

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A Community Philanthropic North Star - Connecting Donors with Opportunities to Strengthen Santa Barbara County BY STEVEN LIBOWITZ

anta Barbara Foundation’s latest report on the State of Nonprofits in Santa Barbara County, published in autumn of 2023, indicates that the total of such organizations has now soared past 2,000 – a significant number considering that the county’s total population is just a tad over 455,000. It might seem both difficult and daunting to navigate among nonprofits, given that there are multiple, often single-issue organizations, serving nearly every imaginable sector, all of which do important, impactful work. That’s where the Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF) comes in, and what makes the organization so valuable. As the largest community foundation in the region, SBF serves as the county’s go-to resource in the social sector, a philanthropic one-stop shop working to meet residents’ basic needs, and striving to ensure that our community continues to thrive. Over the course of its 95-year history, nearly every Santa Barbara County nonprofit organization and essential community project has been supported by the Foundation through a multifaceted approach that includes grant-making, initiatives, capacity-building, and more. The Foundation tirelessly works to improve areas that affect quality of life in our county by expertly and efficiently bringing together stakeholders and subject matter experts to define challenges and develop solutions. SBF employs comprehensive programs designed to take a big picture approach to tackling issues by both funding and strengthening direct-service nonprofits while also offering a wide array of tailor-made services for donors to align with their philanthropic goals. The formula has proven astonishingly effective for the Foundation. SBF maintains a more-than-healthy $642.5 million in assets, received $50.1 million in contributions in 2022, and dispersed nearly $28 million in grants, representing both discretionary grants as well as donor-directed funds. Philanthropists have long partnered with SBF to

Jackie Carrera, President and CEO, Santa Barbara Foundation. (photo by Dean Zatkowsky)

steward their charitable assets and assist in navigating the logistics of giving, creating customized plans that align with their passions and gift-giving goals. “Donors have a trusted resource in the Foundation because of our extensive partnerships with nonprofits throughout the community and the scope and collaborative nature of our grant-making programs,” says Judith Smith‑Meyer, SBF’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “They can trust that we’ll help them meet their philanthropic goals in areas that they care about, and causes that they want to support and advance.”

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Housing Day. (photo by Meghan Robles for Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara)

As part of its programs to produce effective philanthropy, SBF also works to ensure that the area’s nonprofit leaders and their organizations have the tools, skills, and resources to fulfill their mission, through capacity-building workshops, leadership development, and technical assistance programs – all funded through its innovative Collaboration for Social Impact. “We support nonprofits to help them be as sustainable as possible, strengthen their internal functions, and expand their impact so that they can achieve their missions,” Smith-Meyer says. “That includes management disciplines such as developing their values, clarifying their objectives, creating strategic plans, often in collaboration with other organizations, as well as board governance and program evaluation – whatever their needs are.” Indeed, while the Foundation’s financial might is what makes it possible for SBF to take an essential role in tackling issues affecting the community when and wherever they arise, the organization’s effectiveness also comes from its ability to leverage relationships with donors, nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses to not only fund, but foster collaborations, coordinate approaches and convene initiatives and gatherings to serve as force multipliers. “We focus on leading philanthropic solutions, but we work in partnership to develop a broad understanding of needs, resources, obstacles, or challenges,” Smith‑Meyer says. “We’re able to convene stakeholders to really learn about how issues actually play out in our community, what potential solutions might have been proposed or undertaken and then support collectives and coalitions to flesh out the essential common threads.”

As part of its new five-year strategic plan, the Foundation has targeted several issues for focus in 2024 and beyond. Chief among them is the area of housing affordability. “Having stable housing within your own community impacts everything,” explains Tammy Johnson, SBF’s Vice President of Philanthropic Services. “Housing touches on health, well-being, education, the business sector, essential workers, teachers, people who work in healthcare – all the services that we need to run our businesses. Philanthropy has a very important part to play in the solutions. What we can bring is grant-making dollars, loans for development projects, investing in the infrastructure, and helping with that unified message about why it’s so important.” To that end, SBF commissioned a report on Housing Affordability for Santa Barbara County, a project that spanned the course of an entire year, with a 40-person advisory committee holding dozens of listening sessions

Housing affordability is one of our county’s most pressing issues. (photo by Veronica Slavin)

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“We want to be the catalyst for fostering a new culture of philanthropy in Santa Barbara County. We want to continue to be the hub while inspiring more giving so that we’re all working together to solve problems.”

People’s Self-Help Housing affordable housing community Jardin de las Rosas in Santa Barbara. (photo by RRM Design Group)

| Santa Barbara |

Jackie Carrera and California State Senator Monique Limón at SBF’s Housing Affordability Report release. (photo by Veronica Slavin)

and focus groups, conducting interviews and engaging in extensive research. More than 120 people in total were involved in informing the recommendations in the just-published report. The Foundation’s immediate plans are to organize a funders collaborative, sharing research and best practices,

SBF team members at 2023 Person of the Year celebration. (photo by Dean Zatkowsky)

with the aim of reaching an aspirational level of $10 million in pledges, grants, and investments for Santa Barbara County within five years. “We’re proud to be bringing parties together to build cohesive and comprehensive plans, initiatives, and solutions for what has become a countywide crisis,” says Smith‑Meyer. Other current areas of emphasis for SBF include equity in digital access through a coalition and grant-making, and striving to alleviate the imbalance between resources and needs between North and South County. Of course, a great deal of the Foundation’s efforts continue to go toward meeting basic needs for our most vulnerable neighbors in terms of food, shelter, safety, and healthcare – areas that date back to SBF’s founding, a few years before the Great Depression resulted in widespread desperation in the county. Santa Barbara Foundation also firmly focuses on the needs of working families, including supporting childcare and workforce development through comprehensive grants. SBF also maintains individual funds to protect our local natural environment, support scholarships for higher education, and enhance the arts. “We’re engaged in the cultural life of the community, and conserving and providing access to all of our beautiful natural spaces,” Smith-Meyer says. “They’re so important to life in Santa Barbara County, part of what makes it such a unique place.” In addition to specific issues to address over the next five years, the new strategic plan has a broader, bird’s-eye view

theme, Johnson says, one that aspires to exponentially increase the Foundation’s impact and elevate the community. “We want to be the catalyst for fostering a new culture of philanthropy in Santa Barbara County,” she says. “We want to continue to be the hub while inspiring more giving so that we’re all working together to solve problems. So we’re going to be more intentional in making sure that we’re looking at all forms of giving, including donor circles and supporting the rising generation of donors. We’re examining how diverse communities define philanthropy – what they’re giving in time, treasure, or talent – and celebrating those different forms so that we can all be philanthropists with the resources that we have and all make a difference in our local communities for the greater good of our whole county.” Whatever method of gifting fits your financial picture and wherever you want to achieve your charitable goals, Santa

Barbara Foundation can facilitate all forms of giving whether simple or complex, and assist you in directing your donation where it will be most effective, employing its broad expertise and experience with community issues and needs to maximize charitable giving by removing administrative burden. “We have the relationships, we have the knowledge of the community, and we have almost 100 years of experience. That’s what lets us be very effective,” Johnson says. “We are capable of meeting philanthropists wherever they are in the giving process, and helping them have the kind of impact that they’re looking for.” With the new five-year strategic plan ready for unveiling as the calendar turns to 2024, it’s a perfect time to connect with the Foundation and its donor services team to join in putting the plan into action and significantly strengthen the community we all call home.

Santa Barbara Foundation Housing Affordability Report release press conference at People’s Self-Help Housing’s Jardin de las Rosas. (photo by Veronica Slavin)

| Santa Barbara |

“We focus on leading philanthropic solutions, but we work in partnership to develop a broad understanding of needs, resources, obstacles or challenges.”

SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION Tammy Johnson Vice President, Philanthropic Services Tjohnson@SBFoundation.org SBFoundation.org (805) 963-1873 South County – 1111 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 North County – 2625 S. Miller Street, Santa Maria, CA 93455 Tax ID# 95-1866094

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| Santa Barbara |

For the Children Children are precious, sensitive, and impressionable. And they are the future. What they need more than anything are adults that will fight for them no matter how hard that fight may be.

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RITECARE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE CENTER OF SANTA BARBARA

A Lifetime of Improved Communication and Confidence for Struggling Children

“S

Chit Chat explorers are on safari to hunt for better speech and language skills! Safari Week at Camp Chit Chat 2023.

ver since its inception in 1984, the RiteCare Childhood Language Center of Santa Barbara (a program of the CA Scottish Rite Foundation) has been the only program in Santa Barbara County offering free language and speech therapy for children. For those unable to afford private language therapy, RiteCare’s speech-language, literacy, and education therapy programs for preschoolers can result in improved communication and confidence that last a lifetime. Its programs are more extensive than what the public school system can provide, and the nonprofit also works closely with parents to equip them with all the tools and specific strategies necessary for carrying out the skills learned in therapy each week. “Our services are dynamic and intensive. They’re also very effective, and it’s exciting for us to see how much a child can change once they get the confidence in their voice,” says speech-language pathologist Julie DeAngelis, RiteCare’s longtime center director. Jack is a recent success story. Just three and a half years old when he came to RiteCare, he could only repeat limited words spoken to him and had no spontaneous language skills other than speaking in jargon. He never talked to anyone at school, always played alone, and wasn’t able to ask his teachers for

things that he needed. “After two months in therapy and working with his parents, he became the star of the group, with amazing language and vocabulary,” DeAngelis says. “He’s really imaginative and does a lot of pretend play, interacting with other kids. It’s just a huge change in his life.” The Santa Barbara center has also expanded its programs to accommodate reading deficiencies or social skills difficulties that weren’t being fully met elsewhere, creating the literacy intervention program Brain Lab, which is unique among RiteCare centers in California. “Kids who can’t read well become very

Making reading therapy fun is one of our specialties at Brain Lab. With the help of university student coaches, our clinicians lead a program aligned with the science of reading that students love to come to after school.

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anta Barbara RiteCare Language Center is an amazing organization that helps children with language and reading in fun and engaging ways, utilizing both gross and fine motor techniques. This success is attributed to their caring staff and unwavering community support. It's crucial to sustain this center so that all youth, regardless of their financial situation, can access the strong educational fundamentals they need for a thriving future.”

– David Bradley & Chelsea Rangsikitpho RiteCare Supporters

withdrawn, not even wanting to do anything,” DeAngelis says. “But once we are able to help them they have this shift in their attitude toward learning and they just blossom. Now they run through the door so excited to share their spelling words with us.” Similarly, RiteCare’s imaginative and socially interactive Camp Chit Chat puts preschool-age children in small groups to engage in motor skills, social, cognitive, and early literacy and language activities to help them not only keep up with essential communication skills but foster growth as well during the summer months. “Parents have told us their kids were able to make their first friendships at Chit Chat,” DeAngelis says. Growth also applies to the nonprofit’s staff. Program Director Summer Calvert recently earned a dyslexia certification – a year-long process that will increase the effectiveness of the center’s programs, as it aligns efforts with the science of reading. “We wanted to receive specialized training to make our program stronger and help more kids,” she says. “That’s what we’re here for.”

A Small Investment Makes a BIG IMPACT in Giving a Child a Voice

iteCare Childhood Language Center’s ongoing speech and language therapy programs, along with its summertime Camp Chit Chat, are all provided at no cost to the families. They rely entirely on donations and grants to offer these life-altering sessions to those who don’t have the means for private help. With only two Speech-Language Pathologists on staff, the ever-expanding waitlist means many youngsters aren’t getting their needs met at a critical time in their lives. Just $60,000 would enable RiteCare to hire a third Speech-Language Pathologist, allowing the small organization to instill another 30 children with communications skills that increase learning and make a dramatic difference in their lives going forward. “It’s our dream to be able to bring on another therapist and help more children,” says Summer Calvert, program director.

We currently have 51 children waiting to receive services in one of our programs. Many of these children are not receiving any services at all and are behind their peers in speech, language and reading skills. There is an urgent need to hire another clinician; we need your support. KEY SUPPORTERS

Fostering friendships is a big goal in our Super Brains program, a social and emotional skills group where children learn about conversations and social connections, taking others' perspectives, and self-regulation.

RiteCare Childhood Language Center of Santa Barbara

www.casrf.org/santabarbara 16 East Carrillo Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 962-8469

Contact: Arthur Salazar Executive Vice President (714) 547-7325 asalazar@casrf.org

Wood-Claeyssens Foundation Sidney E. Frank Foundation Santa Barbara Foundation Towbes Foundation Roy and Ida Eagle Foundation Mark & Amy Frank Scottish Rite – Valley of Ventura County Hutton Parker Foundation Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians Santa Barbara Lodge of Perfection David Bradley & Chelsea Rangsikitpho Westerlay Orchids American Riviera Bank King David’s Lodge Carpinteria Masonic Association Maurice & Mary Sourmany

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: California Scottish Rite Foundation 303 W Lincoln Ave., Ste 150 Anaheim, CA 92805

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 94-6078728 By Credit Card:

www.casrf.org/donate

GWENDOLYN STRONG FOUNDATION

“Play is Not a Luxury”

Gwendolyn’s Playground is an integral component of a re-imagined 10-acre public space, which includes building a new tournament-grade multi-sport field, a youth baseball field, a fitness area, walking paths, picnicking, public art, gardens, and more at Dwight Murphy Field.

ictoria and Bill Strong brought their baby home with that mix of gratitude and indescribable joy – the heart-squeezing hallmarks of new parenthood. When little Gwendolyn began to show signs that something may be amiss, their pediatrician had them check into Cottage Hospital. Three months later the Strongs took the phone call that would change their lives – and ultimately the lives of others. “Our pediatrician ordered the simple blood test for SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), which is a rare neuromuscular disease,” Victoria says. “Our neurologist called and told me over the phone, ‘You have maybe six months. There’s nothing you can do.’” The phrase “there’s nothing you can do” is to some people a red cape waved at a bull. Meet the aptly named Victoria Strong. “To be told there was just absolutely nothing… we went on our crusade.” The young couple became activist steamrollers, their dogged efforts moving the mountain. They formed the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. “Literally from Gwendolyn’s hospital bed, we started lobbying congress for increased funding.” These pugnacious efforts, and the gloves-off help of Congresswoman Lois Capps, ultimately yielded a new gene therapy for SMA, one that would drastically affect the impacts of the disease and length of life – though not for their own daughter. Largely unable to move or speak but given to rapid finger-tapping as an expression of happiness, Gwendolyn continued throwing sparks everywhere she went.

The Strongs’ first walk to the playground included a specialized recumbent chair on wheels, five life-giving machines, and a little girl excited to seize the day. “Gwendolyn was not impacted on her inside,” Victoria says. “Like every child, she saw the playground and immediately – here’s joy! Here’re other children! She would look over and she would tap her fingers. ‘What’s that over there? Get me over there!’ We had to literally carry her chair over the wood chips...” One day at the playground, Gwendolyn and a friend were holding hands when her little playmate asked a simple question: “You have a ramp that comes out of your van. Why don’t they have a ramp at the playground so Gwendolyn can go to the top to see the trees with me?” Today that rhetorical question is being answered with a community project of historic import. The foundation is building Gwendolyn’s Playground, a planned, approved, and partially funded 10-acre wonderland of color and accessibility – and of a new way of seeing each other. “When disability is normalized for children in this setting, it changes the way they see the world as adults,” Victoria says. Gwendolyn’s Playground will be a sprawling, sensory-rich gathering place without the impediments that have made standard playgrounds inaccessible to so many. In years to come, thousands of kids will happily exhaust themselves in the company of new pals, ushering in a new world. Children have always been our most frank proponents of fairness. “Most of the parents are | Santa Barbara |

really loving and they want to say the right thing, but they didn’t grow up around disabilities and they get awkward. Then of course,” Victoria says through laughter, “the kids run up and rip that band-aid off!” Gwendolyn’s Playground can’t help but be the cultural sea change that only kids have the untainted power to bring about. “Kids who were wonderful friends to Gwendolyn in kindergarten, they’re in high school now. Seeing the things that they’re volunteering for, the ways that they show up… they tell me how Gwendolyn taught them not to worry about their own differences, to be more resilient, to have more empathy. What does it matter? This playground is going to be a catalyst for real change.”

“T

he Manitou Fund’s support of Gwendolyn's Playground is not a gift but an investment in the standard we hold for this special corner of the world. Unbridled, unrestricted, and totally inclusive play is what truly fosters social growth, empathy, and joy. Its impact ripples out and benefits us all.”

– Nora McNeely Hurley Donor

The best playgrounds add value to the communities they inhabit, not only by fulfilling children’s need for play but also by serving as an integral part of the community. The best play spaces are stunning to behold, unique in their design, a destination other communities learn from, and a comment on a city’s values.

• 25% of the population has a disability, the largest minority group in the world • Santa Barbara has 0 inclusive playgrounds

“A

s a dad and a grandfather – I agree with the basic premise that is the foundation of this planned renovation: every child deserves to play. That mantra was what stuck with me as I worked behind the scenes in Washington to secure $1.5 million in federal dollars to directly support this important project that is already backed by local public and private funds.”

– Congressman Salud Carbajal Ally/advocate

2023 is the last year to become a Founding Partner! Join us in leaving a lasting legacy by building inclusion for all. Recognition of your community investment will be artfully displayed within the park. $2,500 - Commemorative Paver $5,000 - Community Partner Plaque $10,000 - Kindness Partner Plaque $25,000 - Friendship Partner Plaque $50,000 - Butterfly Partner Plaque $75,000 - Rainbow Partner Plaque $150,000 - NEVER GIVE UP. Partner Plaque

KEY SUPPORTERS NEVER GIVE UP. Partners $150K+ Manitou Fund, Nora McNeely Hurley The Mildred E. & Harvey S. Mudd Foundation and the Sprague Family Grassini Family Vineyards Robin & Roger Himovitz RAINBOW Partners $75K+ The Foley Family Charitable Foundation Smidt Family Foundation Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation BUTTERFLY Partners $50K+ Deckers Outdoor Corporation Grace Fisher Foundation Belle & Lily Hahn Hutton Parker Foundation

Gwendolyn Strong Foundation www.NeverGiveUp.org Mailing Address: 27 W. Anapamu Street, Ste. 177 Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Montecito Bank & Trust Mosher Foundation Natalie Orfalea Foundation Paskin Family Foundation Rudi Schulte Family Foundation Yardi Systems FRIENDSHIP Partners $25K+ Ann Jackson Family Foundation Mary & Lucy Firestone Leanne Schlinger KINDNESS Partners $10K+ Girl Scout Troop 50396 Montecito Firefighters Charitable Foundation Santa Barbara Foundation Williams-Corbett Foundation

Contact: Victoria Strong Executive Director Victoria@NeverGiveUp.org (805) 203-0334

The Many Ways to Give... By building a public space that celebrates our differences and gives everyone equal access and the chance to cultivate friendships, Gwendolyn's Playground will have a direct impact on dismantling stigma, instilling a broader understanding of diversity, and fostering relationships that are currently inaccessible, leading to a more tolerant and accepting future.

By Check: Gwendolyn Strong Foundation 27 W. Anapamu Street, Ste. 177 Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 26-4734446 By Credit Card:

www.NeverGiveUp.org/donate

WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

Making Summer Camp Accessible to Children and Youth with Disabilities “W

ith Wayfinder, we don’t feel like my son has a disability. We feel like everyone else.”

–Hagop,

Camper Daron’s Father

Since 1958, Camp Bloomfield has been offering life-changing experiences for children of all abilities.

“W

ith Wayfinder, we don’t feel like my son has a disability. We feel like everyone else.” This is the gift that Wayfinder’s Camp Bloomfield program has been giving to families of children with disabilities for over six decades. Founded in 1953 on the belief that those facing the greatest challenges deserve the chance to thrive, Wayfinder Family Services has developed a strong reputation for helping children and families that many other organizations are unable to serve. Wayfinder has steadily grown to encompass more than 20 comprehensive programs that provide expert, individualized services and support to an increasingly diverse population of children, youth, adults, and families. One of those programs is Camp Bloomfield, Wayfinder’s overnight summer camp for children and teens with vision impairment or multiple disabilities. It is the only one of its kind in the state of California that is offered free

of charge to participants. Since 1958, Camp Bloomfield has been offering life-changing experiences and sports adapted for children of all ages and abilities in a safe environment. Campers get to explore the natural world, cement friendships at the nightly campfire, learn new life skills, and become more independent. Daron has cerebral palsy and partial sight. He is nonverbal and says only a few words, so he uses a communication device to let his devoted family know what he needs – and to joke around. Daron requires assistance with all the basic functions of life, like eating and dressing. For Daron and his family, every moment at camp is special. The family began attending Camp Bloomfield when Daron was a young boy. This year, the camp was held in Santa Barbara and Daron, his father, Hagop, and 18-year-old sister Ani all attended. Camp staff and Daron’s family worked together to make sure that Daron had a truly | Santa Barbara |

joyful, memorable camp experience. The teen tried his hand at adaptive archery and went horseback riding under his dad’s attentive eye. Daron enjoyed archery and horseback riding. “I walk next to him to keep him on the horse because he is not able to stay on by himself,” Hagop explains. “That is one of my best moments.” Daron also loves the water, so Hagop spent an hour in the pool holding his son’s head out of the water, the two of them laughing endlessly. But making friends is Daron’s favorite activity. On karaoke night, he and his dad took on a favorite pop song, with his dad singing the chorus of the catchy tune and Daron joining in for the last word. The campers and families cheered. “It was a really great moment,” Hagop says. Camp is special for Ani, too. “She’s a little bit shy most of the time,” Hagop says, “but when she is at the camp, she tries to connect with other kids, especially the kids with vision problems.” Ani was so good at relating to the campers that Wayfinder invited her to be a camp counselor next summer. For Hagop, Camp Bloomfield offers a respite from daily life and a chance to be around other families of children with special needs. “We connect, share what we know, and talk about our concerns,” he says. “With Wayfinder, we don’t feel like my son has a disability. We feel like everyone else.”

Give Children with Disabilities and Their Families Summer Camp Memories ayfinder Family Services programs are always free. A $1,000 donation provides a five-day session of Camp Bloomfield for a child with visual impairment or multiple W disabilities. Campers and their families remember the moments they share at camp forever.

Last year, Wayfinder Family Services served more than 21,000 children, youth and family members across California, all at no cost to participants.

Every summer, Wayfinder’s Camp Bloomfield gives campers with disabilities moments of joy and independence and lifelong bonds.

KEY SUPPORTERS

“At Camp Bloomfield, the disabilities that made her feel different seemed to disappear among other campers who shared similar experiences.” – S.V., camper’s parent

Wayfinder Family Services www.WayfinderFamily.org 5300 Angeles Vista Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-4555 ext. 205

Contact: Vanessa Botshekan Associate Vice President of Development and Donor Relations (323) 295-4555 ext. 205 vbotshekan@wayfinderfamily.org

Board of Directors: Harold A. Davidson Scott M. Farkas, Esq. Erica Fernandez Timothy E. Ford, Esq. Robert D. Held Steve L. Hernández, Esq. Jonathan I. Macy, M.D. Linda Myerson Dean John Nicolaus Glenn A. Sonnenberg Fernando Villa, Esq. Tara Voss Elworth (Brent) Williams Jr. Stevie Wonder

Impact Council: Nicholas (Nick) Aull Kylene Barker Brian Barreto David Berg Christina Bjornstrom Otis Blum Robert Luce Zuber Memon Jason Russell Anita Siraki Jon Steinberg Camilla Walker

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Wayfinder Family Services 5300 Angeles Vista Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1977659 By Credit Card: www.WayfinderFamily.org/donate

Endless Opportunities to Make a Difference By Brian Rinker

uz Reyes-Martín comes from a family with a tradition of public service. Her father was a mail carrier for over 25 years, and her mother worked for the City of Los Angeles for more than two decades. Growing up, she developed a strong sense of community and commitment to public service that continues to influence her work as an elected official on the Goleta City Council. It was in high school, though, when Reyes-Martín’s career goal in public government solidified. She credits a high school teacher who assigned the class to go to a city council meeting. At that meeting, they discussed a tragic event where a police officer was involved in a shooting that led to someone’s death. This was the first time Reyes-Martín had come face to face with such serious community issues. The meeting was like a window into the world of city government and how people in the community could get involved. Many people at the meeting emotionally shared their thoughts, asking for answers and protection to ensure it never happened again. This made a big impact on ReyesMartín. Seeing community members speak up and seeing how the city responded to these important issues fascinated her. It made her want to be part of making a difference in her city through the government. Before being elected to the Goleta City Council in November 2022, she honed her skills in government as a Goleta school board member for eight years interacting with parents, teachers, and administrators, instilling a sense of readiness for the demands of a city council position. ReyesMartín juggles her elected responsibilities with family duties with her full-time job as vice president of advocacy and engagement at Planned Parenthood.

are placed on multi-year waitlists. I’m really glad to see recent momentum from various parts of our community stepping up to address it. At the City, we changed some of our land use policies to facilitate more creation of childcare in new developments. We just approved a medical office building project that incorporated a childcare center because we at the City made the permitting process easier for them to do that. Additionally, the City is working with affordable housing developers to include childcare facilities in their multifamily buildings. What are some examples of successful collaborations between government, philanthropy, and nonprofit organizations in addressing community issues? We have such a vibrant and engaged philanthropic community. I have seen the powerful ways that government and philanthropy and even private business can work together to address some really important issues in the community, such as homelessness. Homelessness is an issue that is very important and top of mind for a lot of our residents and community members. Dignity Moves is an organization that has had incredible success setting up tiny home communities for homeless individuals all across

Q: What are the most pressing issues in your community that you aim to address during your tenure? A: Childcare as an economic development issue. We have incorporated childcare as part of our economic development strategic plan. We hear struggles from residents and from employers who report childcare is a barrier to retention and recruiting talent. Do you see the lack of childcare as a social justice and equity issue? Absolutely. Childcare is incredibly expensive. With so few childcare options, we hear stories from residents who

| Santa Barbara |

Rallying for reproductive rights at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. Pictured from left: Madison Cuneo, Sandy Kievman, Catherine Swysen, Luz Reyes-Martín, and Janet Wolf.

Santa Barbara County. Goleta has its hand raised to be chosen for the next Dignity Moves community site. Could you highlight a city project you led that was successful? A sizable part of my district is made up of seniors, who are very vulnerable to the effects of climate change – wildfires, high heat waves, and power outages. Last year, we partnered with private industry to leverage available state and federal credits and rebates to put heat pumps and solar conversion battery storage in one of the largest senior communities. With heat pumps, which provide cool and hot air, and solar on the building, the community is much more resilient to climate events. If there is a power outage, battery storage ensures medication is safe, food doesn’t spoil, and temperature control remains active. We know that we’re going to continue to see climate-related events so we need to do everything we can to shore up our community.

“I have seen the powerful ways that government and philanthropy and even private business can work together to address some really important issues in the community, such as homelessness.”

In which areas of the community would you like to see philanthropy play a bigger role? Housing. We would love to see the philanthropic community get more involved in the housing solution. For example, the County Housing Authority needs funding and support. The agency needs a housing trust fund so that it can leverage all of its decades and decades of expertise to get matching grants from the state and the federal government. Do you have suggestions or advice on how individuals might be able to get involved like with public service or helping out their community? Start learning about what is happening in your neighborhood. That will help you discover opportunities where you could make a difference. The school district is a good place to look. Several foundations fill gaps in educational needs and are always looking for funding to support programming. We have many different opportunities to philanthropically support local nonprofits that are addressing a variety of important issues, such as childhood trauma, childhood hunger, and homelessness. The bright spot is we have no shortage of areas where you can give and make a difference.

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| Santa Barbara |

Giving Paws Animals help us physically and mentally. They offer professional support, they offer love and companionship, they rescue us from dire situations. And we can offer something back by supporting the organizations that care for these creatures who in turn care for us.

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NATIONAL DISASTER SEARCH DOG FOUNDATION

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation Puts First Responder Boots – and Paws – on the Ground

“W Seven canine search teams trained by the Search Dog Foundation searched the many square miles of rubble in Turkey after the devastating earthquake in February.

n the wake of Maui’s tragic 2023 wildfires, relief organizations and the goodwill of the world at large poured into the affected areas. Amid this bustling influx of aid, three California task force workers and their dogs quietly made landfall and began methodically working through the smoldering ruins. These National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF)-trained Human Remains Detection (HRD) teams would be instrumental in the painstaking search for victims in Maui’s devastated communities. “We say they’re like the Olympic athletes of the canine world,” says Denise Sanders, Senior Director of Communications & Search Team Operations at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. “They train up their stamina so their energy doesn’t flag in the course of these long searches.” In 1996, FEMA-Certified Canine Search Specialist Wilma Melville founded SDF to address the troubling shortfall of rescue canines she’d seen working the ruins of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing the year before in Oklahoma City. Melville drew up a training curriculum and model for an organization she envisioned as a mission of mercy – both for future victims of disaster, and for the unwanted dogs she would retrieve from shelters and transform into incomparably specialized, deeply loved rescue animals. “She needed to set up a system,” Sanders explains, “that could take all these different

types of dogs – and all these different types of humans – and figure out the best way to recruit, train, and partner them.” In 2017, the SDF’s privately funded National Training Center (NTC) launched near Santa Paula, California. The NTC is a sprawling, 145acre forensic mock-up of all the disaster scenarios for which SDF’s canine rescuers are arduously and lovingly trained. A map of the NTC includes such place names as Rubble Pile, Train Wreck, Collapsed Freeway, Tilted House, and more. “The tilted house is built to code, believe it or not,” Sanders says with a smile. Dog lovers may wonder if all shelter dogs complete the program, and what happens to those that don’t. “Once rescued, they’ll never have to be rescued again,” Sanders says. “That is our lifetime care promise to any dog that enters our program. It’s not just about the disaster search program, it’s about helping each and every dog.” The foundation offers its services to first responders with a two-word caveat: No Charge. “We all know that these first responder budgets have become strapped in recent years,” Sanders says. “We’re not charging fire departments or task forces for anything. Taxpayer dollars are not going towards these dogs. We’re able to do that because our donors believe in the work we do. These dogs and their loving handlers are out there training each and every day in preparation for something that we hope never happens.” | Santa Barbara |

atching the Search Dog Foundation grow from a small group of ardent volunteers into the nationally recognized organization it is today has been an inspiration and an honor. As a longtime philanthropist and volunteer for many organizations through the years, the sense of passion and perseverance and collective drive toward reaching a goal is one of the hallmarks of a great group of people united for a cause. The Search Dog Foundation’s staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and many supporters across the country have an insatiable need to keep growing and improving their work and the services provided. As a team, we know we will continue to strengthen disaster response in this country. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of so many – both human and canine.”

– George Leis

Chair, Board of Directors, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation; President & Chief Operating Officer, Montecito Bank & Trust

Search dogs and their handlers train together weekly to stay ready in case of deployment. The Search Dog Foundation campus contains disaster training props that help prepare them for any disaster scenario they may face on deployment.

What We Need: Future Canine Heroes For America

he frequency and strength of recent disasters are T stark reminders that they can strike at the heart of any community. In the search for victims, a search

dog’s remarkable nose and hard-earned skills mean the difference between days versus minutes, lost versus found, uncertainty versus hope. The National Search Dog Foundation (SDF) works diligently to ensure canine search teams across America can deploy at a moment’s notice when needed, which includes preparing the next generation of canine heroes. From the day they arrive on campus to the day they are paired with first responders, SDF spends approximately $60,000 to train a search dog over 10 to 12 months. SDF is raising $1,020,000 to train the next search dog graduates. Donors at $20,000 and above can become sponsors of a search dog in training, receiving updates on their progress and milestones throughout their career. Sponsor one or even a pack of canine heroes to be Part of the Search! No technology can match the incredible ability of a search dog's nose when it comes to finding those lost in the wreckage of disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, building collapses, and missing person searches.

KEY SUPPORTERS

SAVING LIVES, BOTH HUMAN AND CANINE The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has rescued and trained more than 300 dogs that have, in turn, rescued humans in disasters. Over 27 years, these expert teams have worked in the largest disasters: from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquakes in Haiti, and the earthquake in Turkey to missing persons and small structure collapses throughout the country. The foundation has pioneered a model for screening, training, and providing a lifetime of care for each dog it rescues, along with ongoing expert support for handlers. But the United States only has part of the amount of search teams truly needed. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation continues to innovate the training of both dogs and handlers every year, while ensuring every dog that enters its program will be successful, whether as a disaster search dog or in another career, by fostering the bonds that will create the next generation of working dogs. With a gift to the foundation, you can save lives both human and canine.

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation www.SearchDogFoundation.org 6800 Wheeler Canyon Road Santa Paula, CA 93060 (888) 4K9-HERO

Contact: Rhett Mauck Executive Director (805) 646-1015 Rhett@SearchDogFoundation.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS George Leis – Board Chair President and COO, Montecito Bank & Trust Richard Butt – Board Vice-Chair Retired EVP, Executive Creative Director, VMLY&R Mike J. Diani – Secretary President, Diani Building Corp. Christine DeVries Management Consultant Robert Harris Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department George R. Haynes, Ph.D. CEO, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation Crystal Wyatt Leadership in Board Governance and Creative & Sustainable Philanthropy

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: National Disaster Search Dog Foundation 6800 Wheeler Canyon Road Santa Paula, CA 93060

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SANTA BARBARA HUMANE

Keeping People and Their Pets Together

anta Barbara Humane, founded in 1887, was one of the first animal welfare agencies in the country, opening nearly seven decades before the national organization began.

Even though Santa Barbara Humane has been around for over 135 years, people are often surprised to learn that Santa Barbara Humane does not receive funding from national charities, nor are they affiliated with ASPCA or HSUS. “We might just be the best-kept secret in animal care around,” says CEO Kerri Burns. “We’re not just about adoptions. What makes us stand out is that we offer more services than any other animal welfare organization in Santa Barbara County. We support our shelter animals, community pets, and other animal organizations.” Operating out of two campuses, one in Santa Barbara and the other in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Humane’s offerings include low-cost veterinary care and affordable behavioral training. Their reach extends beyond shelter animals and includes community pets and transferred animals from under-resourced and overcrowded shelters across the state. Their veterinarians provide spay/neuter services, vaccines, preventative care, and simple and more complicated surgeries. Professional trainers support and rehabilitate behavioral challenges with various targeted classes when needed. Cost and behavioral issues are two leading causes of owner surrenders to shelters so Santa Barbara Humane offers community education as well. “Around 80% of families in this community have at least one pet and there’s such a strong bond,” Burns says. “So we expanded our programs beyond adoptions to really address what that means, and what it takes to keep pets happy and healthy in their homes, doing whatever we can to keep people and their pets together.” Demand for Santa Barbara Humane’s services exploded during the pandemic when the need for financial assistance mushroomed, and the increase hasn’t slowed. While 2,300 families received help through the organization’s TLC Fund for veterinary services in 2021, that number was just shy of 4,000 a year later. Among them were “Flaco” and his family, who had surrendered their beloved dog to another

Homer having his wellness exam in the veterinary clinic.

organization when it was determined that the only way to resolve Flaco’s serious health issue was with an expensive surgery that was beyond their means. Thanks to the TLC Fund, Santa Barbara Humane veterinarians were able to perform the surgery and return Flaco back to his loving family. When the Santa Barbara Humane representative called to tell them that Flaco’s successful surgery had been paid for through the TLC Fund and the family could come pick him up, both the kids and parents broke down in tears of joy. “That’s why we’re here. Nothing makes us happier than getting a pet back to its loving family,” says Burns. It is also why they are embarking on a capital campaign to build a new campus for Santa Barbara. Under new leadership, Santa Barbara Humane has modernized its operations and procedures. What they have been able to do within the constraints of a 60-year-old facility is remarkable. It is an exciting time to be a champion for the animals and the people who love them. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.sbhumane.org/vision. | Santa Barbara |

hat impresses me the most about Santa Barbara Humane is their unwavering commitment to providing comprehensive support and resources for the entire community, regardless of their background or circumstances. From the moment a pet becomes a part of your family, throughout their training and wellness journey, all the way to their end-oflife care, Santa Barbara Humane is there, treating both people and animals with boundless love and care. It's just extraordinary."

– George Leis

President & Chief Operating Officer Montecito Bank & Trust

Be a Champion for the Animals and the People Who Love Them As a local nonprofit organization, Santa Barbara Humane relies on community support to ensure cats and dogs receive affordable, high-quality veterinary care. Last year, the nonprofit provided $300,000 in free and low-cost veterinary care through its TLC program for local dogs and cats. “I’d love to see that figure doubled,” says CEO Kerri Burns. “We could help even more families in need and give more animals the care they require.” Donating to Santa Barbara Humane is one of the best ways to help our community’s animals. “Every amount goes toward strengthening the human-animal bond,” Burns says. Stella, adopted April 2023.

In the last year alone, Santa Barbara Humane has seen a 78% increase in requests for veterinary care financial assistance.

KEY SUPPORTERS Diamond & Garnett, two kittens adopted April 2023.

our passion for helping every animal you can is clear. Thank you very much for being there when I and so many others need you. You are a treasure in my book."

–Marci

Veterinary Clinic and Shelter Client

George Leis Ernesto Paredes Matt Porter Chad Prentice Susan Rodriguez Denise Sanford Arthur von Wiesenberger Nicole Wichowski Olivia Young

The Many Ways to Give...

Behavioral Training class, February 2023.

Santa Barbara Humane www.sbhumane.org 5399 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (805) 964-4777

Ed & Sue Birch John Corby Henry Dubroff David Edelman Janet Garufis Yvette Giller Steve Golis Leonard Himelsein Crystal Knepler Sofia Lariz

Contact: Paige Van Tuyl Chief Philanthropy Officer (805) 886-8706 paige@sbhumane.org

By Check: Santa Barbara Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals DBA Santa Barbara Humane 5399 Overpass Road Santa Barbara, CA 93111

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Growing Up with Philanthropy By Gwyn Lurie

or Yvette Birch Giller, president and COO of Santa Barbara’s Mosher Foundation, philanthropy is a family affair. Working alongside both her father, Ed Birch, the Foundation’s chair and CEO, and her mother, Suzanne Birch, a trustee and education program specialist, Giller, after 13 years at Mosher, is preparing to take the reins from the man she calls her mentor, her role model, and her biggest cheerleader. Today, Giller finds herself at the nexus of the gradual sunsetting of Santa Barbara’s legendary philanthropic foundation trailblazers, and the dawn of a new generation of foundation leaders. And Giller has the benefit of both hindsight and foresight as Santa Barbara continues to cement its reputation, even as in some ways it redefines itself, as a place where residents find community connection and meaning through their commitment to giving back.

been with the Mosher Foundation for 13 years. I’d lived in Santa Barbara longer and was aware of my dad’s work at Mosher, but I was volunteering at the kids’ school and at Storyteller, so I was seeing nonprofits from the other side. How important the funds were to organizations and how going out to foundations and other sources was so important. I’ve always been very close with my dad. He’s my role model, mentor, my biggest cheerleader. He encouraged me to join him at Mosher. Over the 13 years he’s been telling me how great it is to work together. And I feel the same way. My mom has been involved for a long time, too, as the education specialist. With both of them having such a strong background in education, I got to learn from them in more depth in that particular area, but just to be working side by side with them I learn a lot.

Q: When did philanthropy become a part of your life? A: I grew up with philanthropy. It was always a part of who we were as a family. My dad was always into sports, and we all played athletics; we lived in Ohio until I was 11. And besides being into sports, we’d go down and help at different activities in the town. But part of my dad’s job was also being involved in the community, so I tagged along with him. So, I started out as more of an observer. The first thing I did on my own was in junior high. I was bored one summer so I went down to Cottage Hospital and became a candy striper. That was really my first experience where it felt great to volunteer. People were going through different things, and I was there to talk and bring them meals. It was a transformative experience for me that led me to want to do more. How does that manifest now in your own nuclear family? My kids all went from K-8 to Marymount and part of the fabric of the school was giving back. So, they were exposed to participating in different community organizations. And my kids would do lemonade stands and raise funds for Afghanistan and different things that were happening in the world that they felt they could give back to. You recently began sharing responsibilities with your father in running the Mosher Foundation. How is that going? It’s the best thing in the world to work with my dad. I’ve

| Santa Barbara |

Can you give me a little history of the Mosher Foundation? It was originally the Samuel B. and Margaret C. Mosher Foundation, which was started by Sam Mosher back in 1952. And Sam passed away in the 1970s. Maggie Mosher informally ran the foundation. It wasn’t formalized as the Mosher Foundation we know today until 2002 after Maggie Mosher passed away. She gave to her areas of interest which included health, education, and the performing arts, which is how we formally established those as our three giving areas. As your generation takes over philanthropy, do you see a shift coming in Santa Barbara’s philanthropic priorities? It’s significant, the shift that’s happening right now in the foundation world. It’s a little early to tell, but I think that commitment to philanthropy is there, and probably growing stronger. There are a lot of newer foundations being established. And I think there’s a blurring of some of the different categories where you see how one thing affects another; much like the Santa Barbara Foundation coming out with their housing authority report, which is hugely important. We hear terms like trust-based philanthropy or intersectionality. Do you see those trends impacting philanthropy in Santa Barbara? I do. I think we’re learning right now. Melding old ways with new ways. We’re always wanting to do better by the nonprofits. Another buzz area is operational grants and why that’s so important. Which breaks from what we’ve traditionally done, which is programmatic grants. It’s my job to study that because, maybe that is best for the future of philanthropy in nonprofits. But the foundations all work very differently. We’re not a “one size fits all” and I know that’s difficult for the nonprofits. Do your personal philanthropic priorities differ from the priorities of the Mosher Foundation? In some ways, they do. But I have a passion for all these things. My passion is for animals, animal care and empathy, whether it be the zoo, the Humane Society… I’m a longterm vegan vegetarian who tries to do my best in that arena and how I live my life with empathy for animals. So that bleeds into what I eat and nourishment. And that journey has led me to learn about having healthy food education available. We live in California with a plethora of vegetables and fruits. And that helps the health outcomes of communities, and the environment.

be what was on people’s radar at that moment, is what they gave to. Do you see that? Absolutely. In this community, you give back in whatever way you can, and for people to find something that might resonate with them and how they can be a part of this community is really through working with nonprofits. I think The Giving List is a great way to try and get that out there. But The Giving List can’t get to everybody, so I think there’s many different spokes on that wheel and nonprofits need to work hard to get the word out when they don’t have a lot of time for that.

“In this community, you give back in whatever way you can, and for people to find something that might resonate with them and how they can be a part of this community is really through working with nonprofits.”

One of the reasons we started The Giving List is our sense that there wasn’t a great way for community members to learn about what their giving options are. So, it tended to

| www.thegivinglist.com |

| Santa Barbara |

Homelessness & Housing The United States is riven by a crushing homelessness crisis. Many have tried and failed to make an impact, but these organizations are all – from different tacks – making a positive impact.

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NEW BEGINNINGS

Ending Veteran Homelessness "I

n appreciation for the amazing work by New Beginnings! The Nonprofit World is essential for the well-being of our and all communities. Being a Trustee of the Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation, it is my fiduciary duty to ensure that donations given to an organization are spent as outlined by the Request for Grant. Serving Santa Barbara County, Eugene, Oregon, Cities of the California Desert, as well as San Diego, there are over 5,000 nonprofits seeking funding. Helping to minimize the monumental task of choosing the best fit to Grant funds is the task of each of our five Directors in their demographics. Those decisions are researched by respective Directors who give requests to an individual organization by invitation only. Witnessing the scope of work performed for the wellness of the Santa Barbara areas, New Beginnings has been an essential choice to fund."

- Dana Newquist

On June 9, 2023, New Beginnings opened our new office location with a grand opening celebration.

ew Beginnings has an ambitious and lofty goal for 2025: ending veteran homelessness in Santa Barbara County. It’s not a new aim for the nonprofit that has been serving the community for more than half a century. Beyond its foundational low-cost counseling services for low-income households, New Beginnings began tackling homelessness directly by launching its Safe Parking and Rapid Rehousing Programs in 2004, providing safe overnight parking to individuals and families who live in their vehicles as well as housing assistance services. The Safe Parking Program has served as a model for dozens of communities throughout the country. New Beginnings also became the county’s first agency to start a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program focused solely on serving Santa Barbara County, with the goal of helping veterans attain housing stability through short-term case management and financial assistance. The program serves veterans in danger of losing their housing, and those who are homeless and in need of assistance in obtaining permanent, traditional housing. But the nonprofit has re-doubled its efforts for 2024 after moving into its new offices last June. The New Beginnings Collaborative Center not only consolidates the organization’s outdated offices that had been spread out in several locations into a single space, but also provides much more efficient, one-stop services to New Beginnings’ clients across its various programs. Including veterans seeking services. “We can collaborate and cross-offer programs,” explains Executive Director Kristine Schwarz. “If someone walks in seeking veteran housing, maybe they take an interest in counseling and can start the intake process on the spot.” Combatting homelessness is a complicated issue, so New Beginnings has vastly expanded its own program while their new space also allows it to easily collaborate with community partners also working toward the goal. “To end homelessness, you have to look at what happens from beginning to the end,” Schwarz says. “You have to reduce, minimize, and eventually eliminate the inflow of people becoming homeless,

Chair, Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation

which means keeping people housed who might have some sort of a catastrophe by getting them the resources they need to stay in their homes. People who have been homeless for a long time usually have significant mental health or physical health issues, and they need a lot of support in those areas.” The organization is also piloting a Right to Counsel program that provides legal mediation services when there is a problem with a veteran tenancy to both the veteran and the landlord to prevent veterans returning to homelessness. “The ideal end goal is to preserve the veteran’s tenancy by negotiating an equitable solution,” Schwarz says, noting that a similar program in New York a few years ago reduced evictions in the city by 81 percent. “We’re approaching it from every angle imaginable.” While the government’s Veterans Affairs department does provide funding to cover major aspects of the SSVF program, there are still a number of gaps, particularly for mental health services, administration, and other support programs to make sure nothing slips through the cracks that might result in an increase in homelessness. “You can’t say there will never be another homeless veteran,” says Schwarz. “But you can get to where it’s rare, brief, and not repetitive.”

New office common area and kitchen.

| Santa Barbara |

Your Donations Help Veterans Stay Safe and Housed

ew Beginnings is a shiny gem among nonprofits in our community. Their cost effective counseling programs have stood the test of time for more than fifty years. The Safe Parking Program for the homeless was the first of its kind and now widely replicated elsewhere. More recently, they are closing in on the elimination of veteran homelessness, a long elusive goal. No matter the program, they are remarkably effective in helping its many low-income and needy clients lead healthy and productive lives.”

ew Beginnings is grateful for the grants and community donations to open its new, more efficient collaborative center last summer. But as the agency expands its services and takes on more staff, funding is still needed to support the growth of its work for all of its far ranging and desperately needed programs, including administrative and management staffing, equipment, training – all of which isn’t covered by government grants.

– Glenn Bacheller Advocate

We housed 204 people last year and we will not have the COVID CARES funding to be able to do it again this year, so we need the help of our community to be able to meet and, hopefully, exceed that number this year.

Clinic Intake Coordinator Kaitlyn Barriere and Counselor Amanda Clapp tabling at a mental health event.

KEY SUPPORTERS Veteran client in his new home.

New Beginnings www.sbnbcc.org 530 E. Montecito St., Ste. 101 Santa Barbara, CA 93103

A new home for a Safe Parking client.

Contact: Kristine Schwarz Executive Director (805) 963-7777 ext. 144 kschwarz@sbnbcc.org

Jacqueline Kurta, MFT, Psy.D, President Dan Engel, Vice President Mark Cardona, J.D., Secretary Ziad Elkurjie, Treasurer Steve Baird, Member Suzanne Grimmesey, MFT, Member

Stasia Huiner, M.B.A. Member Kathryn Keene, Member Karen Kelly, Member Diane Pannkuk, M.B.A., Member Warren B. Ritter II, Member Scott Sanford, Member

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: New Beginnings 530 E. Montecito St., Ste. 101 Santa Barbara, CA 93103

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PATH SANTA BARBARA

PATH Santa Barbara: Housing Is a Human Right

PATH works to end homelessness by providing housing services, street outreach, mental health services, and employment support. This is accomplished by providing 100 interim beds where individuals can find respite from the streets while working towards securing permanent homes and achieving self-sufficiency. During inclement weather, PATH’s doors open to provide temporary beds to unsheltered individuals.

n 2015, Casa Esperanza joined forces with PATH, a statewide nonprofit that for 40 years has provided services to more than 150 California cities. What emerged from the union was PATH Santa Barbara – and just possibly, a lingering misunderstanding. “Folks in Santa Barbara grew familiar with Casa Esperanza,” says Tyler Renner, PATH’s senior director of communications. “People may have thought of Casa Esperanza as a day center or a soup kitchen – two terms I’d heard used. But PATH is completely different. We’re an interim housing site, we’re a provider of wraparound support services, we assist in housing navigation…” Since 2015, PATH Santa Barbara has helped more than 2,300 people make it home

PATH's outreach specialist, Odin Dailo, connects directly with unhoused individuals offering services, shelter, and housing resources.

and served over 500 people last year. Homelessness is both systemic – and as unique as each individual struggling to transcend it. This is what drives PATH’s model. “People fall into homelessness for so many different reasons,” Renner says. “PATH’s solutions are as varied as those individual situations.” Santa Barbara County’s homeless figure hovers right around the 2,000 mark; a beige number that conveys nothing of the struggle that typifies daily life for the unhoused. “Even as we’ve continued to serve that number of people,” says PATH CEO Jennifer Hark Dietz, “we believe that more people are falling into homelessness every day. At PATH we’ve adopted a Housing First approach. Let’s get somebody indoors and then let’s continue those wraparound services.” The unhoused are truly in daily survival mode. “Our services come into play once somebody is literally homeless,” says Hark Dietz. “At that point we provide them services, interim shelter, and we start working toward a housing goal.” PATH’s new Regional Director, Liz Adams, sees the immense value in accruing and applying the far-ranging expertise culled from PATH’s work all throughout California. “We’re doing what needs to be done here in Santa Barbara, but we also have this support of the larger PATH community.” Adams knows whereof she speaks, having exited fos| Santa Barbara |

“T

his is what enjoying your own home looks like! Now that Lexy has her very own apartment, she has been enjoying hobbies like crocheting and painting. “Looking back, I know I’m a strong woman after living on the riverbed and facing many challenges. Connecting with PATH and moving into this apartment has restored my sense of hope for my family and me, for that I am thankful.”

– Lexy

PATH Participant

ter care to become homeless herself by the age of 26. Deep experiential wisdom drives PATH’s momentum PATH Santa Barbara is bringing that knowledge home and pouring it into solutions right here in Santa Barbara County. Once PATH SB connects individuals to permanent housing, they then focus on stabilization through a vast array of voluntary supportive services. These vital services include employment training, intensive case management services, medical and mental healthcare, and their community food program where they partner with Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods to receive and process food donations that nourish their residents with three daily meals. PATH SB is building on their successes as funding permits. “We’ve added an Outreach worker recently. We want to make sure that individuals on the street know what services are available and how to get connected,” Hark Dietz explains. “Housing is a human right,” she says simply. ”It’s not something that you earn. And homelessness can happen to anyone.”

Creating a PATH to Permanent Housing

he homeless crisis in Santa Barbara County is chronic and for 2024, PATH’s overall fundraising goal is $500,000 - $650,000. PATH Santa Barbara’s Outreach Program promises an even more proactive street-level mission. Being able to add a van would provide PATH’s outreach worker much-needed mobility in the field and adds another $150,000 to the PATH needs list. “What we’re advocating for is a bit more flexibility so that we can meet people where they are,” says Jennifer Hark Dietz, PATH CEO.

Since 2015, over 2,300 people in Santa Barbara have made it home thanks to PATH. With more than 2,000 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara, we need your support more than ever.

ATH has been working for decades with communities to connect our unhoused neighbors with the services and resources needed to end homelessness in their lives. As a member of PATH’s Advisory Board since their arrival in Santa Barbara in 2015, I've been honored to work alongside the PATH team as they continue to innovate strategies, collaborate with partners, and advocate for the policy changes needed to prevent and end homelessness in Santa Barbara. Join us!"

KEY SUPPORTERS

– Geoff Green

PATH Advisory Board Member/Chief Executive Officer, SBCC Foundation

Sue Adams Mark Asman Don Bushnell Nancy Fiore Ron & Carole Fox Geoff Green Brian McTeague Juliana Minsky Dave Peri Sheridan Taphorn

PATH Santa Barbara

www.epath.org 816 Cacique Street #3622 Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 884-8481

Dylan Ward Devon Wardlow Victoria Ward Richard Hunt Daniel Lane Paul Vit Denny & Bitsy Bacon Don & Kelley Johnson Laura Menicucci Mike & Fran Lewbel

Contact:

Elizabeth (Liz) Adams PATH Santa Barbara Regional Director liza@epath.org (805) 455-2331

The Many Ways to Give... Thanks to our dedicated staff and volunteers, PATH is able to provide fresh, healthy meals to residents every day. The food rescue program provides the supplies and PATH is always looking for more volunteers to help cook and serve meals!

By Check: PATH Philanthropy Office 816 Cacique Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103

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Fulfilling Philanthropic Journeys By Steven Libowitz

ammy Johnson, Santa Barbara Foundation’s Vice President of Philanthropic Services since April of 2022, didn’t set out to work in philanthropy. The daughter of a 35-year Southern California Gas Company employee, Johnson grew up in La Puente in the San Gabriel Valley, attending the public school system through high school. It was there that a guidance counselor pointed her toward what she thought might be her career. “He encouraged me to think about journalism because I was a school leader always doing the announcements over the PA, and I was a pretty strong writer,” Johnson recalls. “But I was still very shy, so I thought I’d give print journalism a try.” Johnson studied journalism at USC, and then landed a coveted internship at the Los Angeles Times in the Calendar section. But at the end of the summer, an editor whose wife worked at the Los Angeles Unified School District recruited her to “switch teams” and become a public information officer at the huge organization. “Talk about trial by fire!” Johnson says. “The school district was dealing with lots of issues at the time, including violent incidents on campus. Many school children were facing poverty, and the consequences were showing up in the classroom. I quickly became much more aware of the needs of the community in a broader sense.” It wasn’t long before Johnson went to work in the office of legendary Mayor Tom Bradley as public information director for a nonprofit organization called LA’s BEST, which at the time was a new after-school enrichment program for children that provided safe spaces, as well as supervision, educational support, and recreational activities. “I was part of the initial team to get it established at 10 elementary schools,” Johnson says. “Now it’s in 200 elementary schools in the district and has become a community institution. I’m very proud of that work.” After eight years, Johnson was recruited by Mayor Richard Riordan’s private foundation, where she managed and processed all grant-making to nonprofit organizations, her first experience on that side of the philanthropy space. Then came a left turn out of the nonprofit world, a decade devoted to an entirely different direction: raising a family and working in the commercial real estate world. “I wanted to learn about how people build wealth over time through real estate,” she explains. “Getting my license and working with apartment owners gave me a little window into how individuals become philanthropic because they can

convert assets into charitable dollars. Having that first-hand experience really helped me when I returned to this side of the table.” Reentering the philanthropic world in April of 2012, Johnson joined California Community Foundation, eventually becoming director of donor relations at the massive L.A.-based organization whose assets exceed $2.3 billion. There, she led the team responsible for stewarding relationships with individual, family, and corporate donors. Recruited to the Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF) in April of 2022, Johnson now provides overall leadership and management for SBF’s development, donor relations, and communications teams. Q: How does your journalism background support you in your philanthropic work? A: As a journalist, it was about understanding the issues and sharing the stories to inspire action. That really translates to philanthropy because it’s the same thing: spotlighting specific issues, telling stories about them to raise awareness and generate support. And even though I didn’t stay in the field very long, that core skill, being able to distill information in a very concise manner on deadline, has served me in everything that I do. Communication is the heart of it. Being able to express an idea through storytelling is critical. I just love the service model of a community foundation because of the people that you get to meet and the issues that you get to work on. With every donor, your job is to discover their interests, their nonprofits, their vision for the community and how they want to have impact. It’s a bit like reporting. Through them, I’ve learned so much about important matters: the environment, animal welfare, health, education, and housing.

| Santa Barbara |

Every day, we deal with very complex issues. How do you address housing affordability? How do you eradicate homelessness? What are the root causes? These are very wicked problems and we’re distilling them in ways that make them something you can start to tackle. Bringing a problem down to earth is important, as is connecting the people and the players who are either impacted by it or are trying to address it. It’s inspiring for donors because it gives them tangible ways to plug in and address these issues here in their own backyard that otherwise seem insurmountable. After a lifetime in L.A., what made you move up here and join the Santa Barbara Foundation? Santa Barbara was always the place where we spent vacation time, our anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays. I would drive up a couple of times a year to visit my California Community Foundation donors who live here, who had made their wealth in L.A. County and either had a second home or had retired to Montecito or Santa Barbara. So I had a lot of connections even before this opportunity presented itself. At SBF, my role includes overseeing philanthropic services, development, donor relations, and communications – all of which are part of my work history. I’m so excited to be helping the foundation prepare for the next chapter. Did you bring some of your L.A. donors along with you? I was able to maintain relationships with the ones who live here, so that they could continue to give in Los Angeles, while I introduced them to opportunities here in Santa Barbara. At a community foundation, we encourage individuals to connect to their local giving opportunities. That is what makes it really work. You have the unique perspective of having spent a decade at a community foundation in Los Angeles. Obviously Santa Barbara is a much smaller community. How do things compare in the communities and the organizations? My immediate observation has been that this community is very philanthropic and very close-knit because it is so much smaller. So the opportunity to connect with the nonprofits and the donors who support them is far greater here. I have had the privilege of attending many wonderful nonprofits’ events here in the last year and a half, meeting the donors and the leaders. You see a lot of the same faces at various events because people are very involved. I feel much closer to the community here than L.A., because the relationships here are more tight-knit and personal, partly because there are far fewer organizations serving any particular issue. So you can really get to know the leadership of all of them. The entire philanthropic community here has just been so warm and welcoming. Are the issues different here? People everywhere have the same problems and concerns, and nonprofits address those. It’s really more a matter of scale. Except perhaps in the area of affordable housing. L.A. has a bigger home-

less population, but affordability is a bigger problem here because it’s such a desirable place to live and such a small area. Our essential workers, our teachers, our healthcare workers, our service industry people – so many of them simply can’t afford to live in town. Nonprofits are having serious trouble attracting and retaining staff for that reason, too. There are over 30,000 people who drive every day to South County to get to work. That’s a lot of lost productivity and it has a huge impact on our environment, so we really need to give folks who work here and make our community thrive an opportunity to actually live here. We recently released a report that recommends specific philanthropic solutions to the housing-affordability crisis here. One of the main recommendations is to focus on public will. We know more housing is needed, but there needs to be a consensus that affordability is important and a shared commitment to solving the problem. We’re launching a funders’ collaborative to raise dollars and form partnerships that will really make a difference. I have to mention that I was so impressed by the Santa Barbara Foundation when I arrived, because there aren’t many organizations that will subject themselves to such rigorous self-examination, or put themselves through an independent audit of their diversity, equity, and inclusion work to see where the gaps are. That information was just starting to be acted upon when I got here. A lot of the findings are embedded in our new strategic plan because we didn’t want them to gather dust in the corner as just a theoretical concept. We want this effort to permeate everything that we do – from our grant-making programs to our relationships with vendors – making sure that we’re tapping into all the diverse communities of this county. So we are being vigilantly intentional about appreciating and embracing diversity in all of its forms, everyone’s lived experiences, and all people’s points of view. That’s what makes us a community. You’ve been in the nonprofit field for a long time. Does it still make your heart sing? Oh yes. It’s such a joy to work with individual donors and their families. You get to support them in their philanthropic journeys and help them make the impact that they’re looking for. I get to experience that with the donors we work with. It’s incredibly fulfilling. Also, I enjoy the technical aspect of dealing with stocks, business interests, commercial real estate, and the other (noncash) gifts that they give us to be philanthropic. I get to nerd out in seeing how we can help them convert these gifts for charity. The reason I’m in the nonprofit sector is because I want to be part of creating change in the world. When you can play a role in helping a donor give in the most effective way, help them make a significant difference in improving the community and support them in bringing along their children as part of it – it’s incredible.

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| Santa Barbara |

The Arts The arts, and aligned artistic pursuits, breathe imagination and inspiration into communities. From the design of our open spaces to giving young people an avenue of expression, the arts are far more than additive; they are essential to the human experience.

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UCSB ARTS & LECTURES

2023-2024, Another Adventurous, Must-See Season for UCSB Arts & Lectures "A

rts & Lectures brings our community, the University, and its students an incredible array of artistic offerings that are unequaled in any other community of our size in this country. A&L always manages to present the kind of material that appeals to thousands – I don't know how they do it! Their robust education outreach, presented to both Englishand Spanish-speaking audiences, enriches younger students immeasurably. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a varied and stellar program right here on our doorsteps!"

– Sara Miller McCune

A&L Advisory Council member and Former co-chair, pictured with NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg.

Batsheva Dance Company, Momo. (Photo: ASCAF)

here are any number of terrific organizations that create, produce, present, or import arts and entertainment events in Santa Barbara. But none of them come close to the size, scope, and breadth of UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L), whose reach extends far beyond the seaside campus near the Santa Barbara airport into just about every major venue in town. Each year, the significant roster of performances and lectures boasts an impressive slate of world-renowned, up-and-coming artists and everything in between, more than 100 public events each year that span a wide variety of fields from multiple musical genres to dance companies, theater, film, and spoken word. Highlights of the already underway 2023-24 season include two separate dates with Pulitzer Prize-winner Rhiannon Giddens as part of the Silkroad Ensemble and with her folk-roots band; recitals by Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Kristin Chenoweth; dance performances from Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company and New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck & Friends; jazz concerts with 83-year-old legend Herbie Hancock and 23-year-old Samara Joy, who became the second-ever jazz artist to claim the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2023; and concerts featuring superstars like soprano Renée Fleming and up-and-comers like Itzhak Perlman’s protégé, violinist Randall Goosby.

Add in the lecture portion of A&L’s season featuring distinguished writers and other thought leaders – like organizational psychologist Adam Grant, bestselling author Abraham Verghese, and ecologist Suzanne Simard – who speak on historical and cutting-edge topics of importance – timely new events are announced each quarter – and it’s easy to see why A&L has been a vital presence on the Santa Barbara scene for more than half a century. Timely new events are announced each quarter. “What makes us unique and essential is that we are the only multidisciplinary presenter of arts and

Herbie Hancock. (Photo: Douglas Kirkland)

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lectures in the region” says Celesta M. Billeci, the Miller McCune Executive Director, A&L. “There truly is something for everyone. Gathering to witness great performers and engage in meaningful dialogue with cultural leaders sparks a joy for which there is no substitute. The extraordinary breadth and depth of our programming offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience vital connection, which is at the heart of everything we do.” A&L’s mission is to “educate, entertain, and inspire,” and the organization gives special attention to that first aspect. A&L’s “Access for All” program features an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions, and more, serving K-12 and college students and the general public. What’s more, A&L’s Thematic Learning Initiative presents workshops, writing contests, screenings, roundtables, and book giveaways that delve deeper into the lives of community members. “We take our role as a thought leader in the community very seriously” Billeci says. “It’s a big responsibility to continue to bring the world’s best in the arts and ideas to our local community, and always be stepping forward. I feel proud and privileged to be the head of a program that is so beloved and trusted.”

Your Support Is Essential in Maintaining Leading Edge Arts and Culture in Santa Barbara popular misconception that UCSB Arts & Lectures is fully funded by the university, when the truth is support from patrons and other individual donors is essential. There are myriad ways to contribute to Ithet’sthataorganization beyond purchasing tickets, from major endowments to event sponsorships to joining the Producers Circle. “We definitely need help from the community to keep doing what we do,” Billeci says. “Without that support, this world class program and these educational offerings could not happen for the community.”

More than 50,000 students and community members attended public events and outreach activities during A&L’s 2022-2023 season.

KEY SUPPORTERS Advisory Council members and leaders who have helped make A&L a vibrant part of Santa Barbara: John & Jody Arnhold Paul & Patricia Bragg Foundation Marcy Carsey Marcia & John Mike Cohen Audrey & Timothy O. Fisher G.A. Fowler Family Foundation Connie Frank & Evan Thompson Martha Gabbert Eva & Yoel Haller Luci & Rich Janssen Dorothy Largay & Wayne Rosing Kath Lavidge & Ed McKinley Patty & John MacFarlane Manitou Fund Sara Miller McCune Jillian & Pete Muller Natalie Orfalea & Lou Buglioli Maxine Prisyon Sage Publishing Heather & Tom Sturgess Anne Smith Towbes Sherry Villanueva Lynda Weinman & Bruce Heavin Merryl Snow Zegar & Chuck Zegar Dick Wolf

Jazz Workshop at San Marcos High School with Clarence Penn of Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour. (Photo: David Bazemore) Soprano Renée Fleming. (Photo: Andrew Eccles)

rt teaches abstract thinking; it teaches teamwork; it teaches people to actually think about things they cannot see."

– Bill T. Jones

Choreographer and MacArthur Fellow

Arts & Lectures University of California, Santa Barbara www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5030

Contact: Stacy Cullison Senior Director of Development & Special Initiatives (805) 893-3755 Stacy.Cullison@ArtsandLectures.ucsb.edu

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: UC Regents University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5030

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-6006145 By Credit Card: www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/giving

THE GRANADA THEATRE

The Granada Theatre – A Towering Cultural Artistic Force

he Granada Theatre has towered over the Santa Barbara area for 100 years, not just as the tallest physical symbol of the area (its 119-foot height is the lone area exception to the 60-foot-maximum-height restriction), but more importantly, as the most influential arts and cultural force in the area. 2024 will mark the organization’s centennial, and a perfect time to help celebrate the event by contributing to its continued successful effort to unite people by bringing them together to experience fantastic artistic performances and celebrations. Although COVID was a challenging period for all performing arts organizations, the Granada is surging into its second century of existence with a robust schedule of programming and an optimistic outlook for thriving beyond the next hundred years. “The Granada is a symbol of just how much Santa Barbara values the performing arts and one of the reasons people move to Santa Barbara,” says Jill Seltzer, the Granada’s VP of Advancement. The theater’s centennial season is organized precisely to serve that valued community, and to ensure that theatergoers and pa-

rowing up in a musical family, it has always been important that my life be filled with the performing arts. When my husband Geoffrey and I moved here in 1968, we found it absolutely enchanting that the arts were such an integral part of the life of Santa Barbara. In 1994, when it became apparent that a new performing arts venue was needed, it was my pleasure to find like-minded people to begin the process of doing just that. In 2008, the Granada Theatre as we know it opened to the public and our beautiful community. I’m so proud to be a part of the Granada Family and will always continue to donate to it so that future generations can experience what I have loved all these years."

– Joan Rutkowski

Emeritus Director The Granada Theatre

Granada marquee resplendent at night.

trons continue to be uplifted by, entertained by, and saluted by the Granada, “This Is Your Granada” opens with a festival weekend crescendo in April (12-14) that celebrates the past, present, and future of this magnificent theater. On Friday, April 12, the program will celebrate the Granada as a movie palace, its original incarnation, and tickets are priced befitting the founding year of the theater: $19.24. Saturday, April 13 will feature a music concert with a headliner to celebrate the present (ticket price: $20.24). And Sunday will celebrate the theater’s future century with performances by young talent on the cusp of a great career, all nurtured in Santa Barbara, culminating with the three Santa Barbara high school choruses performing together, leading everyone into the street for the “Ultimate Block Party” (ticket price: $21.24, to mark the next century). The Granada is dedicated to ensuring that performances in the arts continue to reach across generations, from longtime, stalwart supporters to fresh, young newcomer audiences. Some of the programs will blend performance disciplines and collaborations across art forms to attract and delight tomorrow’s audiences. That | Santa Barbara |

State Street Ballet, Legends Gala 2023.

includes an evening with the Santa Barbara Symphony and local rock band the Doublewide Kings (whose members include current Granada Chairman, Palmer Jackson) performing an evening of Van Morrison songs together. It is a season and a celebration not to be missed.

The Granada Theatre: Keeping the Performing Arts Flourishing for all of Santa Barbara gift to the Granada Theatre not only supports this home for the performing arts in a time when it’s crucial to empower this sometimes increasingly endangered cornerstone of our culture, but also because the Granada A Theatre supports and subsidizes eight different companies from disciplines that cover the entire spectrum of the

performing arts: CAMA (Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara), the American Theater Guild, the Santa Barbara Choral Society, Opera Santa Barbara, State Street Ballet, the Santa Barbara Symphony, the Music Academy, and UCSB Arts & Lectures. A donation to The Granada Theatre celebrates the hundred years that the theater has presented and supported the performing arts for all of Santa Barbara and helps to ensure that it will be around for another 100 years for future audiences to enjoy as well.

Full house at the Granada Theatre.

Legends Gala 2023.

“W

e're grateful to be a resident company of the beautiful Granada Theatre. Our community is so lucky to have a venue that can house full-scale ballets, operas, and musical theatre. It speaks to the incredible hunger for artistic excellence in Santa Barbara. I hope we can all continue to support this historic theatre, and bring the very best to our audiences for generations to come.”

– Megan Philipp

State Street Ballet Artistic Director

The Granada Theatre www.granadasb.org 1214 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 899-3000

Contact: Jill Seltzer Vice President of Advancement (805) 899-3000 ext. 130 jseltzer@granadasb.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Palmer Jackson, Jr., Chairman F. Robert Miller III, Vice Chairman Dan Burnham, Immediate Past Chairman Merryl Snow Zegar, Secretary Roberta Griffin, Treasurer Sarah Schlinger Chrisman, At Large Yvette Birch Giller, At Large Tariqh Akoni

Leslie Bains Brooks Firestone Rick Fogg Janet Garufis Charles C. Gray Jamie Maguire Stephanie Nicks Maria Schmidt

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts 1214 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-3847102 By Credit Card:

www.granadasb.org/giving

SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART

A Place for Art Lovers of All Ages

hroughout its history, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art has been bringing people of all ages through a broad array of art experiences. Enjoy exciting and interesting exhibitions in their convenient location in the heart of the State Street Arts District. It is a lively social destination that offers tours, lectures, concerts, and films, while serving as an important community and educational resource for all. A variety of learning opportunities give individuals access to the Museum’s collections and resources, and build community connections through individual growth and cultural exchange. Staff of the Museum are knowledgeable and passionate about art, and committed to providing an enriching experience for all visitors. Galleries dedicated to the Museum’s Asian Art collection celebrate the region’s diverse aesthetics with selections from China, Japan, Korea, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas. Additional galleries for contemporary art, photography, and new media enable the Museum to display even more of its impressive 25,000-object permanent collection. Highlights of the permanent collection on view include an impressive selection of the Museum’s classic Roman statues, intermixed with African and pre-Columbian antiquities.

BECOME A MEMBER! Art lovers of all ages are invited to join as Members to enjoy free admission; discounts on programs, lectures, workshops, and shopping at the Museum Store; as well as access to events that celebrate and honor art for all in the community. Philanthropic support as a Museum Circles Patron provides donors with additional opportunities to meet artists, curators, and fellow patrons.

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The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is pleased to announce the appointment of Amada Cruz as the Eichholz Foundation Director and CEO effective October 30, 2023. Cruz comes to Santa Barbara from the Seattle Art Museum where she served as the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO since 2019. Born in Havana, Cuba, Cruz received a bachelor’s degree in art history and political science at New York University. Over her 30-year career, Cruz has held posts as the Director of the Phoenix Art Museum; Executive Director at San Antonio-based Artpace; Director of the Center for Curatorial Studies Museum at Bard College; and Acting Chief Curator and Manilow Curator of Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Cruz has also worked as a grant maker and was the founding Program Director for United States Artists in Los Angeles, where she formed longstanding relationships with artists around the country and was responsible for all programming activities of a Ford and Rockefeller Foundations initiative.

e believe that integrating works of art into students’ lives is an important aspect of social and emotional learning. Looking at art – seeing art – can be a communal or a solitary experience. Art is one of the most important vehicles by which we come to understand one another. It makes us curious about that which is different or unfamiliar, and ultimately allows us to accept, even embrace, differences and new ideas. Through art, we can deepen curricular connections, explore expanded narratives, raise questions, and spark conversation.”

– Patsy Hicks

Director of Education

“I

am thrilled to be joining the Santa Barbara Museum of Art with its important mission ‘to integrate art into the lives of people.’ That inspiring charge is a call to engage the different communities of the Santa Barbara region. I look forward to working with the staff and Board to build upon the strong foundation of scholarly exhibitions and robust educational programs established under my predecessor, Larry Feinberg.”

– Amada Cruz

Eichholz Foundation Director and Chief Executive Officer

What We Need...

Program Support

he Santa Barbara Museum of Art provides in-person and online resources for art makers, art educators, and art enthusiasts. Your donation supports educational programs and engagement opportunities for the community; classroom and after-school activities for students; in-person and virtual school field trips; adult studio classes and workshops. The Museum is committed to engaging the community in new and substantial ways through a varied series of lectures and programs, including mission-enhancing literary, musical, and theatrical events. Please visit sbma.net/support or call 805.963.4364 to speak to one of their friendly staff for information on how you can participate.

2023-2024 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Nicholas Mutton, Chair Richard De Schutter, Vice Chair Lynn Cunningham Brown, Secretary Marta Holsman Babson Susan Drymalski Bowey Karen Lombardo Brill Robert Castle Joan Davidson J. Raj K. Dhawan Kathleen Feldstein Martha Gabbert Christine Vanderbilt Holland David Jackson

Santa Barbara Museum of Art sbma.net/support 1130 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 501C(3) Charity # 95-1664122 (805) 963-4364

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Norman A. Kurland Michael C. Linn Kandy Luria-Budgor Carol MacCorkle Christian McGrath Betsy Newman Doug Norberg Jeanne Towles Martha Townsend Michael G. Wilson Barry Winick Bruce Worster Laura Selwyn Wyatt

Contact: Susan M. Bradley External Affairs Deputy Director (805) 884-6427 sbradley@sbma.net

SANTA BARBARA SYMPHONY

The Santa Barbara Symphony Brings Music, Joy, and Awe

ike all arts organizations, the Santa Barbara Symphony was hit hard by the Covid pandemic, as theaters everywhere were forced to shut down for many months, severely curtailing income while increasing expenses. Unlike the vast majority of other such ensembles, The Symphony refused to go quietly into the darkness, instead quickly pivoting to creating new virtual concerts and online music education instruction. But the crisis also provided a blessing in disguise. “It was an opportunity to have a real moment of reflection,” says Kathryn R. Martin, the Symphony’s president and CEO, a position she first accepted on an interim basis in May 2020, barely six weeks into the Covid closures. “Maybe retrenching is too strong a word but we definitely had a chance to focus on impacting our community and solidifying our mission and vision for the future.” Taking note that many other orchestras around the country have missions that simply focus on performing classical music, Martin says the Santa Barbara Symphony’s goal is to “amplify what occurs during the performances: audiences experience moments of joy, engagement, connection, and awe.” The organization accomplishes this by investing in artistic caliber, producing both its series of monthly weekend concerts in the Granada Theatre and running an extraordinary youth education program that serves 2,000 students each year and remains the region’s only music education program tied to a professional symphony orchestra and college. “It solidifies why we’re here, and we are very good at delivering those

moments,” Martin says, pointing to music director Nir Kabaretti’s expansive belief that the only requirement for programming is that it’s symphonic music that meets the core goal of being “great music that moves people.” “I get goosebumps just thinking about that,” Martin says. “The possibilities are endless.” And how. The last two seasons have seen concerts that range from Baroque specialist Nicholas McGegan celebrating the 300th anniversary of Bach’s Brandenberg concertos and organ wizard Cameron Carpenter to jazz with the Marcus Roberts Trio and Ted Nash, and the premiere of local composed pieces commemorating the Thomas Fire/Montecito Mudflow, and the San Marcos Foothills, in music and images. The ensemble also continues to collaborate with many of Santa Barbara’s other arts organizations. While people are subscribing to The Symphony in growing numbers and enrollments in the music education programs are up across the board, this type of success does not come without the community’s unwavering support. Ticket sales do not cover The Symphony’s expenses and they rely heavily on individual donors to help each of their innovative and unprecedented programs succeed. “We believe The Symphony is for everyone. When we can grow the next generation of musicians and music lovers and build community impact, we know we are on a path to success,” Martin says.

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The Symphony is for EVERYONE!

nder the baton of internationally renowned (and Santa Barbara resident) Music & Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti, audiences hear some of the region’s most sought-after orchestral and Hollywood studio musicians, 11 Music Academy alums and faculty members at UCSB, Westmont, and Santa Barbara City College. From October 2023–May 2024, you’ll experience moments of awe, harmony, inspiration and joy. Each concert along this symphonic journey is a must-see-and-hear event and an opportunity to commune with friends, family and the community.

KEY SUPPORTERS Donors of the $25,000 level and above include:

Your support ensures local youth are transformed; audiences experience joy, awe and connection; local organizations have access to artistic resources; and the world hears about Santa Barbara. As a nonprofit professional symphony orchestra, over 70% of The Symphony’s $3.2 M budget comes through generous individual contributions, grants and sponsorships.

Multi-year Supporters Create Multi-Year Impact

Artistic planning must occur years in advance. Crescendo is a donor-funded initiative that strategically aligns multi-year giving commitments with the Symphony’s 5-Year Artistic and Operational Framework. Designed to propel the organization to new artistic heights and deepen community impact, Crescendo members gather for exclusive experiences throughout the year.

“N

ir Kabaretti and the Santa Barbara Symphony have made it their mission to connect audiences to experience the joy and power of music. Being a sponsor myself, it is thrilling to know that thousands of children each year benefit from their award-winning music education programs.”

– Anne Akiko Meyers

Internationally esteemed violinist and Santa Barbara Symphony supporter

Santa Barbara Symphony www.TheSymphony.org 1330 State Street, Unit 102 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 898-9386

Contact: Juli Askew Development Manager jaskew@TheSymphony.org (805) 898-8785

Todd & Allyson Aldrich (B)(C) Dan & Meg Burnham (B)(C) Sarah & Roger Chrisman (B)(C) Brooks & Kate Firestone (C) Granada Theatre/Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts Samuel M. & Alene S. Hedgpeth (B)(C) The Ann Jackson Family Foundation, Palmer & Susan Jackson, Palmer & Joan Jackson (B)(C) Mithun Family Foundation/ John C. Mithun Foundation Montecito Bank & Trust/ Janet A. Garufis (B)(C) Mosher Foundation Joan Rutkowski Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation Rachel Kaganoff Stern (B)(C) Marilynn L. Sullivan The Walter J. & Holly O. Thomson Foundation Dr. Bob Weinman (B)(C) Zegar Family Foundation (C) *(B) Board of Directors *(C) Crescendo Members

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra Association 1330 State Street, Unit 102 Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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Donate.TheSymphony.org

Christian McGrath Just Got Here and Already Knows His Way Around. How? By Jeff Wing

nce upon a time, an attorney from the Windy City (Chicago, for the uninitiated) decided to move on from the slings, arrows, and less definable rigors of the storied private equity firm in whose glass tower he’d long toiled. That is, he retired. Seeking greener pastures, sandy beaches, and maybe a low-slung, non-intimidating mountain range, Christian McGrath chose Santa Barbara as his new headquarters. Long an advocate and engaged participant in the not-for-profit world of Chicago, he knew he would likewise seek out and immerse himself in that community in Santa Barbara. But where to start? To his mild surprise, this philanthropically-inclined former attorney discovered a book – one that fit his search terms like private equity fits recurring revenue. The book was called The Giving List, and in its content-rich, colorfully organized pages he found what he’d been looking for. Here comes Mr. McGrath now to comment on his new home base, his pleasure in acquainting himself with Santa Barbara’s not-for-profit community, and the vexatious matter of the perfect taco. Q: Do I understand correctly that you retired here in 2021 after serving those years as general counsel for GTCR in Chicago? A: That’s right. So how did you discover Santa Barbara? My then-fiancée/now wife and I discussed – as we were blending our families – the possibility of moving to California. I’d always wanted to track back to California. I went undergrad to Stanford, so I knew the Bay Area a bit, and I’d lived in Los Angeles for a few years after graduation. So I knew both those places but didn’t really want another mega-city. So Angie and I decided to start taking our vacation openings and come out and visit smaller coastal cities in California. Neither of us had ever been to Santa Barbara. This was our first stop. We absolutely loved it. We’d briefly considered checking out Del Mar, maybe La Jolla? We actually never visited anywhere else. We were sold pretty much right away and remain delighted with the choice.

It’s good that you both agreed on the destination. Yeah, that would have been difficult. But that first trip, we’re both like, WOW! First of all, why have we never been here before? But then the prospect arose – are you really allowed to live in a place that’s like this every day? Has there been much cultural whiplash between Chicago and Santa Barbara for you? Or between the Midwest and California? I wouldn’t describe any of it as whiplash. They are different. Chicago’s a giant city of three million, and Santa Barbara is 80,000. Obviously there’s a bunch of trade-offs from a big city to a smaller city. For us, most of them are positive. So would it be nice to have 10 Ethiopian restaurants close at hand? Yeah. But isn’t it also nice that it’s very small and warm and friendly and manageable? Chicago and “Midwestern” is a certain kind of warmth; there is an openness about people. Santa Barbara has this other kind of surfer chill openness that’s not exactly the Midwest vibe, but we find it very natural for us, and the people here are very inviting and warm the way we’re used to from Chicago. Christian, can you just summarize your career for us? It’s pretty easy. I was a lawyer my whole professional life, and there were kind of three chapters. I started in Chicago, but actually at a California-based firm called Latham & Watkins for six or seven years. Then – in legal jargon – I went “in-house” and

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spent about seven years as the general counsel of various business units of what used to be Sara Lee Corporation, in Chicago mostly, but also over in London. And then I moved to become the general counsel of GTCR. They hadn’t had a general counsel before and I spent 15 plus years there in an absolutely great job, very dynamic. I was sorry to leave it, but 15 years of anything is kind of a long time. So it felt like the right time. And now to fast forward, you joined the Santa Barbara Museum of Art board of trustees back in February of this year. Is that right? The timing sounds right. In Chicago I’d always been involved in not-for-profits. I always just think, frankly, it’s a thing one ought to do. It’s so rewarding. So as a young lawyer, that meant doing a lot of pro bono work for organizations that did things like assisting low-income, first-time home buyers – things I could do as a lawyer. As I got further in my career, it was things like being on the boards of the zoo, and I was on the board of a great theater company, and the Children’s Museum – institutions that I thought were wonderful, and that my family and the community connected to. So when we moved out here, I began really looking for opportunities with organizations that I believe in and respect, organizations that I can find a way to assist; not necessarily as a board member, though that’s something I’ve done. But maybe as a donor, maybe as a volunteer. I was looking to find places that I could plug into. Angie and I visited SBMA on a house-hunting trip and were pretty wowed. Then the museum had its Van Gogh exhibit shortly after we relocated. I identified it early on as an institution I’d be honored to be associated with. So you’re an old hand at this, actually.   Yes, but they’re all different. And obviously Chicago is a community I knew very well. This makes it particularly exciting; a whole new group of people in Santa Barbara, and each of them has their own kind of network of other interests that – as you’re talking to them – you find and maybe track something that they’re interested in. It’s a great way to connect; not just to those people and to SBMA in my case, but to all their various interests, too. You might say that once you arrive in a new community, besides the personal gratification, it’s a great way to drill into the social chemistry of a place, just because of all the connections between people – both within that space, and even outside of it. Coming to a new community, yes – it’s an opportunity. As you talk to people, you’re asking ‘...How else do you spend your time? What other organizations are you involved in?’ They’ll mention two that don’t fit my interests, and then a third one that does. So, it’s a great way to learn about things that other people care about.

When you got to Santa Barbara and were looking around for nonprofits, was your search done through that kind of conversational synergy you’re describing? Or did you have occasion to use The Giving List as a reference guide? For the first year I was here, when I’d explained to people that I was looking for not-for-profits to get involved in – almost everyone would say the same thing. “Oh, there’s so many of them here, that’s going to be easy!” And that’s true – there are a lot, and I guess it’s kinda easy. It’s just not necessarily easy to find that personal connection, you know? So The Giving List was actually an instrumental part of this. It was an acquaintance I met through The Giving List that ultimately tracked me to SBMA. Then a month ago, looking at The Giving List again, I found this organization – Hospice of Santa Barbara – that I wasn’t familiar with, but is a cause I’m quite committed to, and it sounded like it was doing amazing work. I went to their annual gala and have had some conversations with them about getting involved. It’s a fantastic organization I honestly wouldn’t know existed except for The Giving List. So for me, The Giving List has been a great way to navigate a community of not-forprofits that I wasn’t at all familiar with. You are certainly making Santa Barbara your own. You’ve yet to ask about our favorite taco establishments – but I don’t know that I want to wade into that very dicey terrain. Yeah. That’s the kind of third rail stuff we try to avoid.

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Youth Development Young people’s minds are plastic; they live in the throes of “developing” every day. In this tender development, these organizations are all doing their part to ensure the generation coming of age has the tools it needs to be better than the last.

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NATURETRACK FOUNDATION, INC.

Access to Nature: NatureTrack’s Transformative Mission

Manual wheelchair users face obstacles on beaches and trails due to sandy, rocky terrain. NatureTrack's Freedom Trax breaks these barriers, offering mobility-challenged individuals access. Everyone deserves beach and trail exploration without mobility limitations.

NatureTrack provides the Freedom Trax device for wheelchair users to traverse trails and reach the summit independently. It allows them to experience something they long for but is often taken for granted by non-disabled individuals.

n 2011, Sue Eisaguirre initiated a mission to bridge the gap between students and nature, ultimately founding NatureTrack, a thriving nonprofit organization. NatureTrack, predominantly run by volunteers, annually leads over 5,000 students, guided by 80 docents,

NatureTrack field trips empower students to explore and connect with nature. Guided by knowledgeable docents, they observe, question, and identify plants and animals with lasting educational impact; as one teacher attests, "The students gained more in a day than a week in class."

to explore 20 diverse natural locations. Their objective is to revolutionize nature education, shifting from classroom theory to outdoor immersion, igniting curiosity, and fostering a lifelong bond with the environment. Eisaguirre firmly believes that understanding and appreciating nature is vital for its preservation. NatureTrack meticulously designs field trips that align with students’ curricula, turning outdoor learning into dynamic, interactive experiences. The knowledge gained in the wild becomes a foundation for classroom studies. Crucially, NatureTrack eliminates barriers to access by offering free field trips and covering transportation costs. Nearly 70% of its beneficiaries come from lower- to middle-income families. They have expanded accessibility with the introduction of Freedom Trax, enabling wheelchair users to explore nature. This innovation extends to seniors and the wider community, offering life-changing experiences. NatureTrack’s impact transcends boundaries. It encompasses education, environmental stewardship, health, equity, and the arts. The NatureTrack Film Festival, now in its 5th year, | Santa Barbara |

atureTrack is a fantastic program that gets kids off their computers and phones and into the extraordinary nature and wilderness that Santa Barbara has to offer. Kids get to explore beaches, mountains, creeks, all the while learning and playing. Outdoor exercise and freestyle play is something that we as children took for granted, but now many kids here in Santa Barbara have never been to the beach or on a hike."

– Jane and Paul Orfalea

strengthens the connection between people and nature while supporting broader goals. In Eisaguirre’s words, “The benefits of being in nature really are boundless.” NatureTrack is a testament to the transformative power of equitable access to the natural world. Through their commitment to education, environmental stewardship, and inclusivity, they inspire and connect generations to the wonders of our natural world.

Giving EveryoneAccess to Nature ransportation is NatureTrack’s largest cost, and it keeps rising. Your donations help fund field trips and provide more T Freedom Trax devices.

NatureTrack docents spark student curiosity, leading trips on Santa Barbara County's beaches and trails. These excursions offer engaging learning experiences in the local environment, combining education and enjoyment.

$7,500 covers a field trip for 100 students. $6,500 buys a new Freedom Trax device. Any donation amount is appreciated to support our mission. Field trips fill up fast each year, highlighting our need for more volunteers. Docents play a crucial role with a 5-to-1 studentto-docent ratio. Your contribution, whether financial or as a volunteer, has a meaningful impact. Please donate or volunteer today, or both!

Children today spend a mere 4-7 minutes outdoors in unstructured play but devote a staggering 5-7 hours to screens. Meanwhile, wheelchair users face limited access to the natural world. We're on a mission to transform kids' screen time into "green time," nurturing their love for nature and ensuring equal access for wheelchair users. This isn't a luxury; it's a necessity. Embracing the great outdoors transcends privilege, fostering stronger bonds and communities — our well-being soars when we thrive in nature. Let's empower our youth to champion the environment. Nature isn't just an escape; it's a vital wellspring of balance in our busy lives.

atureTrack aims to provide inclusion, access, and opportunities to individuals who may not have had the chance to experience outdoor activities that were once deemed 'inaccessible.' Thanks to the Freedom Trax device, people like myself can now explore beaches and walking trails and connect with nature. Additionally, I have become a volunteer docent for NatureTrack and can lead trips to give back to this incredible organization."

[Photo credit - Rick Carter]

– Don Chan

NatureTrack Volunteer Docent

KEY SUPPORTERS

Students learn how to use binoculars, observe birds in nature, identify them, and appreciate their value. Identifying living things can inspire a desire to protect them. That's just human nature!

NatureTrack Foundation, Inc. www.naturetrack.org 290 Valley Station Drive, Ste. 105 Buellton, CA 93427 (805) 886-2047

Contact: Sue Eisaguirre Founder & Executive Director (805) 886-2047 sue@naturetrack.org

Audacious Foundation Adams Legacy Foundation Coastal Ranches Conservancy Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Hutton Parker Foundation Mark and Dorothy Smith Family Foundation

Natalie Orfalea Foundation Towbes Foundation Santa Ynez Valley Foundation Santa Ynez Valley Youth Rec

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: NatureTrack Foundation, Inc. PO Box Box 953 Los Olivos, CA 93441

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AHA! ATTITUDE. HARMONY. ACHIEVEMENT.

AHA!’s Teens Are Fulfilled Adults-in-Waiting A

teenager is much more than a preincarnate adult. The average teen’s roiling hormones and fraught search for self are cultural tropes, and often charming topics of conversation. But the American teenager – perhaps now more than ever before – can be a vessel of deep insecurity and well-camouflaged pain; a boat adrift and in desperate search of landfall. AHA! (the acronym stands for Attitude. Harmony. Achievement.) has, for 24 years, made it their mission to advance teens’ social-emotional learning (SEL) and sense of genuine, earned positivity. Following the horrific school shooting at Columbine in April 1999, AHA!’s founders set their sights on a new teen paradigm. Melissa Lowenstein, AHA!’s Director of Training, explains, “Two therapists, Jennifer Freed and Rendy Freedman, were working together at the Family Therapy Institute here in Santa Barbara, and became truly galvanized in the wake of that shooting, asking themselves ‘How do we create a world where this doesn’t happen?’” Rendy Freedman founded the Waldorf school here in Santa Barbara, and Jennifer Freed had been working with teens as a therapist for years. “They combined ideas about how to lead groups for teens that would create a sense of connection and belonging, gatherings that would allow space for teens being themselves without judgment,” Lowenstein says. Starting out as a small summer program

“T

he Natalie Orfalea Foundation joyfully supports AHA!, an organization that is fully in alignment with its values at every step. The teachings offered give students a practical second language, one that imbues empathy, reasoning and compassion to validate and give voice to their unique lived experience. AHA! values the individual and creates community, which helps make us all better through the practice and modeling of these virtues.”

– Marybeth Carty,

Executive Director Natalie Orfalea Foundation

AHA!'s third annual Digital Cleanse wellness retreat was held in June 2023. Twenty-six teens spent five device-free days connecting with self, peers, and nature. Highlights included hiking, art and writing activities, improv, and kayaking with otters.

and offshoot of the Family Therapy Institute, AHA! became a standalone 501(c)(3) in 2006. The scale of the issue shouldn’t be underestimated. “One thing that is really important for people to know,” Lowenstein says, “is that there’s a mental health crisis for kids right now. A lot of it seems connected to the advent of the parallel digital life that’s increasingly taking over their real lives. Human beings in need of in-person connecting and belonging – that’s who these teens really are.” AHA! programs serve middle school, junior high, and high school students, as well as parents, guardians, adults at home, educators, and the broader community. Working in cycles of seven to 10 weeks and meeting once a week, AHA! will send a team of facilitators into schools, the ideal ratio being one facilitator for every seven or eight kids. After-school and summer programs follow a similar model with greater depth, focus, and learning in a more intimate environment. The programs work with participatory, experiential tools to draw the teens out and encourage person-to-person, real-world interfacing with other teens. “One of my favorite days that we do is | Santa Barbara |

about emotional flooding,” Lowenstein says. “Kids learn what happens in the brain and body when they’re overwhelmed with a big emotion. Understanding what goes on physiologically really helps them notice when it’s happening, allowing them to make a choice to calm themselves down or do some selfcare before they act.” Lowenstein relates a story of one young person’s emergence from the chrysalis. “One boy came to us and was just silent. He showed up every week, on time, and listened to others beautifully, but wouldn’t share at all. One year we started to recruit for Sing It Out (a unique 14-week self-actualization journey culminating in a solo performance song). Among the first words we ever heard him say was, ‘I want to do that.’ When the day arrived, he sang a song wearing a gold sequined jacket, and he was amazing. He went from not talking at all to completely unfurling and unfolding into this person who would take the stage in front of several hundred people. That’s the kind of thing that can happen.” AHA! is providing young people the tools to find life, love, connections, and excellence on their own terms.

Give Teens the Tools to Tackle Life ur in-school programs have served some 55,000 students since our founding, and we receive just 14% from districts toward the O cost of services. We need help reaching our goal of raising 33% of

our budget – half a million dollars – to continue to provide socialemotional learning programming, mentorship, and support to the SBUSD and CUSD.

Programs available for teens, educators, and parents/guardians.

Our youth are in emotional crisis. Research continues to demonstrate the unmatched importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) in reducing emotional/ physical violence in schools by building healthy campus climates with young people taking on the role of change agents in this shift.

KEY SUPPORTERS

AHA! equips teenagers, educators, and parents with social and emotional intelligence to dismantle apathy, prevent despair, and interrupt hate-based behavior. AHA! gives teens tools to feel safe, seen, and emotionally connected.

personally feel that AHA! helped rescue my boys and myself when we were in a very vulnerable situation. One was going through some very deep emotional issues. At AHA!, he received help to deal with these challenges by learning to open up and communicate his feelings. Going through a separation is not easy, especially for children! AHA! supported by listening, helping them to communicate better, and to provide guidance and counseling. As for me, I was also given guidance and counseling, so I can better communicate with my boys. I learned to listen to them and hear them out. Communication is KEY! I love AHA! I feel that my boys and I have enriched so much from their programs!"

– Parent of AHA! teens

AHA! www.ahasb.org 1209 De La Vina Street, Ste. A Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 770-7200 *Photos by Carly Otness

Contact: Molly Green Senior Director of Development (805) 770-7200 ext. 2 molly@ahasb.org

Lisa and Bryan Babcock Jennifer and Peter Buffett Deckers Brands Daun and Daniel Dees Lisa Foley Erica Gervais Kerrilee and Martin Gore Nancy Grinstein and Neal Rabin Karen and Bayard Hollins Danialle and Peter Karmanos Jill Martin Nora McNeely Hurley and Michael Hurley NoVo Foundation Natalie Orfalea and Lou Buglioli Marla McNally Phillips and Lee Phillips Stacy and Ron Pulice The Rodel Foundations Justine Roddick and Tina Schlieske Rand Rosenberg and Teran Davis Leanne Schlinger Regina Scully Susan and Bobby Shand The Smidt Family Kind World Foundation

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: AHA ATTITUDE HARMONY ACHIEVEMENT 1209 De La Vina Street, Ste. A Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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STORYTELLER CHILDREN'S CENTER

Storyteller Children’s Center – Both a Therapeutic Preschool and a Safe, Loving Haven "S

toryteller changes the trajectory of lives for vulnerable children and their families. I am constantly in awe of the strength and determination of our children! Watching them transform their lives is a gift and is why I am passionate about this organization."

– Tiffany Foster

Advisory Board Chair

Celebrating their promotion to kindergarten, their first graduation of many!

child is a sponge, soaking up experiences and building a worldview. These foundational beginnings are formative. These beginnings can set off challenging trajectories for children facing adversity. In addition to year-round educational programs, Storyteller Children’s Center provides behavioral health support, trauma-informed therapy, nutritious meals, medical and dental screenings, and family support services for 100 children (from infancy through five years of age) and their families. The primary mission of the organization is to foster social-emotional development for lifelong resiliency and school readiness with

Cultivating the building blocks for lifelong success!

toddlers and preschoolers while breaking the cycle of poverty for their families. Storyteller isn’t just a program for children facing adversity in our community but the entire family unit. It is a true social change organization as accessible education and childcare are essential to a family’s financial security – particularly in this tremendously high-cost-of-living city. “Storyteller is an early childhood education center for children and their families facing challenging circumstances,” says Dr. Gabriella Garcia, Executive Director of Storyteller Children’s Center (SCC). “There’s an acronym that we use in early childhood education. It’s ‘ACEs,’ which means adverse childhood experiences. These experiences range from abuse, neglect, and food insecurity to housing insecurity or homelessness. The brain develops 90% of its capacity in the first five years of life, and that is why focusing on this age range and that early intervention is key,” says Dr. Garcia. From a purely economic standpoint, Dr. Garcia cites a statistic that makes an inarguable case for investment. “On average, there is about a $7 return for every dollar spent on early childhood education. So, by mitigating all of those effects of trauma, we can help prevent incarceration, dropping out of school, drug use... We’re simply providing access to the resources that they may not otherwise have had. What we will see as a return on investment in the early childhood | Santa Barbara |

stage is huge for our common future.” Storyteller’s year-round programs complement each other in their unified approach to nurturing children from infancy to five years. Their bilingual Behavioral Health program includes professional therapeutic consultants offering extended help at both the child’s home and in the preschool itself. SCC’s partnerships with CALM, Family Service Agency, and CommUnify bring an interdisciplinary team of licensed and registered staff into the mix. Storyteller’s Family Advocacy services let parents and guardians work one-on-one with a Family Advocate to help with such necessities as housing, work-related issues, school enrollment, legal matters, and medical concerns. “The other really awesome thing that we do here,” says an exultant Dr. Garcia, “is provide two meals and a snack daily. That is huge for growing brains and struggling families because a hundred percent of our families live under the poverty line.” Storyteller Children’s Center operates in three locations in Santa Barbara, including classrooms recently added at Transition House. You could look right at any of them and not know what you see. Dr. Garcia explains, “There is a reason our sites are like actual homes. These are such special places to see and watch the children learn, grow and change. Their families are able to confidently drop them off so that they can go to work and give back to our local economy – and actually stay in Santa Barbara. As one of our parents shared, ‘These are some of the safest eight hours in a day that a child will get.’”

Help Support a RESILIENT Foundation for Young, Vulnerable Children Children’s Center’s operating budget serves the therapeutic and trauma-informed curriculums, building the foundation of resiliency that these students will tap into for their entire lives. SThistoryteller year’s Transition House expansion allows Storyteller to support children as young as six weeks through kindergarten, creating a true continuum of care throughout the earliest years of a child’s life. The added mental health services for this program cost $100,000 per year.

Early childhood intervention yields a $4 to $16 return per child, reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) related to health consequences that cost an estimated economic burden of $748 billion annually. We can mitigate this by funding highquality therapeutic early-childhood services and education.

Our emphasis on social-emotional development builds lifelong tools for empathy, self-regulation, and problem-solving. 90% of a child's brain grows in the first five years. Reading enhances fast growing brain connections.

We fuel growing brains with two meals and a snack daily!

KEY SUPPORTERS Dr. Peggy Dodds, Co-Chair Erinn Lynch, Co-Chair Michael Wasserman, Vice Chair Rachael Stein, Secretary Craig Zimmerman, Treasurer Jessica Phillips, Governance Jon Clark Gretchen Horn Daisy Estrada Ochoa

Storyteller Children's Center www.storytellercenter.org 2115 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 682-9585

Contact: Heather Martinez Director of Development (805) 730-0155 heather@storytellercenter.org

Sharon Kayser Dr. Anna Kokotovic Dr. Patricia Madrigal Danna McGrew Ann Pieramici Ken Radtkey Kyra Rogers Kenny Slaught Dr. Carrie Towbes

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Storyteller Children’s Center Inc 2115 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 77-0283072 By Credit Card:

www.storytellercenter.org/donate

| Santa Barbara |

Family Well-being Families are the foundational pillar of a stable and compassionate society. But here in this country, the bonds that tie families together are frayed and in need of leaders willing to provide support and services – small and large – that can ensure their well-being.

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COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE

CADA and the Community: A Life-Changing Partnership

From our Board

“No parent should ever experience the pain of losing a child to substance abuse. CADA’s Youth & Family treatment programs have moved thousands of children, teens, and their families from desperation into recovery. If these programs had been available to my family, we know in our hearts that our son Danny would still be with us today.” – Bob and Patty Bryant Bob serves on the CADA Board. Since 1999, the Bryants have led the Summit for Danny International Hike to raise funds for the Daniel Bryant Youth and Family Center, the first adolescent substance abuse treatment center in Santa Barbara County, having served over 8,000 clients and families. Local Summit for Danny community hikes are also held annually in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

“I

think our youngest client this year was 10 years old. Sadly, the age has been skewing lower. Three or four years ago, I would have said 12 was the youngest.” Scott Whiteley, PhD, knows first-hand how the national drug epidemic has specifically impacted Santa Barbara County. His role as executive director of the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) provides a front-row seat to the heartbreaking – and courageous – individual struggles that comprise the larger, otherwise faceless devastation of substance abuse across the region. Almost twice a week in Santa Barbara County, someone’s beloved family member or dear friend dies from an opioid overdose. And as the face of addiction has changed over time, so have CADA’s focused efforts to combat the disease. Founded in 1949 as the Santa Barbara Committee on Alcoholism, with an enlightened perspective on alcoholism as an illness and not a “moral failing,” today CADA is the county’s premier provider of education, prevention, and treatment of substance abuse and co-occurring mental health conditions affecting youth, adults, and families in Santa Barbara County. “We were the first such agency in the county – and are now the only agency countywide – that provides organized youth services for young people with substance abuse issues,” says Whiteley. “We are both the largest and the most comprehensive youth treatment service agency in the county.”

CADA operates five Youth & Family Programs and five Adult Programs. Three Daniel Bryant Youth & Family Centers see clients in Santa Barbara, Lompoc, and Santa Maria; Adult Services include ARTS (Adult Residential Treatment Services) and Project Recovery (an outpatient clinic). All of CADA’s treatment centers are welcoming, warm, and soul-nourishing. As local families continue to struggle following COVID, demand for services is at an all-time high, with rapidly growing waitlists for critical services, and key facilities serving youth and adults now far too small to meet community needs. “Our Santa Maria Daniel Bryant Center needs additional treatment rooms to serve the children, teens, and their families who need our help,” notes Whiteley. “And at any one time, our waiting list for ARTS is 30, 35 – it’s been as high as 50 or 60. There’s a window of opportunity to successfully reach these clients because postponing their entry into recovery can ultimately impact their success. We must find ways to expand our capacity.” All CADA services are culturally sensitive, available in English and Spanish, and provided without regard to gender, gender preference, age, race, ethnicity, or national origin. Medi-Cal, CenCal, and many private insurance providers are accepted. No one is ever turned away for inability to pay.

| Santa Barbara |

What we need… Protecting the TINIEST MEMBERS of Our Community hen COVID hit, the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) effectively pivoted to telehealth. But one client group was challenged by remote treatment: the mothers and children in the Perinatal Program, for W pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders. “Our mothers and children received help in a safe, nurturing environment,” says Scott Whiteley, executive director of CADA. “COVID eliminated the personal connection critical to ensuring a safe pregnancy, a healthy baby, and a family who can stay together and lead productive lives. Perinatal services are the earliest possible substance abuse intervention available, and we are committed to returning to our successful pre-COVID service model.” The free program includes family transportation to treatment and childcare, snacks, and meals for the newborn and children under six. Funding is needed for transportation costs, childcare providers, play equipment, and snacks/ meals. The kindness of a $2,500 gift will provide one small child with a meaningful growing experience while their mom learns to be her best self and a nurturing mother.

With Lived Experience, CADA Leader Pays It Forward

ellness. Of body, mind, and spirit. She strives for it personally and inspires it in the clients she serves as CADA’s Director of Education & Prevention. But it has not always been so. Suffering from postpartum depression following the birth of her second son, she was abusing her medication and not emotionally available to her family. She went to jail following a life-threatening car accident before successfully seeking help to find a path to recovery. She joined CADA in 2019 and is deeply dedicated to helping others as she was helped. She holds an MA in Clinical Psychology and an MBA, is a Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician and a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, and is completing her PsyD in Clinical Psychology. She also operates a thriving yoga studio in North Santa Barbara County and gets a 5-star rating from her clients and coworkers for all that she does every day to build healthy lives, strong families, and a vibrant community.

Give With Confidence

Of the thousands of nonprofit organizations serving Santa Barbara County, only 28 – including CADA – have earned the highest designations from both of the nation’s top nonprofit rating groups. Assessments and ratings are focused on each charity’s overall health, including stability, efficiency, and sustainability. CADA has consistently held a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, the largest source of nonprofit data in the country; and a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, the most utilized evaluator of nonprofits. Visit candid.org and charitynavigator.org to learn more.

– Celebrating Martena Wilson

CADA Director of Education & Prevention

SUPPORTING OUR FUTURE Planned Giving Opportunities Pat Snyder (805) 455-0390 psnyder@cadasb.org

Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) www.cadasb.org 232 E. Canon Perdido Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-1433

Contact: Catherine Remak Director of Development (805) 722-1306 cremak@cadasb.org

Attend a Fundraising Event Development Office (805) 722-1325 development@cadasb.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse P.O. Box 28 Santa Barbara, CA 93102

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www.cadasb.org/ways-to-give/

FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Family Service Agency’s ‘Whole-Person’ Approach Provides Life-Sustaining Help "Y

our services provided me something that I was beginning to feel was missing in my life. Being interconnected with so many other local organizations, you are providing a safety net for me. Thank you."

– Anonymous

Senior Services Client

Last year, over 2,600 families located throughout Santa Barbara County received in-depth services, such as case management, parent education, and enrollment in programs like Medi-Cal and CalFresh.

amily Service Agency’s (FSA) work is the very stuff that powers a vibrant community from within and makes it whole. “Family support means helping meet a family’s basic needs,” says Chief Executive Officer Lisa Brabo. “Food, clothing, health insurance, wellness, housing, employment – all the basic things that people need. FSA also offers behavioral health services, with a focus on mental wellness – and that’s counseling, mental health education, and prevention like social activities that help people connect with one another.” FSA’s approach is holistic, the goal simple and redemptive. “For example,” Brabo says, “our Family Support Services advocates delve into the totality of what is going on with a family. By looking at the needs of the whole person, or the whole family, we can help them build skills and connect to resources and support services so that they are better equipped to lead a resilient and fruitful life. It’s all about finding balance.” The nonprofit’s ever-deepening suite of services is based around a central idea – infusing people with self-sufficiency in every aspect of their lives. Often, FSA reaches out to fellow non-

profit organizations to bring more resources to bear on a family’s needs. Santa Barbara’s nonprofit community can be seen as a cohort of specialized service providers whose complementary skill sets combine to achieve life-changing outcomes. “Our approach,” Brabo says of the area’s constellation of nonprofits, “is ‘let’s work together so we can make sure that family – or that family member, or that senior – gets what

Therapists and social workers support seniors by helping them access mental wellness resources and assisting them with paying utilities, in-home services, legal aid services, and more.

| Santa Barbara |

they need.’ The goal is always to discern how we can best assist the individual or family.” For example, FSA partners with Santa Barbara County Legal Aid Foundation. “We’ll provide case management for older adults who are having issues with crimes of abuse, and we partner with Legal Aid in bringing the whole package to that senior. They receive good legal assistance, and we’re supporting them in accessing resources, be that mental wellness, help with utilities, in-home services, or whatever else they need.” FSA’s model of partnering with other agencies creates a truly wraparound support environment. Another source of local octane is the donor community, with whose help FSA is able to move nimbly when circumstances demand it. When the pandemic appeared unannounced, FSA quickly canvassed the area for senior residents who might be isolated in their homes and unable or unwilling to reach out for help. Brabo explains, “Private donors and foundations stepped in and for two years funded a special effort across the county. We literally used door hangers to find those people who needed help. That was just a tremendous effort – funded entirely by the generosity of private donors and foundations.” FSA’s Jan Campbell puts it all into perspective. “Last year FSA touched the lives of 28,000 people in Santa Barbara County – from ages 0 to 104. Our ‘whole person’ approach to individuals and families blends basic needs, education, and mental health support. We work with people where they are, we help stabilize their circumstances, and we help them to design a path forward towards sustaining a better future for themselves, and for their loved ones.”

Help Those MOST IN NEED Flexible Funding helps bridge the gaps for those in need. Here’s how you can help: $100 - Buys a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four. $250 - Helps a family enroll in health insurance and access other critical services in Family Service Agency’s countywide Family Resource Centers. $500 - Provides behavioral health support for students, improving academics and school attendance. $1,000 - Pays for three months of mental health counseling for a senior or caregiver.

Parenting education programs, like Dedicated Dads, help families build bonds and strengthen their relationships.

Celebrating 125 YEARS of service to the community! School-based Counseling and Outreach Mentor programs help students improve academics and attendance by addressing mental health issues and provide supportive mentorship.

served for eight years on the Board of Family Service Agency in the '90s and volunteered in many capacities. I am comforted to name Family Service Agency as a beneficiary because they will continue to serve the needs in our community with a compassionate and professional staff."

– Sybil Rosen

Community Member

KEY SUPPORTERS Marni & Michael Cooney Carole E. MacElhenny Gregory and Lorraine Forgatch Liz and Adrew Butcher Molly Carrillo-Walker & Guy Walker Mary Harvey Sandy & Dave Nordahl Christine & Reece Duca Janet Nancarrow Chris J. Rufer William Basiliko

As Santa Barbara County's Long-Term Care Ombudsman, FSA is responsible for advocating for all 5,000 residents in long-term care and skilled nursing facilities.

Family Service Agency www.fsacares.org 123 W Gutierrez St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Contact: Jan Campbell Director of Advancement (805) 965-1001 ext. 1268 jcampbell@fsacares.org

Janet Garufis Ginny & Tim Bliss Zora & Les Charles Jill & John C. Bishop, Jr. Ella & Scott Brittingham Kathy O'Leary Jane & Fred Sweeney Erin & Jeffrey Zuck Sybil Rosen Tricia & Craig Price Chana & James Jackson

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Family Service Agency 123 W Gutierrez St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1644031 By Credit Card:

fsacares.org/supportus

THE SANTA BARBARA REGION OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF LOS ANGELES, INC.

Providing Food, Shelter, and Clothing for the Most Vulnerable T

heresa has been with us for over six years volunteering in the Food Pantry. "Even though we come from different walks of life, we come together to help in time of need."

– Theresa Matte

Volunteer

Our Santa Barbara Food Pantry.

ntil a person can eat, sleep, and have a roof over one’s head, their mental and physical energy is consumed not by forward motion, but by the daily rigors of brute survival, the pursuit of these basic needs. It’s a fact that the compromised individual lacks the inner strength to achieve a gratifying and productive life as long as mere subsistence is still goal number one. This is what The Santa Barbara Region of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Inc. is engaged in – a mission as simple and broad as basic human need itself. “Our mission is to relieve hunger and homelessness in Santa Barbara County,” says Brian Clark – Catholic Charities’ Santa Barbara (CC Santa Barbara) Client Services Regional Coordinator. “I usually think about it in terms of the hierarchy of needs. Food, shelter, and clothing are really at the base, and we do whatever we can to cover those things. The food pantry is a big part of what we do. Here on Haley Street we see between four and five hundred people a week.” Begun in 1908 as the mercy-based Ladies Aid Society, Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara today offers a bevy of services to those in need. With the help and contributions of local participating grocery stores, they are able to operate three food pantries: in Santa Barbara, Lompoc, and Santa Maria. Food, shelter,

and clothing remain top priorities. “Our shelter services can include rental assistance,” Clark says. “When clothing is needed, we provide Thrifty Shopper vouchers for our thrift store, where people can get clothes and also household items.” Revenue from sales of donated merchandise helps support the CC Santa Barbara’s programs and services. Case management is provided to every prospective client and, where necessary, a bilingual Client Resource Coordinator assures that the client’s needs are understood. CC Santa Barbara also makes appropriate referrals to other service providers as needed. The mission is unrelenting. At last count, 44,000 people in Santa Barbara County partake of CC Santa Barbara’s life-sustaining services. To be clear, one need not be Catholic to receive services. Brian Clark doubles down on the occasional misconception. “We don’t force anything on anyone – except treating each other decently.” Clark and his colleague Yolanda Vasquez – CC Santa Barbara’s Regional Director – have been working together at Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara for some 20 years. It is a place whose ecosystem meets heartache and desperation head-on with humanity, hope, and the hard-won tools of personal renewal. Clark feels fortunate to experience these | Santa Barbara |

often exalting transitional stories from the inside. “The people who support us,” Clark says, “should know that they are supporting a community – because it’s not just staff but many clients engage with each other and offer connection that folks wouldn’t otherwise have.” That support comes from much-needed individual donations, as Vasquez frankly explains. “We hugely, hugely rely on private donations and foundations. Our advisory board has also been an amazing source of funding for us, and they help with our annual fundraiser, which we hold on the first Saturday every December. It’s called the Mistletoe Gala.” As Clark says, there are little miracles that happen at CC Santa Barbara every day. And with your help, Catholic Charities Santa Barbara aims to keep making those miracles happen.

The Thrifty Shopper Thrift Store is not only open to the public, but to our clients to receive vouchers for needed items.

Santa Barbara County is in the top one percent of agriculture-producing counties in America, but even though that statistic rings true, nearly 45,000 people (10% of the Santa Barbara County population) in the county are food insecure.

1926 – Early days of Catholic Charities Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara Region of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. 609 East Haley St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Contact: Yolanda Vasquez Regional Director (805) 965-7045 ext. 105 YVasquez@ccharities.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara 609 E. Haley St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103

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RUNX1 RESEARCH PROGRAM

One Goal: Prevent Cancer "R

RP does things differently – applying dollars to fill the biggest knowledge gaps that guide us in the right direction on our road to cancer prevention. We continuously evaluate the scientific landscape, identify the critical questions that need to be answered, and design a program to fit the purpose."

– Dr. Katrin Ericson

President & Executive Director, RUNX1 Research Program Would you still be smiling after having 29 vials of blood drawn? For RUNX1-FPD patient Brennan, this is just part of life. He, his father, and one of his brothers visit the NIH annually to check for any changes in their blood and bone marrow that might indicate early signs of blood cancer.

espite living with RUNX1 familial platelet disorder (RUNX1-FPD), Tim Babich lived a happy life with his wife, Monica. After the birth of their sons, their lives changed forever when they learned that Tim’s RUNX1 mutation had been passed down to one of their boys. This diagnosis meant that their young son was at a greatly increased risk of developing blood cancer. For Tim and Monica Babich, this was unacceptable. “When they found out that one of their two sons had this disease, they started doing research,” says Executive Director Dr. Katrin Ericson. “They quickly learned that there wasn’t a lot out there. There was very little research on this disease.” With a one in two chance of developing a fatal blood cancer, those born with a RUNX1 mutation grow up knowing any day could be the day they receive devastating news. And with little to no medical research on the disease development and outcomes, families with this disease are stuck navigating life in the dark. Determined to change this for the better, Tim and Monica Babich founded the RUNX1 Research Program. So much about the process of cancer development is still unclear. Why do only some people develop cancer? What protective

factors are present in those who do not develop cancer? How can this information be utilized to help prevent cancer? By pursuing these questions, the RUNX1 Research Program is not only contributing to a better understanding of all cancers and positively changing the lives of those born with the RUNX1 mutation, they are also paving the way for an under-researched area of cancer prevention medicine. “If you look at the dollars being spent on cancer research, 90% of it is going towards cancer therapeutics,” says Dr. Ericson.

“Instead, we’re focusing on an area of significant unmet need, one that has very few dollars and huge potential. Let’s identify the disease as early as possible, before full-blown cancer, through advanced early detection methods, and then let’s intervene. Let’s prevent it from turning into the malignant disease it will become.” Through their cutting-edge research, genetic testing awareness initiatives, and patient advisory committee who help guide this new era of cancer prevention science, the RUNX1 Research Program is dedicated not only to patient empowerment but population empowerment. After all, no one is living with a 0% risk of developing cancer.

Currently, the only treatment available for RUNX1-FPD patients who develop blood cancer is a risky procedure called a stem cell transplant whereby their entire blood system is destroyed by chemotherapy and then replaced with healthy stem cells from another person. There are many possible complications that are fatal, so those who survive consider their transplant date their new “birthday” as their bodies are as vulnerable as a newborn for close to a year.

| Santa Barbara |

Studying RUNX1-FPD offers a rare opportunity for doctors to monitor how cancer develops in the blood in real time. This could help us discover how to detect cancer early, even before it's classified as full-blown cancer, and create cancer prevention interventions that could be applicable to all.

The predominant type of blood cancer RUNX1-FPD patients develop is acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the second deadliest of all blood cancers, and 72% of AML patients pass away within five years.

“B Dr. Ravi Majeti at Stanford University (standing) and his group are using cutting edge tools including CRISPR gene editing to uncover how cancer develops in RUNX1-FPD. Scientists are honing in on inflammation and working hard to determine exactly which inflammatory pathways are responsible for promoting cancer so that they can test anti-inflammatory treatments that could prevent cancer.

efore we started the RUNX1 Research Program, we didn’t know of anyone else having RUNX1-FPD beyond our family - but we knew others like us were out there, waiting to be found. Over the past six years, we’ve had 287 patients join our community from across the world, and we know there are so many more. We are proud that RRP has granted over $10M to support 31 research projects towards finding a cure to benefit all our families.”

– Monica Babich RRP co-founder, wife and mother of patients

Stop Cancer in Its Tracks

Can you imagine waking up every morning wondering if today is the day you find out you have blood cancer? Or discovering you’ve unknowingly passed a rare gene mutation on to your child that makes it 30 times more likely they’ll develop a fatal blood cancer in their lifetime? These issues are a reality for RUNX1-FPD patients due to a hereditary mutation in their RUNX1 gene.

s part of their mission to stop cancer in its tracks, all donations to the RUNX1 Research Program fund cancer prevention initiatives – a mission that has never been more important. Medical professionals predict that, in the next year, cancer will become the number one cause of death in the United States. Your donations to the RUNX1 Research Program will fund research at the forefront of cancer detection and intervention. By studying the earliest signs of cancer today, we can prevent a fatal diagnosis tomorrow.

RUNX1 Research Program www.runx1-fpd.org 1482 E. Valley Rd., Suite 137 Santa Barbara, CA 93108 (805) 252-9906

KEY SUPPORTERS Tim and Monica Babich Georgetta and Charles Blackburn Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation The Edward P. Evans Foundation Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Mark Foundation for Cancer Research NeoGenomics

Contact: Alex Gonzalez Director of Development (916) 212-0410 agonzalez@runx1-fpd.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: RUNX1 Foundation 1482 E. Valley Rd., Suite 137 Santa Barbara, CA 93108

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www.runx1-fpd.org/donate

The Story of Santos, Taqueria El Bajio, and the Holiday Lights on Milpas By Joanne A Calitri

f you’re wondering where to have Forbes-rated authentic Mexican food or where the holiday lights on Milpas and its roundabout come from, you can look no further than the heart and soul of Santos Guzman, owner of Taqueria El Bajio at 129 North Milpas Street. Guzman was born in Guanajuato, México, the location of his restaurant’s recipes for dorados, menudo, caldo de pollo, caldo de res, gorditas, chile rellenos, and beef tacos. It is also the home of his faith and cultural traditions. Starting up Taqueria El Bajio in 1996, little did he realize that the restaurant would become such a popular, long-standing family institution. Not one to sit on a successful business, he decided to give back and pay it forward. Yes, those festive holiday lights are his idea and labor of love for the past 12 years. Santos’s motto says it all: “Everybody’s always looking for money. But at my restaurant, what I’m looking for is the satisfaction of the customers.” That motto also holds true for his dream to create a happy, safe, and prosperous Eastside Milpas community. We met at his restaurant and talked: Q: What made you decide to move to Santa Barbara from Guanajuato? A: When I was in Mexico, I had a dream for a better life. I came to the U.S. in 1973. I was 22 years old and came here by myself as an immigrant with American dreams. I first went to Los Angeles. I looked around and thought, This is not for me. I came to Santa Barbara, as I had two brothers who also had moved there. What was Santa Barbara like for you when you arrived? It was not easy in the beginning. I started as a janitor for two to three years making $2/hour; it was not enough. I had more dreams and got more ambitious. I started a gardening and landscape service. That was not easy. I had my family then. [He starts to fight a few tears.] To make enough money, I realized I had to sacrifice my life, my family, and I ended up working 24/7. I never saw my family during the day, because I worked from 5 am to 10 pm for almost 20 years.

From right, Santos Guzman with his wife, Gloria, and daughter Rocio “Rosi” Guzman Corvera at their restaurant, Taqueria El Bajio (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

How did the restaurant come about for you? My ambition was to complete my dreams, I wanted to be an auto technician. I went to Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and it took me six years to get my degree. By then I was 40 to 45, and I had kept working as a gardening service. In those days, I had to get a certification for pesticides; when you spray anything with it, you have to have a license. I went back to SBCC to get that license. Suddenly one day, I discovered that somebody had a business at 129 North Milpas that was for sale, and it was a little restaurant. I decided to buy the business. You transitioned from gardening to the restaurant…? Honestly, I didn’t have any experience, only what my mom taught me. She taught me how to cook when I was seven years old. I remember my mom told me when I got married, “You have to know how to cook!” And I knew my wife, Gloria, knew how to cook, too. But my wife said to me, “Why did you buy the restaurant? Who is going to buy this kind of food we eat at home?” I said to her, “Everybody!” [We laugh.] “Everybody’s going to buy it.” And my wife said, “Only beans and rice?”

| Santa Barbara |

I said to her, “Yeah, only beans and rice – somebody’s going to buy it.” So, you opened the restaurant... I started with all my family working with me at it. In those days, my daughters were little, and I put plastic boxes on the floor so my daughter could reach the cash register. My daughters were in school and took turns from being in class to working at the restaurant. My wife and I worked 24/7. Where did the restaurant name come from? For one reason or another, I put the name El Bajio as the restaurant name. And it became a huge success. A lot of people started to come in. I was surprised they liked the tortas, tacos, and the quesadillas. Then we added the soups. When we added the soups, it was a tremendous hit! I called this little place the House of the Soups. What caused you to decide to give back to the Eastside? From one thing comes another one. I discovered there was an association right here on Milpas. It had members I met and came to respect, because I saw that what they were doing was very good for the community, so I became a member of the association. How did you get the Christmas lights on Milpas and the roundabout? Years ago, there were Christmas lights along Milpas Street, but at some point, it was not being done anymore – and no one knew who had done it prior, why it was stopped, or where those lights went.

“... we found out that because we put up the [holiday] lights, more people feel safe to be on the sidewalks at night to view the Milpas Holiday Parade.”

So about 12 years ago, we did the Christmas lights on Milpas Street. And next, I thought to also decorate and light the Milpas roundabout. How do the lights get funded, and how do the lights get put up? These efforts are not funded by the City of Santa Barbara or any governing body. I would go door to door every year to ask for donations from the local businesses to do this, to get the lights, store them for next year, to fund putting up the lights on the poles and over the street, and get the permits. We are all volunteers that put up and take down the lights – including employees from my restaurant – along with Jose Perez and his employees, myself, and we have to contract out to safely put up the lights across the street. As for the roundabout, the City of Santa Barbara told us there was no electricity. So first, we used solar panels, but that did not work. Next, we used gas-powered generators, and I had to use chains to hold them in place. I met with Congressman Salud Carbajal and told him we need electricity in the roundabout, and he helped somehow to provide it. I am very proud, because the local businesses trust me and give me confidence to do this. Why Christmas lights? Having lights up at Christmas time is a big tradition in Latina families, which constitute the majority of people here. Since the [pandemic] lockdowns, many people do not have the money to even get a Christmas tree, so coming to Milpas Street and seeing holiday lights is important. Lights are a visual gift to the community. Also, we found out that because we put up the lights, more people feel safe to be on the sidewalks at night to view the Milpas Holiday Parade. The community loves it. What are your dreams for the future? We need more help and money to do this. I would love Cabrillo Boulevard along the beach lit up for Christmas, and to have traditional festivals and community gatherings. My wish is that the city recognizes the power as Latinos that we have in this city. You don’t realize how much effort the Latinos make to live here and contribute, working in construction, plumbing, as cooks, landscaping, professors, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

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| Santa Barbara |

Education No great society has existed that didn’t grow its children and youth in the fertile soil of education. For their contributions, we applaud the organizations that put their shoulders to this important task.

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FRIENDS OF THE VISUAL ARTS AND DESIGN ACADEMY (VADA)

Friends of VADA - Helping Students Achieve Their Highest Potential "I

support VADA because the program is devoted to fostering creativity. And creative expression – no matter the form – is the strongest vehicle we have to express a point of view, inspire, and connect with each other in ways that are central to the human experience."

– Jeff Bridges

Actor/Children’s Advocate/Philanthropist

THE VISUAL ARTS AND DESIGN ACADEMY (VADA) - is an immersive art and design education for public high school students that integrates rigorous academic coursework with project-based, career-focused art and design instruction, in a supportive and creative environment. Your contributions can put the finishing touches on bringing the new creative educational environment into reality, ensuring a legacy for both current and future generations of students at Santa Barbara High School.

ho are we? The Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA) at Santa Barbara High School is a unique “school within a school” of about 225 students that has an oversized impact on the students and community. Through an immersive program that integrates rigorous academic coursework with project-based, career-focused art and design instruction in a supportive and creative environment, VADA fills a major gap in modern education. What do we offer? VADA is an influential beacon in the educational landscape. The program enables students to achieve their highest potential and professional readiness by teaching them the most sought-after 21st century job skills: complex problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and cognitive flexibility.

“Our students are able to use what they’ve learned about creativity in any domain or field and employ creative processes they developed in classes as a template for problem solving in any area of their lives,” says Daniel Barnett, VADA program director since 2007. A symbol of equity and opportunity. The program also addresses other values beyond academic achievement and workforce skills. With inclusivity as a foundational pillar, the program attracts students who reflect the diversity in Santa Barbara, closing educational and opportunity gaps; nearly half of the VADA students are socio-economically disadvantaged and/or have special needs. Indeed, VADA’s collaborative, supportive, interactive environment attracts youth from all areas of the high school, from aspiring artists and math wizards to football players and musicians. Parents and family also are deeply | Santa Barbara |

involved and passionate because they witness the power of the program. “VADA really proves the truth of the Horace Mann quote about public education as the great equalizer,” says Kate Ford, the former president of the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education and Peabody Charter School principal who now serves on the Friends of VADA Board. “These are public school kids who have access to the amazing opportunities offered at VADA, which provide them with both a powerful toolbox and a sense of self and community that they might not get anywhere else.”

VADA students build skills in a wide range of artistic elements, including both traditional and digital media. Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Mural Making, Mixed Media, Graphic Design, and Photography are all part of the curriculum.

We have a VISION for the future generations of Santa Barbara students over a quarter-century, VADA has been a of excellence. But to continue sculpting Ftheorhallmark leaders of tomorrow, VADA needs to evolve. It’s

time to upgrade and modernize our half-centuryold infrastructure. With insights from industry titans like Adobe, Deckers, and Patagonia, we have planned and now broken ground for a state-of-theart Design Lab and Art Studio. While we’ve made notable progress, securing $7.25 million of our $10.75 million goal, your patronage can be the catalyst that turns this vision into a tangible legacy – a legacy that promises a brighter, more creative future for generations of Santa Barbara students. The bottom line? Your generosity becomes the legacy that can power future generations. Please help us get there.

VADA offers a truly exceptional program that fills a major gap in education. The skills, attitudes, and mindsets of the artist-designer, practiced in a creative, working studio environment, are highly transferable to other domains of life and work.

SCAN TO MAKE A DONATION... ...AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VISUAL ARTS AND DESIGN ACADEMY (VADA)

KEY SUPPORTERS

After 25 years of great success, VADA desperately needs new facilities and modernization of its existing buildings. The new Design Lab and Art Studio at SBHS project broke ground in Spring 2023. VADA has secured more than $7.25 million of its $10.75 million capital campaign goal from individual donors, ongoing partnerships with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, and a matching grant from the California Department of Education.

Friends of VADA www.vadasbhs.org 700 East Anapamu Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Contact: Andy Beall President of Friends of VADA (805) 698-1273 beall@worldviz.com

Alan Macy Bragg Health Foundation Charles Schwab Deckers Brands Hutton Parker Foundation Ian Smith John Temple Josh Blumer Kai Tepper Kirby Jones Family Foundation Kyle Ashby Manitou Fund

Manny Roldan Margie Yahyavi Michelle Apodaca Nathan Vonk Outhwaite Foundation Pamela Temple Rod Lathim Ted Rhodes The Muzzy Family Tony & Kyra Rogers Tuohy Foundation Williams Corbett Foundation

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Friends of VADA 700 East Anapamu Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 73-1646663 By Credit Card:

www.vadasbhs.org/donate

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS FOUNDATION

California Missions Foundation: Our Mission is Historic Preservation

CMF helped Mission San Antonio raise funding for retrofit and renovation. Just three hours north of Santa Barbara, this mission is a wonderful example of how funding can successfully preserve a historic site.

CMF is seeking support for a much needed seismic retrofit to prevent damage at Mission Santa Inés in the event of an earthquake.

he California Missions matter. Historic preservation keeps alive our history and it allows us to remember the stories and experiences of so many people. These mission buildings stand today thanks to the efforts and dedication of individuals and foundations who appreciate the importance of historic preservation. Keeping the California Missions standing will help keep alive our history, our culture, and our traditions. The California Missions are one-of-a-kind California treasures. They are irreplaceable. California Missions Foundation (CMF) was established in 1998 and continues the early dedication of Phoebe Hearst and others who sought to preserve and restore the California Missions more than a century ago. Today, under the direction of CMF Executive Director David Bolton, in his eleventh year, the foundation continues the important work of preserving and restoring the 21 California Missions that stretch from San Diego to Sonoma. In addition to the historic structures, CMF is also dedicated to preserving the unique Native and Spanish art and artifacts at the mission sites. Mr. Bolton says that “knowing and understanding our past helps us better understand our present, and our future.” For more than 25 years, CMF has worked with a variety of partner foundations and individuals to bring amazing restoration efforts to the entire mission chain. CMF is currently working on projects throughout the state to seismically retrofit the three remaining California Missions that have yet to receive this critical strengthening. Locally, CMF is spearheading and raising funds for the much-needed retrofit project at Mission Santa Inés – a mission threatened by damage in the event of a major earthquake. Mission Santa Inés represents the rich history of the Santa Ynez Valley from horses and ranches to wine and agriculture. The California Missions are part of an important collection, and CMF is proud to continue its efforts of preservation and fundraising to save this

important chapter of California history. We invite you to visit the missions. Located three hours north of Santa Barbara and sitting in a unique untouched setting, is Mission San Antonio – one of the most picturesque missions in the chain. It has received a great deal of support and is definitely worth a visit. The preservation effort at San Antonio has been effective and a day trip to the mission is like taking a step back in time. “The California Missions rely on individual donors to keep these historic buildings standing,” Bolton says. “CMF is a preservation organization. We work through a detailed reporting process with regular site visits to make sure that the dollars that come in for historic preservation of the California Missions go towards that effort. That sets us apart.”

Mission Santa Barbara after the 1925 earthquake.

| Santa Barbara |

CMF Executive Director David Bolton joins Franklin Elementary School fourth-grade students for an “All-Aboard-the-Bus” Student Field Trip at the Mission.

Help PRESERVE the Rich History of California’s Missions ight now, California Missions Foundation is focused on raising $1.6 million needed to retrofit nearby Mission Santa Inés. CMF is in the final stages of fundraising after receiving a $500,000 federal matching grant from R the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures program. Reaching this fundraising goal will guarantee that Mission Santa Inés will be seismically retrofitted, thus preserving this National Historic Landmark that continues to bring tourism to the Santa Ynez Valley while keeping alive our history.

California Missions Foundation is currently raising funds to retrofit Mission Santa Inés. We are looking to gain community support for this project that will keep the mission standing for years to come. Please indicate "Mission Santa Inés Retrofit" in your gift if you would like to help restore this National Historic Landmark.

KEY SUPPORTERS

“A

recent grant from the California Missions Foundation restored a 17th century painting of the baptism of Christ attributed to Hosea de Paz. It is now hung in the church where the baptismal font is found."

– Fr. Thomas Elewaut

Pastor at Mission San Buenaventura

Ann Jackson Family Foundation The Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation Dan Murphy Foundation Francis K. and Charles D. Field Foundation Stephen T. Hearst John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation Linden Root Dickinson Foundation

Marjorie and Edward Illig Family Foundation Montecito Bank & Trust National Parks Service Pebble Beach Company Foundation Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation Visit Santa Ynez Valley William H. Hannon Foundation

California Missions Foundation www.californiamissionsfoundation.org 3 W. Carrillo Street, Suite 204 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-1633

Contact: David Bolton Executive Director (805) 284-3986 info@californiamissionsfoundation.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: California Missions Foundation P.O. Box 23035 Santa Barbara, CA 93121

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SBCC FOUNDATION

Santa Barbara City College Foundation and the Promise of Higher Ed

ven as a student at UC Santa Barbara, Geoff Green – CEO of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation – had an early understanding of Santa Barbara City College’s inherent academic value. “At UCSB I was in a plant ecology course – a Linnaean Nomenclature course, of all things. It was my first upper-division honors section. There were 12 of us. Six of us were transfers from SBCC, and the other half – like me – had come to UCSB straight out of high school.” Green arches his eyebrows. “It took me about two weeks to figure out that those SBCC transfer students were light years ahead of me.” Why? “They just knew more. There’s only one reason a teacher works at a community college. There’s no research mission, there’s very little administrative structure. You’re there to teach. Community College is an efficient teaching machine.” Thanks to the Santa Barbara City College Foundation and private donations, Santa Barbara City College is an efficient teaching machine that doubles as a cost-free gateway to university. The SBCC Promise is a big deal. Green breaks it down. “Every young person coming out of high school locally, we’ll pay for two full years, all inclusive. So books, fees, everything. We require them to be fulltime students, and require them to talk to

“S

upport for SBCC students offers a key to countless opportunities, and goes far toward leveling the playing field. Many who never thought they’d go to college are empowered to succeed, thanks to the SBCC Promise, scholarships, and exemplary programs such as Running Start. My family has always known that investing in community colleges is one of the best ways to create opportunity, and I’m proud to support the Foundation’s work and excellence at SBCC.”

– Kandy Luria-Budgor

President’s Circle Member

The SBCC Promise offers all recent, local high school graduates the opportunity to attend SBCC full-time at no cost, relying entirely on private donations to cover all required fees, books, and supplies for up to two years. To date, more than 7,000 students have participated.

counselors along the way so that they have a pathway and some support built in.” You heard right. Graduate from a high school in the SBCC District Area or complete your GED, and you’re eligible for the SBCC Promise – effectively a free freshman and sophomore year in college. Tuition, books, course materials, student health fee – SBCC will even throw in your student bus pass. Successfully complete those Promised two years at SBCC, and when you transfer to your four-year school, you will be entering the university as a junior. The SBCC Promise is an almost puzzlingly transparent example of educational beneficence. Complex loan forgiveness mechanisms are one thing; two free years at a nationally lauded, awardwinning institution of higher learning are something else. “The Promise initiative is the single biggest thing we do at the Foundation,” Green says. “And it’s about a $2.5 million-peryear proposition.” The anodyne statement “Higher education isn’t for everyone” – often murmured in a conciliatory fashion – can also be understood as “Not everyone who wants to attend a university and is academically qualified to attend a university will ever see the inside of a university.” Too often, the higher ed filtering mechanism is plainly fiduciary. | Santa Barbara |

The Promise punches a few holes in that filter, to our common benefit. “The SBCC Foundation,” Green says, “was really put in place to bridge the gap between the aspirations of what SBCC knows it can do and the public funding streams it has access to. We offer an opportunity for the community to invest in the college.” Other SBCC Foundation points-ofpride include the Rising Scholars program, which prepares the incarcerated for college re-enrollment on their release, the SPARC program for “Single Parents Arriving Ready for College,” and Guardian Scholars, which supports foster youth. SBCC Foundation represents open arms to those prospective students whose circumstances once made college an unattainable daydream. Private donations are not just changing lives, but advancing them. “Because of the reputation of SBCC,” Green says, “what we call the ‘capture rate’ is much higher than in most communities. That pathway was well established. But with the SBCC Promise, we wanted to remove the barriers for anyone who would have come to SBCC but didn’t for fear of cost. And it worked.”

Your Donations Can Put a Student Through Two Years of College

onations to the Santa Barbara City College Foundation provide much needed support for students as they prepare for careers, transfer to four-year universities, and pursue lifelong learning goals. The Foundation is working to make the SBCC Promise a permanent offering through the support of generous donors, while continuing to improve and expand access to a greater share of the Santa Barbara community. The cost of one student’s participation in the SBCC Promise varies with the student and their course of study, but currently ranges between $2,750 and $5,500.

For every unrestricted dollar donated to the President's Circle, the SBCC Foundation generates $9 for SBCC student support.

KEY SUPPORTERS

SBCC has been changing lives in our community for more than a century. The SBCC Foundation provides more than $5 million annually for the SBCC Promise, student success programs, scholarships, and more, supporting SBCC students as they prepare for careers, transfer to four-year universities, and pursue lifelong learning goals.

was fortunate to be an SBCC Promise student during my first two years at SBCC. Without it, I would not have gone to college. As a first-generation student, it was hard to navigate college, and the thought of paying thousands of dollars for classes, starting fresh out of high school, did not seem realistic. With the Promise, I was fortunate to not have to work to pay for my classes, which allowed me to focus on school. It was a privilege.

– Liz Dorantes

Laurie Ashton & Lynn Sarko Leslie & Ashish Bhutani Roger Durling & Daniel Launspach Coleen & Ted Friedel Perri Harcourt Bruce Heavin & Lynda Weinman Madeleine & Peter Jacobson Irma & Morrie Jurkowitz Mark & Tiffany Lemons Lillian Lovelace Kandy Luria-Budgor & Beno Budgor Sara Miller McCune John C. Mithun & Mercedes Millington Maryan Schall Frank Schipper & Leslie Meadowcroft-Schipper Geoff Slaff & Dale Zurawski Judy & Jack Stapelmann Rachel Kaganoff Stern Scott Vincent Merryl & Chuck Zegar

SBCC Promise Alumna

SBCC Foundation www.sbccfoundation.org 721 Cliff Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93109 (805) 730-4401

Contact: Sarah Stretz Chief Development Officer (805) 730-4412 stretz@sbccfoundation.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: SBCC Foundation 721 Cliff Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93109

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-3234551 By Credit Card: www.sbccfoundation.org

MISSION SCHOLARS

Supporting High-Achieving, Low-Income Students the Santa Barbara Way

“M

ission Scholars captured my heart because they are doing something comprehensive, not just taking one part of the equation and leaving students to figure out the rest. They are really bringing this total perspective of caring for students throughout their college and career journeys. It’s a fantastic approach and a worthy mission, and one that allows me to make meaningful contributions.”

– Chris Bruzzo

Former Chief Experience Officer, Electronic Arts

Mission Scholars Class of 2022 graduates celebrate their college enrollment.

magine a kid. He’s your son, and he has big plans. He wants to attend college and launch a startup. He wants to change the world. He always aims high, and he usually succeeds, even when the odds are stacked against him, which they always seem to be. You’re a single mother, and you never even considered college an option. Every dollar you earn as an embroiderer is stretched to the breaking point, and half of every dollar your son earns from his after-school job at Panda Express helps pay for rent and groceries. But the odds don’t seem to faze him. When his peers at school want to learn coding, their parents enroll them in a coding boot camp. When your son wants to learn coding, he collects spare parts, builds his own computer, and devours how-to videos on YouTube. If anyone can make it, he can. You worry, though. Your son is brilliant and driven, but you don’t know how to help him reach his full potential. His wealthier peers have private tutors, private coaches, and private college counselors. Your son has none of these things.

Now imagine a community that sees your son’s potential and wants him to succeed. They step in, and they give your son all the things they give their own kids: the tutors, the counselors, the connections. Now stop imagining. This kid is not a fictional character; he is a real person, and his name is Christian Reyes. His life changed when he found Mission Scholars. Each year, Mission Scholars takes the generous support of donors and turns it into college application preparation, financial literacy courses, and everything else Scholars like Christian need to access and achieve success after graduation. Despite vast resources, only 10% of low-income high school students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District matriculated to a four-year college in 2019. Mission Scholars’ goal is to change that. To provide the resources, the support, and the services to change that statistic for good. Christian is now a high-performing junior at UC Berkeley. His story is the story of one determined young man, the community that saw | Santa Barbara |

Mission Scholars student, Christian, will graduate from UC Berkeley in 2024.

his potential, and the nonprofit that makes it their mission to help exceptional low-income students reach their full potential and become a force for change in our community. With your support, every high-achieving, low-income student in Santa Barbara will be able to shoot for the stars just like Christian.

Help Exceptional Santa Barbara Students Shoot for the Stars

ith 93% of current Scholars enrolled in a four-year university and 85% of their total cost of attendance covered by scholarships, the Mission Scholars model is working. Help keep the momentum going! This year, Mission Scholars is seeking $225,000 to fund their College Access Program in 2024, which will support 90 local high school students. When you support Mission Scholars, you are investing in Christian Reyes and his peers: high-performing students who dream of becoming the first in their families to graduate college. Your gift will not only change their lives, but it will also leave a lasting impact on their families and our community.

“M

ission Scholars has provided me with the support and empowerment to succeed, not only as a student, but as an individual. Words can’t describe how grateful I am to be a part of this community.”

– Isabela Contreras

Mission Scholars student, University of Pennsylvania ‘26

KEY SUPPORTERS

A member of the first Mission Scholars cohort, Vanessa will graduate from Azusa Pacific University in 2024 with a degree in nursing. Her dream is to work at Cottage Hospital.

Amazon SB Ann Jackson Family Foundation Blessing Way Foundation Bliss Family Foundation Brittingham Family Foundation Chumash Foundation Deckers Brands Electronic Arts

James S. Bower Foundation Johnston-Hanson Foundation La Centra-Sumerlin Foundation Mosher Foundation Ruth & Hal Launders Charitable Trust Towbes Foundation Williams-Corbett Foundation

Mission Scholars www.missionscholars.org 133 E. De La Guerra St., #366 Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Contact: Cassie Lancaster Executive Director (805) 680-9471 clancaster@missionscholars.org

SCAN TO DONATE

The Many Ways to Give...

Wendy received a full academic scholarship to attend NYU's Stern School of Business. Through NYU Stern, Wendy will study business abroad in Shanghai, London, and Madrid.

Mission Scholars is a program of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation By Check: By DAF or Stock Transfer: Mission Scholars Tax ID# 77-0071544 133 E. De La Guerra St., #366 C/O Mission Scholars Santa Barbara, CA 93101 By Credit Card: www.missionscholars.org/donate

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HOLOCAUST MUSEUM LA

Inspiring a More Dignified and Humane World

101-year-old Holocaust survivor Joe Alexander (center) visits with students

n a recent morning at Holocaust Museum LA (HMLA), Betsy, a docent, was leading a tour group of 20 LA high school students. She was telling the students about the progression and deepening terror of Nazi atrocities, while stopped in front of a wall depicting the architects of the Final Solution. “Does anyone know how many Jewish people perished in the Holocaust?” she asked the students. One hand shot up. “60,000?” a 16-year-old young man ventured. When Betsy shared that he had gotten only the “6” right, but it was six million, not thousands, the horror that permeated the group was palpable. While it’s a natural corollary of history that the further we get from an event, the more difficult it is to keep it alive in our collective consciousness, Holocaust Museum LA ensures that we will not be condemned to repeat this lesson of the past by empowering students and visitors to stand up against hatred, bigotry, and antisemitism. And, in a time when memes of Nazi book burnings are juxtaposed with current photos of that very thing in the U.S., it is now more important than ever. When it comes to HMLA’s mission, there are two indisputable, salient facts: antisemitic incidents surged to historic levels in 2022, with a total of 3,697 incidents reported across the U.S., an increase of 36% compared to 2021 (according to the Anti-Defamation League); and a recent national study reveals that “Holocaust education in high school reflects gains

that manifest in cultivating more empathetic, tolerant, and engaged students” (from a study released by Echoes & Reflections). The results also indicate that exposure to Holocaust survivor testimony is strongly associated with numerous positive outcomes in early adulthood, including higher critical thinking skills and a greater sense of social responsibility. Taken together, those facts underscore not only the importance of HMLA’s mission, but the urgency of it. HMLA is the oldest Holocaust museum in the U.S., founded in 1961 by survivors who met in an English as a Second Language class at Hollywood High. It is also among the most innovative. Participants in the Museum’s tour get a 90-minute immersive experience that inspires participants to stand up against hate in their own lives and communities, followed by an opportunity to interact with an actual Holocaust survivor for another 90 minutes, who shares his or her compelling testimony and discusses the importance of oral history, resiliency, and treating people with dignity and respect. In 2025, HMLA will complete work on the new Jona Goldrich Campus, doubling the Museum’s footprint to accommodate more visitors (500,000 annually, including 150,000 students), with a first-class theater, and expanded educational and exhibition spaces. Among the new exhibits, museumgoers will be able to see first-hand an authentic box car from Poland, that carried victims into concentration camps. | Santa Barbara |

As the survivor population continues to dwindle, HMLA has ensured that the important and influential oral storytelling tradition continues. HMLA currently trains survivor children and grandchildren to carry on the tradition with future museumgoers. The Museum recently debuted “Dimensions in Testimony,” a life-size holographic representation of 99-year-old Auschwitz survivor Renée Firestone, created by USC Shoah Foundation. Visitors and students can now have a real-time interactive conversation with one of the oldest living Holocaust survivors. “Ensuring that students and museumgoers will be able to not only hear survivor testimony first-hand, but interact with the survivor forever is an incredible blessing of technology,” says Beth Kean, HMLA’s CEO. The exhibit will soon become a permanent 3D museum installation, preserving the effective oral storytelling tradition forever. In a time when echoes of Nazi book burnings are shockingly repeated across the U.S., and when hate crimes and rhetoric more broadly is on the ascent and the current perpetrators have more advanced weaponry and greater firepower than ever (not only to burn books but to spread disinformation across traditional media, social media, and the internet), HMLA’s mission is ever more crucial for future generations.

“V

isiting Holocaust Museum LA has given me a glimpse of the pain and suffering that human hatred and ignorance can inflict upon the world. We are the last generation that has the opportunity to meet these incredible survivors, and this is something that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life and pass on to the next generation. It gives us all a newfound appreciation for life and things that we take for granted, and makes us even more determined to prevent horrible tragedies from occurring.”

– Ysabella

Fullerton Union High School student

Help Educate to Stop Hate $1,000 - Enables 40 students to participate in a free, docent-led, customized tour and to meet a survivor. $2,500 - Provides bus transportation for students from Title I schools in Santa Barbara to visit the Museum. $5,000 - Sponsors training & tools for 35 teachers to learn how to best facilitate lessons about the Holocaust and genocide in the classroom.

“H

ow can we take the lessons of the Holocaust and apply them to what's going on today? Education is key. We need to teach that we are all connected. We're proud to support Holocaust Museum LA in their much-needed work to preserve the stories of survivors, like my husband David, and to carry forward their messages of courage, resilience, and hope.”

– Sheryl and David Wiener

Holocaust Museum LA Board members and generous supporters

Antisemitic incidents increased by 49% in K-12 schools in 2022.

KEY SUPPORTERS For a full list of supporters, please visit www.hmla.org/supporters.

Holocaust Museum LA www.holocaustmuseumLA.org 100 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 651-3704

Contact: Omar Sharif, Jr. Chief Advancement Officer (323) 651-3704 omar@hmla.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Holocaust Museum LA 100 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 46-0503824 By Credit Card:

www.bit.ly/HMLA_TGL

Upholding Community and Faith in Santa Barbara By Brian Rinker

n Santa Barbara, the Reverend Dr. David Moore, Jr. is a well-known figure at the crossroads of faith, advocacy, media, and community service. He stands out as one of the few Black leaders in a county that has witnessed a significant exodus of its Black population to more affordable cities. With a doctorate in theology from the University of South Africa, Moore plays a pivotal role in the community, serving as pastor for Santa Barbara’s Beloved Community Church and Jesus Collective. Additionally, he holds the position of vice president at the Santa Barbara affiliate of the NAACP, while also contributing as a board member at Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Hospice of Santa Barbara. Moore is not only a pastor but an author, with his book Making America Great Again: Fairy Tale? Horror Story? Dream Come True? as well as a podcast enthusiast with “God Is Not an A**hole,” where he explores dogmatism with a new guest each episode. In a conversation with The Giving List, Moore reflects on his father’s experiences during the Jim Crow era and delves into the causes that inspired him to follow his passions. Q: Can you tell us about your journey into becoming a pastor, theologian, and human rights advocate? A: As a young adult in Southern California, I was part of a Black church community. Life with the members was like an ongoing potluck. We made a big deal every time there

“I am not one who asks for charity outside of our church membership, but I can see how philanthropists willing to give funds to Black churches could be very useful.” 90

was a high school graduation or college graduation. I found a lot of joy there. It meant so much to me because there wasn’t a large Black community surrounding us. The elders, whom I held great respect for, came to California as part of the Great Migration. I wasn’t sure where life would take me, but I knew I wanted to be a part of a caring community. What experiences or events inspired you in your life? My Dad. He inspired me the most. He was a storyteller and loved to read. We had a home library when I was a kid. I remember he would tell stories of what it was like for him to be raised in the Jim Crow South in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He told us about how he had to walk in the back doors of local establishments. There was one morning he went outside and there was a charred corpse hanging from a tree. He moved to California, he told us, so that we would not have to grow up experiencing those same indignities.

| Santa Barbara |

“Not too long ago, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have secured domestic workers protections similar to what most other jobs include, such as sick leave. It’s the essence of injustice.” In addition to your pastor responsibility, you wear several hats as a volunteer with many organizations. Is there an initiative or cause you are passionate about that you would like to highlight? I participate in a national organization called Hand in Hand, which advocates for domestic workers. In California, domestic workers are treated horribly. Not too long ago, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have secured domestic workers protections similar to what most other jobs include, such as sick leave. It’s the essence of injustice. Many of the domestic workers are migrants, Latina or Filipina, mostly all women. They are providing all sorts of essential work from elder care to working as nannies. They’re doing jobs that were historically performed by Black women two generations ago. So, I have an acute sensitivity to the mistreatment that they face.

Gentrification. The African American population has been greatly mitigated over the four decades that I’ve lived here. It’s almost like we are a nonfactor. I happened to be able to live here and it’s not easy. It’s an expensive place. We have Black churches in Santa Barbara that have been here for close to a century yet the Black clergy cannot afford to live here. Most live outside the city, like Ventura, and commute to Santa Barbara. The constituencies at the Black churches have diminished to where there isn’t enough money to provide Santa Barbara living wage for Black pastors. I am pretty much the lone Black voice in our city. It’s a tragedy because I remember when it wasn’t that way. I am not one who asks for charity outside of our church membership, but I can see how philanthropists willing to give funds to Black churches could be very useful. Most importantly I want people to know about the Beloved Community Church and to stop by if they can.

What are some urgent issues in Santa Barbara that could be addressed better by philanthropy?

Interfaith Conversation hosted by Vedanta Society of Santa Barbara.

| www.thegivinglist.com |

| Santa Barbara |

Community Resilience Communities are built by the bonds that are forged among its members. Nonprofits are often the connective fiber, giving communities the resilience they need in times of crisis and stress.

| www.thegivinglist.com |

THE FUND FOR SANTA BARBARA

Creating Lasting,Progressive Change for All

he Fund for Santa Barbara’s powerful catchphrase is: “Change, not charity.” In the spring of 1980, a group of Santa Barbara County donors and activists established The Fund for Santa Barbara to support local organizations working for progressive social change. Four decades later, while the nonprofit’s reach, means, and impact have grown considerably, its vision and methods have not wavered. The Fund remains dedicated to helping find solutions to both current and emerging social problems and issues that challenge society with the perspective that change happens most dramatically when those who have been denied power and justice lead on their own behalf. “Our work is constituency-led,” says Alina Rey Keswani, The Fund’s Development and Communications Manager. “We don’t come into an underserved community and try to tell them what they need. We help them to achieve their own goals.” The Fund puts its dollars into largely grassroots nonprofits, organizations, and groups working to not only alleviate injustices in areas of economic, environmental, political, and racial inequality, but also confront and alter the underlying conditions and circumstances that cause and sustain them. “We’re not just putting a Band-Aid on problems,” says Keswani. “We’re looking to help create systemic change. The Fund’s grants aren’t generated by the board but rather a committee composed of leaders, activists, and other people who have a pulse on community needs because they actually represent a diversity of communities, Keswani says. “It’s a very unique and effective model.” But despite having made about 1,100 grants totalling nearly $9 million over the years, The Fund is about much more than money. Grants are just one of five strategies to advance its mission. Its Capacity Building Program provides organizations with training and support to improve their reach. “We give them tools on how to advocate and lobby, communicate their message, and just generally build skills to make their movement effective,” Keswani says.

The Fund Nurtures Coalitions by serving as a hub for collaborative efforts. “We’re a ‘trusted table’ for conversations that elevate community needs and create collaborations between organizations, government, or agencies,” says Keswani. Its strategy to Influence Philanthropy includes efforts to increase accessibility in the process of raising funds, including offering signing and other language interpretation at its events. “We’re always looking at how to make things more approachable and inclusive, and it’s been gratifying to see other organizations follow our lead,” explains Keswani. Developing Movement Leadership is perhaps The Fund’s most forward-thinking strategy – investing in leaders and the leadership needed to exponentially increase turning its vision of a more equitable and just Santa Barbara County into a reality. The Fund created its Youth Making Change program 15 years ago for secondary school students, who are trained, and then they meet and deliberate before issuing grants for youth-oriented organizations at a special event each February. “It’s incredibly inspiring to witness teenagers engage directly in change-making philanthropy,” says Keswani. “We love to work with other partner organizations as a think tank to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders.”

Members of the Grant Making Committee along with some staff pictured during one of our grant screening meetings.

| Santa Barbara |

Help Create and Sustain Systemic Change

very tax-deductible donation to The Fund helps to advance progressive change by increasing our capacity to build movements for economic, environmental, political, racial, and social justice. Every contribution, no matter the amount, helps us sustain and build on our work. Our work is only possible because of the support of more than 1,000 donors who make a difference each year.

e appreciate that The FUND not only provides critical funding and tools to local progressive organizations that do the heavy lifting, they demonstrate an understanding of intersectionality and model personal and organizational integrity through their processes. The FUND for Santa Barbara truly walks their talk. We value and continue to support The FUND because of their powerful, challenging, relentless drive to make ours a more just, equitable, and inclusive community. "

– Harriet Eckstein

Youth Making Change engaging in a community building activity during a retreat. Grantees pictured at a Grant Awards Celebration.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Board President Eric Cardenas and previous Board President Julia Hamilton.

The Fund for Santa Barbara www.fundforsantabarbara.org P.O. Box 90710 Santa Barbara, CA 93190 (805) 962-9164 development@fundforsantabarbara.org

Jean Kaplan Harriet Eckstein& Alan Irwin Anna DiStefano & Deborah Karoff David Landecker Alice O’Connor Ted Rhodes & Joni Pascal John & Gloria McManus Sara Miller McCune Maryanne Mott Linda & Dennis Fenton Natalie Orfalea

Gail Osherenko Sheila & Jim Davidson Dick Flacks Susan Rose John & Suzanne Steed Dale Zurawski & Geoff Slaff Atterbury Foundation Hutton Parker Foundation James Bower Foundation Santa Barbara Foundation Wood Claeyssens Foundation

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: The Fund for Santa Barbara P.O. Box 90710 Santa Barbara, CA 93190

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 77-0070742 By Credit Card: www.fundforsantabarbara.org/donate

SWEET WHEEL FARMS / S.B. AGRICULTURE & FARM EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Summerland Farms: Food is Medicine is Community

he Community Farm is surely the jewel in the crown of communal self-reliance. Here we have a plot of food-producing land in residential environs, adjacent to neighborhoods and tended by the people who draw sustenance from it. Leslie Person Ryan is the CEO of Santa Barbara Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation (SBAFE), which owns Summerland Farm. She is also an idea engine in mud-caked work boots. “We’re very much looking forward to being the first closed-loop food system, where the food is farmed and then delivered in the same community,” she says. When a community can collaboratively support and reliably draw from a food-producing parcel of land right in their midst, the benefits are many, and transcend food security – though the ready availability of healthy, chemical-free food is a boon to any community. Particularly those communities which, through an accident of cartography, may find themselves isolated

The Sweet Wheel Summerland Farm, owned by the Santa Barbara Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation, is a life-saving project farm growing food without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, in pure soil. The farm donates weekly to food fragile from Carpinteria to Goleta. Photo credit: Nicole DeBevoise

by unforeseen circumstances. Summerland is a rustic California village planted along a stretch of sun-splashed Pacific hillside. When torrential rains caused a cataclysmic flooding event in 2019, Summerland found itself temporarily isolated, the town’s single supply artery, U.S. Route 101, made impassable by a tsunami of sludge. This amounted to a stunned epiphany for Summerland’s residents, one that played out over six fraught days and nights; Summerland had no nutritional autonomy – no actual grocery store in the town’s precincts. Having very recently leased and planted local land at the top of the hilly community, the folks at Summerland Farm sprang into action. In the course of ramping up and organizing production and distribution of fresh vegetables – opening a green food cart in downtown Summerland and getting acquainted with the community as never before – the need laid bare by the storm became clear to those at Summerland Farm. There in their own community was a distressed cohort that was medically and financially fragile. “Summerland Farm has been really amazing for my family,” a recipient says. “I stopped at the vegetable cart because my youngest wasn’t really eating well, and my middle daughter was having stomach issues, a lot of brain fog.The woman there told me about the Summerland Farm program that helps families in need. I said ‘…can we go ahead and get on your guys’ list of families?’ Summerland Farm has been essential for us.” For food insecure families in the area, and those whose medical conditions make processed and chemically-laden food a non-starter, there is Summerland Farm. Hippocrates – the nominal “Father of Modern Medicine” – boiled human health down to its essence when he said, “Let thy food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Today Summerland Farm continues to deliver anonymously to locals who need organic food, and it continues to expand and evolve reaching from Goleta to Carpinteria. There are community volunteers swarming | Santa Barbara |

s early supporters of Sweet Wheel Summerland Farm, we understood the need and value of what was being demonstrated with the seven-acre farm in Summerland, and how it could be a model for the rest of our county and region. Sweet Wheel Farm identified clearly after the 2018 cataclysmic fire, then flood and debris flow event closing roads and highways in both directions, how quickly a community can be cut off in emergencies, not having the resources and food security it needs for its citizens. Summerland was already a 'food desert' without a single grocery store, leaving many elders, vets, and families with children vulnerable. In a heroic fashion, Leslie Person Ryan led her community in a campaign to save and purchase Sweet Wheel Summerland Farm, all the while continuing to provide the highest quality organic, non GMO, pesticide-free produce, available at the Farm Cart, or delivered to those without transportation. The elderly, families with children, and veterans were the recipients of the farm. Our educational nonprofit sees Sweet Wheel Summerland farm as one of the best carbon farming models, where their biologically alive and healthy soils can effectively help sequester atmospheric carbon, therefore helping with our climate crisis. Sweet Wheel Summerland Farm and the Santa Barbara Agriculture & Farm Education Foundation can be a model for other urban farms in our area, creating a 'necklace of farms,' demonstrating the best regenerative agriculture practices."

– Margie Bushman and Wesley Roe

Executive Directors of Santa Barbara Permaculture

the wheat harvest, an ‘Active and Retired Military Farm and Nutrition Pantry,’ Heirloom seed-saving – and thronged schoolkids eagerly getting their hands in the dirt, learning agriculture in the field amid laughter and google-eyed curiosity. By arrangement with local schools this is a teaching farm – a 6.8acre classroom that can’t help but bend tomorrow’s grownups helpfully earthward. “Summerland Farms has an educational component and a public service component,” Ryan says. “Food should be a basic human right.”

have had cancer for twelve years. I have had the benefit of being a participant in the Farmed Food Solution Programs from the Santa Barbara Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation. Since COVID, I have not been able to purchase all of the fresh, organic food that I am supposed to be eating. The food that I receive from Sweet Wheel Summerland Farm is better than any food that I could buy or get. This has made a huge difference to stay on my feet and help my body continue to fight cancer. Thank you Sweet Wheel Farms."

– Sandy Kelsey

No Farms; No Food. Santa Barbara Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation has implemented a $3,000,000 campaign for better irrigation systems, innovative delivery, food and grain storage, and eco-utilities. The farm campaign seeks to deliver not only to Santa Barbara County, to be the first closed-loop food system; but, to be a national leader in donated pure foods. With a gift to the foundation, you can remedy community health and food insecurity with chemical-free food.

Participant

Sweet Wheel Summerland Farm helps a community that does not have a grocery store: The farm has a farm stand in Summerland open daily where fresh produce is for sale. The town after the debris flow had no access to fresh food as the freeways cut off access to any grocery store.

Local students from San Marcos High School Advanced Placement Horticulture class learn about farming. Students learn that the farm wants to build solar-powered bicycle paths to make our own energy. The paths can be utilized by the community to take a self tour on how the farm grows in a bio-diverse, responsible, and sustainable manner.

The USDA defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy lifestyle. Food insecurity is one way we measure how many people can't afford food. Despite its many assets, Santa Barbara County has the third highest poverty rate in California. An estimated 10% of our population is estimated to face food insecurity. KEY SUPPORTERS Santa Barbara Permaculture Kiss the Ground California Women in Agriculture Santa Barbara Farmers Market Santa Barbara Food Action Network

Santa Barbara Agriculture & Farm Education Foundation www.SBAFEFoundation.com P.O. Box 1033 Summerland, CA 93067

Contact: Leslie Person Ryan CEO (805) 453-1465 SweetWheelFarms@gmail.com

Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation Central Coast and Southern CA Farm Equipment Collaborative

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Santa Barbara Agriculture & Farm Education Foundation P.O. Box 1033 Summerland, Ca 93067

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 85-3329449 By Credit Card:

www.SBAFEFoundation.com/donate

M.E.R.R.A.G.

Your Neighborhood Eyes and Ears When Disaster Strikes “F

or over 30 years, M.E.R.R.A.G. has been a shining example of citizen support before, during and after local disasters. M.E.R.R.A.G. fills the gap between First Responders and our Community in the critical early hours of a disaster. Please help support this Critical Community Resource.”

– Pat McElroy

Exec. Director, Partnership for Resilient Communities; and former Fire Chief, City of Santa Barbara

Most of the present Board of M.E.R.R.A.G. gathered on San Ysidro Road for this last 4th of July Parade.

hen a calamity befalls us, we are reassured that our First Responder protectors are on the job and doing their highly-trained best on the community’s behalf. Often those entities are attacking the unfolding emergency on a vaguely understood battlefront somewhere. Our faith in these heroes is never misplaced. But in those chaotic first hours of an unfolding emergency, a major threat to everyone’s safety is confusion in the immediate neighborhood. Since 1987, the Montecito Emergency Readiness & Radio Action Group (M.E.R.R.A.G.) has been the Montecito Fire Protection District’s neighborhood eyes and ears, a cohort of trained, embedded local volunteers serving to augment our responders’ efforts. “At the time of a disaster,” says M.E.R.R.A.G. (pronounced “Mirage”) Treasurer Bill Vollero, “when we’re activated, our role is not to assist with rescues, but rather to use our network of neighborhood radios to communicate status reports to M.E.R.R.A.G. Command. Ideally, and through ongoing preparation, we in our respective neighborhoods have a network of people who know which of us is the radio carrier, and can provide a neighborhood-level view for transmission to the responders.” M.E.R.R.A.G. is a not-for-profit organization operating with ongoing guidance from the MFPD, Water, and Sanitary districts. Trish Davis is its current president. “When Montecito Fire activates us, then we’re officially representing on their behalf. If it’s to set up a clearly marked Information Kiosk near the intersection of San Ysidro and East Valley roads in Montecito, M.E.R.R.A.G. members there will disseminate real-time information, following a direct briefing by the Fire Department. They will provide us maps so people in the com-

munity can have a clear, real-time sense of where the disaster is at any given moment. Montecito Fire may send its Public Information Officer, Christina Atchison, to explain what’s happening. In that way we provide a focal point of official information in the community. We are a very visible presence when activated,” Davis says. Also, the M.E.R.R.A.G. Board meets at MFPD Station #1 monthly to stay abreast of fire department protocol and operations, and to constantly re-evaluate and review its own tasks. The critical role M.E.R.R.A.G. members perform in an emergency setting means they are a community resource. But these emergency responsibilities only follow Community Emergency Response Team training, which all M.E.R.R.A.G. members are required to complete. “CERT is a training program sponsored by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency),” Vollero says. “There’s a CERT network associated with FEMA, and M.E.R.R.A.G. is the representative for Montecito. At intervals, we provide CERT training, with certified instructors, to community members. We hope this in turn instills confidence in those folks to pursue further preparation that helps their families and neighbors.” When disaster strikes a community, neighbor supports neighbor and preparedness is everything. And M.E.R.R.A.G. remains the tip of the preparedness spear.

Our present van decked out before running the Parade route this last 4th of July.

| Santa Barbara |

Help Your Community Stay Connected & Informed During an Emergency

resident Davis: “We’ve had our van for a very, very long time and it’s a great addition to our mission. Our van has a generator, and in an emergency we’ll bring the van to a central location: In a power outage people may need to charge their phones to stay in touch with loved ones – or have a hot cup of coffee. But there are streets in this area our old van can’t even negotiate anymore because it’s so big.

OUR ASK:

All smiles following 20 hours of C.E.R.T. Training in late May’23.

is for $60,000 to purchase a smaller, more nimble M.E.R.R.A.G. van that is suitably equipped, so we are better able to go wherever the community needs us when an emergency threatens.”

ne of the best benefits of CERT training from M.E.R.R.A.G. is learning how to be proactive in protecting your family in an emergency: First aid, dangers of electrocution, how and when to use a fire extinguisher, preparing for evacuations, etc. During emergencies we may need to rely on our neighbors. M.E.R.R.A.G. is linked across Montecito by a radio communication system, so that neighbors can relay their needs to work toward helping each other solve pressing issues until professionals can arrive. When our neighborhood was under an evacuation order, I raced home to discover my teenage boys had packed up almost everything before I arrived, based on a list I had posted in the front hall closet! Take M.E.R.R.A.G.’s free CERT training and protect your family!”

– Vicky Harbison

In salute of M.E.R.R.A.G. service to Montecito since 1987, an olive tree was planted in the courtyard of Fire Station I on 9/28/23. Present were these current and recent members of the Board.

Former long-time Montecito Union teacher, M.E.R.R.A.G. Board President and daughter of a Board member

KEY SUPPORTERS ”Friends of M.E.R.R.A.G.”: Brenda Blalock Susan & Jeff Bridges Catie Ditmore Mike Ditmore Steven Gilbar Teri & John Keating C. Robert & Mary Kidder Charlene Nagel

M.E.R.R.A.G. www.merrag.org P.O. Box 50615 Montecito, CA 93150-50615 626-688-4965

Contact: Bill Vollero Treasurer and Board Member 626-688-4965 wvollero@gmail.com

Dick Nordlund Jean VonWittenberg Crystal & Cliff Wyatt Trish Davis Dave Boyd Yolanda Clements Maude Feil Sue & John Ziliotto Troy Harris

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: M.E.R.R.A.G. P.O. Box 50615 Montecito, CA 93150-50615

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 77-0339622 By Credit Card:

www.merrag.org/donate

DIRECT RELIEF

Providing Much Needed Help. Anytime. Anywhere. To Anyone in Need. “D

irect Relief’s generous support of victims of disasters and emergencies, let alone their support of first responders, is unmatched by any other organization. With the establishment of their Search and Rescue fund, we are now able to maintain and enhance our capabilities as a nonprofit, all-volunteer professional first responder team, ensuring the safety and well-being of the communities we live in, and serve for years to come.”

– Nelson Trichler

n November 2022, a tornado tore through Idabel, Oklahoma, demolishing dozens of buildings, including the Kiamichi Family Medical Center. It’s a small, rural community and thankfully no one was killed. The news stopped covering the disaster almost immediately. But in Idabel, the aftermath of the tornado left the 9,000 patients the medical center had been serving in the low-income county without a much needed facility. One that took a 12-year fundraising campaign to build. Even before FEMA assessed the scope of damage, the nonprofit organization Direct Relief had issued an emergency operating grant of $50,000 to Kiamichi Medical Center to set up a temporary site for patients to continue to be treated. “We understand that the tornado didn’t make national news, but the storm completely altered the course of everyone’s life who lives there,” explains Tony Morain, the nonprofit’s VP of Communications, underscoring the nonprofit’s tagline of “Anytime. Anywhere. Anyone in Need.” The grant is barely a blip in Direct Relief’s total humanitarian efforts, which last year included rapid responses to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria (the organization immediately provided $3 million in financial support plus 440 tons of medical aid) and the Maui wildfires

100

Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue

(huge deliveries of emergency medical supplies and hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating grants to community groups). That was at the same time that its ongoing support of Ukraine’s civilians in the war-torn country continued on a daily basis, topping $1 billion in medicine and medical supplies by August – Direct Relief’s largest and most sustained humanitarian aid response in its 75-year history. Direct Relief is uniquely capable of such simultaneous efforts by adopting technologies, tools, and practices from commercial businesses to operate more efficiently and effectively. Its state-of-the-art medical and pharmaceutical warehouse and wholesale global distribution facility was designed to increase their capacity to respond to increasingly larger needs in more places at the same time. “Direct Relief is performing a very government-like function, but in a very business-like manner, using only private resources applied through everything we’ve learned about operating a humanitarian supply chain over 75 years,” says Dean Axelrod, VP of Partnerships in Philanthropy. Even more importantly, the organization has been cultivating relationships around the globe for decades, not only during times of crisis, but with ongoing medical and human| Santa Barbara |

itarian support. When a disaster does strike, there’s a pre-existing connection. “We were able to be in Ukraine on day one because of those very close relationships and deep understanding of how the facilities there operate in their communities, just as we have elsewhere,” Axelrod says. “We know the logistical requirements, understand how best to transport material aid, and are able to identify really impactful opportunities for funding with organizations that can make a little bit of money go a really long way and have major impacts right away.”

Direct Relief Emergency Response Team members help Montecito residents prepare sandbags ahead of major storms and flooding in January 2023.

Providing Disaster and Humanitarian Relief Around the Globe irect Relief’s capacity and capabilities – including providing more than $5.5 million in local support, $77 million in California since 2020 – dwarfs most other such humanitarian aid organizations. But there are limits largely defined D by its financial capacity.

“Direct Relief is quite large relative to other organizations, but relative to the need that we’re trying to fulfill, what we’re doing is a drop in the bucket,” Tony Morain, Direct Relief’s VP of Communication, says. “We always wish that we could be doing more.” Adds Dean Axelrod, VP of Partnerships in Philanthropy: “The dream is to never have to say no.”

KEY SUPPORTERS Emma Carrasco Adam Cooper Mary M. Dwyer Pamela Gann and David Hardee Stayce D. Harris Mark and Kim Linehan Siri and Bob Marshall Jay McGonigle Harry and Jacquie McMahon

Direct Relief www.DirectRelief.org 6100 Wallace Becknell Road Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (805) 964-4767

Contact: Dean Axelrod Vice President, Partnerships and Philanthropy (805) 879-4932 daxelrod@directrelief.org

Annalisa Pizzarello and Robert Conway Marla Salmon Mark and Lynda Schwartz Byron and Debbie Scott Jim and Patricia Selbert Laurie Siegel Thomas and Heather Sturgess Elizabeth A. Toro and Mark Hauser

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Direct Relief 6100 Wallace Becknell Road Santa Barbara, CA 93117

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1831116 By Credit Card:

www.DirectRelief.org/donate

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| Santa Barbara |

Healthcare As navigating healthcare in the U.S. becomes ever more complicated, expensive, and vastly disparate in its access, these organizations are working tirelessly to provide the best in care and research to those who are most vulnerable.

| www.thegivinglist.com |

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SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Sansum Diabetes Research Institute: Putting Santa Barbara on the Global Map of Diabetes Research

SDRI is doing groundbreaking research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, studying automated insulin delivery in women who are pregnant and living with type 1 diabetes. It is a first-of-its-kind study in collaboration with John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the Mayo Clinic.

anta Barbara has earned global recognition as a premier destination for “sand, sun, and sea” vacations. Yet, one lesser-known facet of this beachfront haven is its pivotal role in pioneering international diabetes research and treatment. Santa Barbara holds the distinction of being the birthplace of insulin production and administration in America, a groundbreaking achievement dating back to 1922. Leading this historic endeavor was the founder of Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI), Dr. William Sansum. “You’d be surprised how many people don’t know about Dr. Sansum’s legacy in Santa Barbara,” says SDRI Executive Director Ellen Goodstein, Esq., MEd. “Dr. Sansum was the first person in the United States to manufacture and administer insulin to save the lives of those living with diabetes, making Santa Barbara a mecca for diabetes care.” It’s been over a century since Dr. Sansum introduced insulin production protocols in the U.S., and nearly 80 years (1944) since he founded SDRI to continue to advance diabetes research into the future. Today SDRI is the renowned jewel in the crown of diabetes research and development. “SDRI is respected locally and globally for our research in diabetes. Our scientists are not only developing and researching life-changing therapies, our team is also trusted and respected by industry companies to help advance their research initiatives,” continues Goodstein. Another prominent figure in SDRI’s legacy is Dr. Lois Jovanovic, who dedicated 26 years to the institute. Dr. Jovanovic’s pioneering research changed the global protocol for women with diabetes in pregnancy, re-

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sulting in uncomplicated pregnancies and healthy babies where before there was likelihood of an early miscarriage or a stillborn baby. Kara Hornbuckle, SDRI’s Director of Development, can speak to what this means, to her personally and to women across the globe. “I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes for most of my life,” she says. “Dr. Jovanovic paved the way for women like me to be able to have children. People who know of Dr. Jovanovic’s work – and are familiar with the risks of diabetes during pregnancy – will refer their patients to SDRI. “ Dr. Jovanovic’s vision also led SDRI researchers to develop what they refer to as the artificial pancreas system – a wearable device that takes a real-time measure of blood sugar, delivering a precisely calibrated dose of insulin to manage glucose control 24 hours a day. While SDRI’s reach and influence are global, Santa Barbara’s demographics help to inform a new initiative being conducted here. The Latino community comprises nearly half of the greater Santa Barbara population, said Dr. Samuel Klein, SDRI’s Chief Scientific Officer. “People of Latino backgrounds are at much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the complications of diabetes than the Caucasian population. SDRI is dedicated to addressing the health issues of this underserved population by actively collaborating with leaders in the Latino community and launching a series of new clinical studies aimed at transforming the health of our local Latino population,” added Dr. Klein. With the support of a generous public, Santa Barbara’s world-renowned Sansum Diabetes Research Institute will continue the great strides begun in 1922.

SDRI’s mission is to improve the lives of people impacted by diabetes, with research at the core of our mission. Our work has led to critical advances in the treatment of all types of diabetes, garnering national and global recognition.

| Santa Barbara |

Our $20 Million Campaign in the Fight Against Diabetes – Every Dollar Counts

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reating a state-of-the-art research facility is critical for our future,” adds Hornbuckle. “Much of our facility has not been updated since the 1960s. Our team is seeking philanthropic support to make our future possible.” Part of our campaign will also support the recruitment of healthcare professionals whose dedication will help bring about a positive transformation for people with all types of diabetes, explained Dr. Klein. “We can make significant progress, yet it is imperative that we enhance our capabilities to further engage in groundbreaking work.” said Dr. Klein. To learn more about SDRI’s $20 million campaign, please visit https://www.sansum.org/campaign.

“L

Diabetes is a major public health problem in the U.S., particularly in underserved populations. People with diabetes are at high risk for serious medical complications including coronary heart disease, blindness, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, and vascular disease requiring limb amputation. We have made great advances on numerous fronts, but much work remains.

“A

s the daughter of a mother who had adult on-set type 1 diabetes (T1D) and the wife of a man who also has adult on-set T1D, I have lived in close proximity to the consequences of diabetes since I was 10 years old. Although people with T1D who receive regular treatment appear normal most of the time, it is a very difficult disease to manage, and periods of out-of-control blood sugars are inevitable, scary and ultimately very dangerous. Norman’s and my lives changed dramatically and for the better when we moved to Santa Barbara and became associated with SDRI. Because of their artificial pancreas trials and their incredible care managing low blood sugars, I have not had to call an ambulance in more than four years. Encompassed in that statement are the many reasons my family donates to SDRI.”

– Deborah David, Esq. Campaign Co-Chair

iving with type 1 diabetes since age seven made my journey to motherhood uniquely challenging. Thankfully, I found invaluable support and care at SDRI through the exceptional guidance of Dr. Kristin Castorino. Throughout my pregnancy, Dr. Castorino's weekly meetings extended beyond diabetes management; she genuinely cared about my emotional well-being. Our hour-long one-on-one sessions demonstrated the exceptional level of care I received. Working with Dr. Castorino at SDRI felt serendipitous. Her close collaboration with the late Dr. Lois Jovanovic, SDRI's visionary Chief Scientific Officer, whose pioneering work transformed diabetes care during pregnancy, was profoundly meaningful. Dr. Castorino's unwavering support turned my dream of motherhood into a beautiful reality. “

– Halle Wray

SDRI Patient

KEY SUPPORTERS Ann Jackson Family Foundation Barker Foundation Jerry and Geri Bidwell Timothy and Louise Casey Tom and Nancy Crawford Virgil Elings Norman Kurland and Deborah David La Centra Sumerlin Foundation Fred and Joyce Lukas Mosher Foundation

The Ogle Family The Paskin Family Foundation The Radaz Family The Redman Family Robert and Ruth Reingold Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree Matthew and Natalie Rowe Santa Barbara Foundation William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation Etty Yenni

Sansum Diabetes Research Institute www.sansum.org 2219 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805)682-7638

Contact: Kara Hornbuckle Director of Development (805)682-7640 ext. 246 khornbuckle@sansum.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Sansum Diabetes Research Institute 2219 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1684086 By Credit Card:

www.sansum.org/ways-to-give

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SEE INTERNATIONAL

SEE International Helps Save Sight Around the Globe

ore than one billion people worldwide live with treatable vision loss due to a lack of quality eye care. While vision impairment poses an enormous global financial burden, the personal cost is even more staggering. When a person loses their sight in the developing world, they’re often unable to support themselves or provide for their families. For many, sight can be the difference between surviving and starving. That’s where the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit SEE International comes in. Established in the 1970s when ophthalmologist Dr. Harry Brown discovered the overwhelming number of people living with preventable blindness, SEE International has grown from a small nonprofit to an organization with a worldwide reach. Annually, SEE now conducts over 100 outreach efforts in 40 countries, treating more than 50,000 patients and performing roughly 40,000 free sight-restoring surgeries. Since its inception, SEE International (which stands for Surgical Eye Expeditions) has delivered 650,000 free sight-restoring surgeries, and provided over five million patients around the world with free high-quality

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vision care. “For those blinded by cataracts, these surgeries change the trajectory of their lives,” says Don Bell, SEE’s president and CEO. “We’re restoring sight for people, some of whom have been blinded for years. They’re overwhelmed to see their children and their grandchildren again, and to be given the opportunity to return to the workforce. Once a burden to their families, they can become contributors. It’s a miraculous solution to a far-reaching social and economic problem.” What’s even more astonishing is the incredible efficiency of SEE International’s cataract surgery efforts. In a high-volume setting, one surgery costs just $50 and takes 15 minutes to complete using simple, hand-held instruments. The procedure offers exponential benefits to patients, their families, and communities. According to a National Institutes of Health-published study, the return on investment for cataract surgery is 4500%. “What vision restoration enables in terms of social, productive, and economic advantage to a patient and their family, is almost impossible to measure,” says Bell. SEE International offers solutions to prevent| Santa Barbara |

able blindness, as its physicians work side-by-side with local surgeons and clinics to improve their skills, resources, and clinic infrastructure, aiming to build sustainable eyecare systems from the ground up. “There are millions of needlessly blind people in the world today. As a single organization, we can never hope to cure them all,” Bell says. “But through treatment, education, and capacity-building, we can create enormous change.” SEE is also embedded in the local community through its Santa Barbara Vision Care (SBVC) program, which operates five clinics from Goleta to Thousand Oaks. SBVC serves 6,000 patients each year, providing free eye exams and eyeglasses to our most vulnerable populations, including children. “We’re a safety net for those families who need but can’t afford these vital vision care services,” Bell says. SEE International is working to create a visibly brighter future for millions of people both globally and right here at home.

Your Donation Can Help Someone SEE Again

KEY SUPPORTERS SEE's Board of Directors:

EE International seeks $500,000 to expand its overseas operations and restore sight to an additional 75,000 patients in five high-need, highimpact countries during the next two years. The campaign will also allow the nonprofit to dramatically increase its local services to meet the growing need of both adults and children, expanding the community clinics to accommodate 10,000 people per year with free comprehensive eyecare.

Scott Groff, Chairman Howard Hudson, CPA Treasurer Jeffrey Levenson, MD, Chief Medical Officer W. Wright Watling, Secretary Kenneth Gack, Esq.

Randall Goodman, MD Lt. Col. Travis Morrow, Esq. William O’Connor Dante Pieramici, MD Madhavi Reddy, MD George Rudenauer Lauren Shatz, MD

"I support SEE, because charitable cataract surgery is one of the most effective medical interventions with permanent results." - Dante J. Pieramici, M.D. Board Director, Volunteer SEE Surgeon

SEE International www.seeintl.org 6500 Hollister Ave, Suite 120, Goleta, CA 93117 (805) 963-3303

Contact: Rachel Tennant Chief Development Officer (805) 730-0649 development@seeintl.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Surgical Eye Expeditions International 6500 Hollister Ave, Suite 120 Goleta, CA 93117 (805) 963-3303

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 31-1682275 Online:

www.seeintl.org/donate

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COTTAGE HEALTH

Cottage Health and You: Partners in Wellness S

anta Barbara Cottage Hospital opened its doors 132 years ago, the frontier town’s first stand-alone community hospital having been spearheaded by Santa Barbaran Mary Ashley. Suffragette, and former president of Santa Barbara’s Equal Rights League, Ashley had several years earlier convened 50 well-known local citizens, all women, to discuss and lay plans for Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. The original design and plans were based on the day’s medical consensus that fresh, circulating air is fundamental to good health and overcoming disease. The original plans to have separate, breezy cottages proved too costly a design, though, and they ultimately went with a simple three-story building instead. Ashley insisted they keep “cottage” in the name. “It just sounds so cozy,” she’d said. This founding group of women planned, raised funds, and oversaw the construction of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. From 1888 to 1914, Cottage’s directors and administrators were all women. Today, Cottage Health admits more than

18,000 patients annually, receives some 81,000 emergency room visits, and welcomes nearly 2,000 babies into the world. With hospitals in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and the Santa Ynez Valley, 15 urgent care centers across the Tri-Counties and Cottage Virtual Care - Cottage Health makes vanguard medical care accessible and available whenever and wherever needed. Cottage has benefited so many in our community and the good people of Santa Barbara have long responded in kind, their generosity having funded a refurbished Emergency Department and Trauma Center – expanding capacity and streamlining patient care. The Cottage Family Suites – likewise made possible through the support of appreciative Santa Barbarans’ private donations – provide a calming sense of “home” to those from out of the area – often under worrying circumstances – to the loved ones receiving treatment at Cottage. Giving to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is giving to one’s own family, friends, and loved ones our community.

“W

hen people ask how we chose Cottage for this gift, the spark came from our friends – some are doctors and nurses – who work or have worked at Cottage. They are some of the brightest and best people you’ll ever meet. And we thought if Cottage recognizes the importance of having such quality people, it must be a forward-looking institution.”

– Mary Compton Donor

Pictured: Donors Mary and Richard Compton

The vision of Mary Ashley and that first group of women set the standard for what has been a legacy of healing from Cottage. Our vibrant and diverse community depends on Cottage Health to provide the very best health care, right here at home.

Front entrance of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

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| Santa Barbara |

Providing Critical and Compassionate Health Services to our Community

“E

very staff member was totally dedicated to my healing and recovery with the goal to get me on my feet and walking again – which they did.”

our support of Cottage Health is more important than ever. Your donations provide critical services, innovative technology, and the highest level of compassionate care to our patients and families, and to our friends and neighbors. Together, we can truly improve the health of our community – today and for generations to come.

– Bill Werts Grateful Patient

COTTAGE HEALTH SUPPORTERS Thanks to countless donors and grateful patients who provide generous and meaningful gifts – at all levels – who help sustain our hospitals and ensure the very best care for our community. Notable Gifts: Individual Donors • Mary & Richard Compton – creating the Compton Center for Medical Excellence and Innovation, bringing the best medical solutions to all who live on the Central Coast • Ben & Naomi Bollag – funding Emergency and Trauma Care excellence • Anna & David Grotenhuis, Wayne & Sharol Siemens, Virginia Grotenhuis – providing resources to expand patient care and strengthen our future

• Craig Mally & Louise Stewart, MD – funding the first endowed chair for medical leadership at Cottage Health

• Paul and Leslie Ridley-Tree – providing inspiration and loving support for the health and wellness of all Cottage patients

• Richard & Mimi Gunner – providing educational support for nursing leaders

Notable Foundation Partners

• Paul Guido – supporting mental and behavioral health for our community’s youngest and most vulnerable patients

• Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation • Wood-Claeyssens Foundation • Unihealth Foundation • Bower Foundation

Notable gifts: Estates and Trusts • Angela Minelli Starke – supporting pediatric excellence close to home

Every gift to Cottage allows us to deliver the very best care to our patients and strengthens our community.

Cottage Health cottagehealth.org P.O. Box 689 400 Pueblo St. Santa Barbara, CA 93102 (805) 682-7111

Contact: Andrew Brown Vice President for Advancement (860) 569-7290 abrown1@sbch.org cottagehealth.org/donate

Many Ways to Give... By Check: Cottage Health P.O. Box 689 400 Pueblo St. Santa Barbara, CA 93102

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 77-0431902 By Credit Card: cottagehealth.org/donate

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SANSUM CLINIC

Serving Patients in Our Community for Over 100 Years

ansum Clinic is the largest independent nonprofit outpatient provider of healthcare between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. Our integrated team of 306 doctors and other highly trained medical professionals in 38 specialties collaborate to deliver coordinated healthcare for our 124,338 individual patients at 605,806 visits per year. Our team is supported by 1,215 staff members across our 23 locations from Carpinteria to the Santa Ynez Valley. Our leadership, providers, and staff have played an important role in local public health efforts for 102 years. In our commitment to provide good health for everyone we are committed to expanding access to quality healthcare in Santa Barbara:

“I joined Sansum Clinic in 2011. While many jobs offered a nominal relocation package, Sansum Clinic’s Physician Housing Program stood out as an attractive and enticing option for a young family. This program showcased Sansum’s commitment to supporting physicians in their transition to becoming members of the Santa Barbara community and played a major role in our family’s decision to relocate to Santa Barbara and join Sansum Clinic.” - Michael Shenoda, MD, FACC, FSCAI (Cardiology, Pueblo)

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• As the leading provider of internal medicine and family medicine in Santa Barbara, our 62 primary care providers care for more than 40,000 unique patients. We are dedicated to recruiting new doctors and advanced practice providers to meet the ever-increasing demand for primary care providers, as well as numerous medical specialties for which there is a shortage in our community. • Foothill Surgery Center at Sansum Clinic offers high-quality outpatient surgical care as an affordable and convenient alternative to inpatient hospital procedures. We have expanded the Foothill Surgery Center by 50 percent to better meet the growing demand for outpatient surgery in our community. • Ridley-Tree Cancer Center at Sansum Clinic provides the latest technology and treatments, and a multidisciplinary care team including 18 physicians and 5 advanced practice providers, specialized in numerous areas: medical oncology, hematology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, nuclear medicine, clinical trials and research, genetic counseling, patient navigation, oncology nutrition, social work, and wellness programs. In partnership with the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, our fundraising partner, we aim to keep the Central Coast at the forefront of modern cancer care through the recruitment, development, and education of highly trained medical staff; timely acquisition of new medical equipment; active participation in clinical research; integration of oncology services; and continual introduction of promising new methods of treatment. • Our Urgent Care team includes 18 board-certified doctors, 7 advanced practice providers, and a compassionate staff with expertise in emergency, internal, family, and sports medicine. We offer advanced imaging, infusion therapy, as well as an onsite lab and pharmacy. We are enhancing services at this site by launching same-day appointments on weekends. • We partner with the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) to provide their uninsured patients with diagnostic services free of charge. Since 2010, Sansum Clinic has provided 7,422 SBNC patients with 10,937 services worth more than $3.8 million. Since reinstating our free colonoscopy screening program in 2019, Sansum Clinic, in partnership with the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, has screened over 100 SBNC patients. • We partner with SEE International’s Santa Barbara Vision Care Program to provide eye care services to their patients who have no health and/or vision insurance. Since the start of the partnership in 2019, the Clinic’s ophthalmology physicians and medical staff have provided more than 800 different services. • Sansum Clinic has a Charity Care Program for our own patients who need financial assistance. Last year we provided $376,042 of charity care services to 762 of our patients. Looking ahead, we have a number of new projects underway for which we could use your support to help position us for continued success in the future:

| Santa Barbara |

Kurt N. Ransohoff, MD, FACP, CEO and Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Marjorie Newman, Medical Director

• We provide mammography services to more than 70,000 patients each year. In 2024 we will open the new Connie Frank Breast Imaging Center to enhance the experience of the tens of thousands of women who have come to rely on us for important screenings each year. • We have been serving patients in north Santa Barbara County for decades. We recently purchased land in order to expand our presence in Solvang by building a new facility to provide greater access to high quality care, close to home, for residents of the Santa Ynez Valley and surrounding areas. • Technology and equipment are always evolving, which means our need for equipment like CT and MRI scanners, endoscopes, and ultrasound machines are constant. We are extremely proud of what Sansum Clinic has accomplished on our own over the last 102 years and we are excited about the opportunities in the future. Your gift of support will ensure that we are on the strongest financial footing possible and that we are able to continue to invest in the highest quality healthcare, which our patients have come to expect from us. All gifts of support donated in this community remain in this community.

Sansum Clinic 470 South Patterson Avenue Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (805) 681-7500

Contact: Dru A. Hartley Director of Philanthropy (805) 681-7726 dhartley@sansumclinic.org

“O

ur Clinic’s 102 year-old history has taught us that maintaining medical excellence, utilizing clinical research and groundbreaking technological advancements, and providing a healthy, inclusive, and engaging workplace for our team, will pave a successful way forward.”

– Arnold Schaffer

Chair, Sansum Clinic Board of Trustees

KEY SUPPORTERS 2022 Anonymous (3) Gloria M. Baldrick* Susie and Riley Bechtel Leslie and Philip Bernstein James S. Bower Foundation Roger Bower Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara Donovan and Kathryn Chalfant Richard and Mary Compton Jan Dunbar and Alex Pananides Roberta and Stan Fishman Nicholas Michael Fusco* Sandra J. Helps* William H. Kearns Foundation Julie and Jamie Kellner Manitou Fund Martin and Maureen McDermut

John Mithun and Mercedes Millington/John C. Mithun Foundation Julie Nadel Natalie Orfalea Foundation and Lou Buglioli Henry Peterson Foundation Rusack Family Foundation Mike and Shannon Sanders Mary Lynn and Warren Staley Connie Frank and Evan Thompson Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation The Wolf Family Foundation Zegar Family Foundation

The Many Ways to Give...

sansumclinic.org/donate-now

| www.thegivinglist.com |

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HOSPICE OF SANTA BARBARA

Advance Care Planning – The Most Important Decisions You Never Knew You Should Make

aybe you’ve heard the terms. You might even understand what they mean and their importance. But perhaps there are other things you feel like you need to get done first... or you may feel like you are too young to be concerned with future medical decision making. Hospice of Santa Barbara aims to get everyone between the ages of 18 and 108 to complete their Advance Care Directive, called MyCare, and submit them to Cottage Hospital to become part of their official medical records by providing free-of-charge workshops and personalized guidance to “Get it Done.” But why the urgency? At Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB), we have seen and heard it many times, families battling with each other during an incredibly sad and stressful time. Family members are suddenly faced with decisions regarding a seriously ill and incapacitated loved one who is not able to speak for themself and are often at odds with the right course of action because they have no idea what that loved one would have wanted. Would their loved one choose life sustaining treatment with little chance of improvement or recovery? Who

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would they have selected to make these decisions on their behalf? “The saddest thing about not having your wishes known, is it often interferes with what could have been a peaceful, meaningful, and sacred passing,” says David Selberg, CEO of Hospice of Santa Barbara. “Life is unpredictable and we never know what the future may hold. Our hope is that families will make these decisions now, while they are healthy, so that if and when the ‘unexpected’ happens, all of this ‘decision-making’ is out of the way,” says Selberg. One recent Hospice of Santa Barbara client explained why his father’s completed Advance Directive made all the difference to his family: “Because he made his wishes known through Advance Care Planning, we knew that my dad wanted to die naturally and peacefully in the hospital with strict ‘do not resuscitate’ instructions. I’m terribly sad about the loss of my father but the way he died was such a blessing for all of us.”

About Hospice of Santa Barbara For nearly 50 years, Hospice of Santa Barbara has been caring for people in the Santa | Santa Barbara |

Barbara area who are grieving the loss of a loved one or facing terminal illness. From its start in a little office on State Street with four employees to its current facility on the Riviera with close to 50 staff, HSB has walked side-by-side and hand-in-hand with families as they undergo deep sadness, illness, and trauma. Last year, Hospice of Santa Barbara’s free services served 8,910 individuals in the community, supported 855 grieving adults through the loss of a loved one, counseled 430 children, teens, and their family members after losing a loved one, and assisted 383 patients and 531 family members during a serious illness with their Patient Care Services Program. Their free services also include bringing critical information and resources to Spanish speakers through Mi Vida, Mi Voz and empowering a cadre of 115 compassionate volunteers to give countless hours to help those in need who are dealing with grief and illness. And, just as importantly, training and educating community members on end-of-life issues and completing Advance Care Directives.

Your Donations Help Us Provide Free Advance Care Planning

dvance Care Planning is 100% free for anyone who needs it. If you would like to donate to this effort, here are a few ways you can make an impact:

The one-time cost for training an Advance Care Planning Facilitator is: $500 The cost to underwrite a workshop for up to 30 people is: $2500

67% of American adults have not completed their Advance Care Directives. Advance Care Planning Contact: Adriana Marroquin amarroquin@hospiceofsb.org (805) 563-8820 Advance Care Planning workshops and training are also done in Spanish.

KEY SUPPORTERS Learn how your organization can be part of the solution, along with sponsor opportunities, for grief support and end-of-life care. Please visit www.hospiceofsb.org or contact Charles Caldwell, Director of Strategic Advancement, ccaldwell@hospiceofsb.org.

Hospice of Santa Barbara www.HospiceofSB.org 2050 Alameda Padre Serra, Ste. 100 Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 563-8820

Contact: Charles Caldwell Director of Strategic Advancement (805) 563-8820 ccaldwell@hospiceofsb.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Hospice of Santa Barbara 2050 Alameda Padre Serra, Ste. 100 Santa Barbara, CA 93103

| www.thegivinglist.com |

By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 23-7448586 By Credit Card: www.HospiceofSB.org

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The Unexpected Challenges of Philanthropic Women. Gabriella Taylor Offers the Support You May Not Even Know You Need. By Jeff Wing

hilanthropists are frequently viewed as privileged individuals who donate large sums of money to charity. However, the reality is more complex – particularly when the giver is a woman. It goes without saying that women are often overlooked as leaders. The societal pressures facing women are formidable, especially the expectations placed upon philanthropic women that many men in similar positions don’t face. Gabriella Taylor knows something about these pressures. Having experienced a traumatic early life, Taylor set out on a global adventure, guided at first by her own healing. This journey led her into the fields of Psychology, Spirituality, and Neuroscience, resulting in a strong conviction to use her skills and experience to help others. Taylor is today a much sought-after coach whose work could be described as truly life-changing, in that she helps women experience greater fulfillment – from the inside out. Womanhood remains rife with double standards. A philanthropic woman sometimes has to navigate a thicket of second-guesses, insecurities, and isolation. This is where Gabriella Taylor comes in. And right on time. Q: You occupy a particular niche in the philanthropic space. Can you summarize it for us? A: My role is rather unconventional. For over 25 years I’ve been providing highly-specialized coaching services, specifically for female philanthropists and nonprofit founders. Given the many challenges we face on this planet, I believe these women are positioned to make real change in our world – to truly use their resources for good. Often, though, they lack support. What are the challenges facing women philanthropists and why do they need support? Challenges are many. For instance, their wealth may become an inadvertent barrier between themselves and others, resulting in trust issues and feelings of isolation, or the perceived need for extra vigilance to “keep it all together.” However, all humans

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are connected by our need for belonging, understanding, and emotional safety; needs that are seldom met or even acknowledged. The woman entrepreneur may struggle with worrying that her wealth and self-worth are inextricably linked; wondering “...am I loved for who I am beyond my financial status?” Women tend to be naturally generous, but can be taken advantage of. Being smart, educated, and rich doesn’t mean that there aren’t emotional needs or struggles that may get in the way of being fulfilled. How are you able to address these issues? Here’s an example. “Lisa” came to me as a 58-year-old woman who inherited a substantial trust in her 20s. She had already been divorced three times, with each ex demanding excessive spousal support in lengthy legal battles. She had three financially dependent adult children and a litany of professionals on retainer whose services (and motives) were questionable. She funded a large nonprofit, yet the donations were mismanaged. She was being taken

| Santa Barbara |

“When women are valued and supported, we become powerful catalysts for transformation, contributing to a kinder world through our influence.” advantage of across the board, with no idea how to protect herself… or her wealth. She didn’t know who to trust. She struggled with emotional eating. She sought solace from Chardonnay. Over the course of three years, I helped her build a whole new network of support. She reduced the number of people on retainer, keeping those that were trustworthy. She grew stronger – more assertive, more clear on her values. Her anxiety decreased and her emotional eating and drinking subsided. She partnered with an organization that’s doing phenomenal work. She’s happily remarried. She’s experiencing greater fulfillment in nearly every area of her life. I support these women in developing confidence, establishing boundaries while forming healthy relationships, in being kinder to themselves, and feeling more connected. As a result, they tend to become more expansive in their generosity. They give back from a place of strength and clarity, rather than obligation. There’s also a component of reclaiming money as an instrument for positive change, versus its being a symbol of better than/less than. What’s important about the contributions women in philanthropy make? When clear about their innermost values, women tend to invest in initiatives that are life-changing and impactful, which shapes our culture for the better. I’m not suggesting these women are better able to create social change than others. My client base, though, is principally women who create positive change through philanthropy. What gets in the way of the philanthropic woman having clarity on her values? As women, we’re conditioned to think our value comes from our ability to manage other people’s perceptions of us. The multibillion dollar beauty industry reinforces this. We’re taught “If I’m attractive, pleasing, smart, and capable… in your eyes… then I’m powerful.” We’re seldom conscious of how these messages influence our daily choices, attitudes, and impulses, which can create enormous pressure and stress, impacting our overall health. As philanthropic entrepreneurs, these women may be behind incredible causes, but secretly struggle. The stressors that keep them up at night can result in anxiety and depression, all the while feeling uncomfortable – even selfish – for focusing

on their own personal needs. It’s common to face opposition when addressing old systems with new ideas. There is relentless pushback from the old power structure that doesn’t want things to change, and wants to continue defining us as small, quiet, and well-behaved. Needless to say, that can be a real obstacle. How did you become the coach and thought leader you are today? Early on, I experienced eating disorders, time in mental institutions, repeated sexual abuse. After a near-fatal overdose at 17, I came out of the coma and had an ‘awakening.’ Something deep within urged me to go on a pilgrimage. I bought a one-way ticket to Spain and spent several years living in ashrams, monasteries, and communes around the world. I traveled through 37 different countries, volunteering for wonderful nonprofit organizations. This began my lifelong calling of helping others. You’re not ideating in this role; you’re giving from your own experiences of loss and reclamation! Yes! I understand what it takes to transform pain into strength. Plus, my training in Coaching Psychology and Relational Neuroscience enables me to facilitate genuine change in the brain through a very specific, experiential approach which releases limiting beliefs, heals past hurts, and taps into inner wisdom, strength, and emotional resilience. I offer a highly specialized boutique coaching practice here in Montecito and work with a small handful of extraordinary women. Whether it’s quieting the inner critic who struggles with self-doubt, coaching women in learning effective communication and leadership, or helping them in building healthy, strong relationships, the support is crucial. Your support must yield amazing results as these women release what was holding them back from full engagement with the giving mission. Absolutely! Think of each of these women as big, beautiful trees with large, generous canopies. Many seek the tree, picking the fruit, sheltering in the shade – yet rarely is anyone focused on nourishing the tree’s roots, whose robust health is necessary for the tree to stand strong. I see my work as tending to their roots, providing nutrients for their soil – whether it be emotional support, discovering their purpose, working through inner obstacles, or bringing good ideas to life. Consider this: when women are valued and supported, we become powerful catalysts for transformation, contributing to a kinder world through our influence. Isn’t this something we all would benefit from?

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Advocacy Advocacy is about standing up for people in need and speaking up for those without a voice. Whether global or local, we are thankful for the brave advocates you will read about in the following pages.

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LEGAL AID FOUNDATION OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Legal Aid Foundation: Representation for the Most Vulnerable

It is not easy making the decision to contact an attorney. Most clients come to Legal Aid with nowhere to turn and with little understanding of how our court system works. In moments of crisis, the organization's team of skilled attorneys provides free legal services to those most in need.

lind Lady Justice’s proffered balance scales make an eternal and sacrosanct point: Everyone is equal before the law and will be found guilty or not guilty based solely on the weight of evidence. What is less obvious in the symbology is how the lady’s scales can be tipped by billables. Representation by an attorney is sufficiently expensive that access to the justice system’s storied impartiality comes with an invoice many in our society can’t begin to afford. “Our legal system presumes that both parties are represented,” says Legal Aid Foundation’s Executive Director Jennifer Smith. “It presumes that both sides have an advocate, and that they’re receiving legal information. And so our entire legal system works better when everybody has access to legal counsel.” This is a tactful understatement. Sadly, society’s most vulnerable are the very population with the least access to justice. The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County exists to redress that imbalance. “In our civil justice system, you’re not guaranteed the right to counsel if you’re poor or indigent.

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And that’s where we come in,” says Smith. Civil court is typically thought of as the place where litigants go to squabble over money. In reality, civil complaints go right to the heart of inequality in our society. “Civil court can involve things like people who are facing homelessness due to an unjust eviction,” Smith says. “Civil court can include survivors of domestic violence who need a civil restraining order, or who need to address issues of child custody or other family law matters,” Smith continues. “At the Legal Aid Foundation, we also do advocacy work to help people experiencing homelessness to secure social security benefits. There can be so much at stake, which is why we’re here.” The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County also brokers outreach to other local nonprofits where needed. Smith explains: “We know that as attorneys, we can’t do it all. We’re taking one piece; we’re taking on legal advocacy – but we know that our clients have holistic needs. And so we partner with many of the other nonprofits that are featured in The Giving List. We know that our clients have needs that | Santa Barbara |

go beyond just the court process.” The legal system can be a bewildering maze of a process. “Our legal system is confusing and complicated for anybody trying to navigate it,” Smith says, “let alone if you’re low income, if you have a disabling condition, if English isn’t your first language, or where you have other barriers.” How does private donorship help Legal Aid’s mission? “The support of the donor community is absolutely critical,” Smith says. “We do receive some support from the State Bar of California, but in seeking that support we have to demonstrate that we have local community support for our work even to be eligible for the funding. So the Legal Aid Foundation’s response to local need is literally made possible by our local community’s donations.” And while every nonprofit needs its volunteers, the Legal Aid Foundation counts on the work and expertise of dedicated volunteer attorneys to help their clients through the difficult legal processes. “My core team are employees of the organization, but the volunteers are absolutely critical,” Smith says. “It truly is the entire legal community coming together to help provide these services.” The Legal Aid Foundation’s demure, leaf-dappled little cottage near downtown Santa Barbara belies the immensity of good being done there for Santa Barbara’s historically under-represented. The Executive Director’s smile is hard-won. “It’s great work, and I’m really proud of our team.”

want to thank you for the legal services that Legal Aid provided our family in what could have been a much scarier and financially debilitating housing situation, and make sure you know what an excellent job your attorney did in handling it... He showed sensitivity to the logistical aspects of our situation as well as the legal issues. It was clear that opposing counsel respected him, and that translated to a fair outcome for us... thank you for all the work you do."

– Legal Aid Client Anonymous

Help Ensure Equal Access to Justice e’re seeking $10,000 of general support, and with that dollar amount we can serve 26 individuals and W families in all different areas of law. Because the nature of our work is professional legal services to individuals, that money goes to support our number one cost – personnel.

The organization's Santa Barbara office is located at the corner of Canon Perdido and Garden streets, in the old "Tea House" building. It also has offices in Lompoc and Santa Maria.

“I

am proud to support the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County. As an attorney, I know our system works best when everyone has legal representation. Through my work, I see how seniors may become victims of unscrupulous business practices or be taken advantage of by family members. Equal access to justice means that everyone – regardless of age, income, or physical ability – deserves to receive high-quality legal advice and representation.”

– Julianna Malis,

Santa Barbara Estate Planning & Elder Law Board Vice President

Legal Aid received a generous grant from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara in support of its work providing free civil legal services to survivors of intimate partner violence.

According to the State Bar of California's Civil Justice Gap study, 85 percent of Californians received no or inadequate legal help for their civil legal problems. Legal aid clients cannot afford to hire an attorney. 76% of Legal Aid clients have incomes at or below 200% the Federal Poverty Level, approximately $66,000 for a family of four. Donating to Legal Aid is a good return on investment as well. In its FY ending 2022, clients had over $557,000 in amounts recovered or debt eliminated during legal proceedings. KEY SUPPORTERS The Hon. Susan Rose Allan Ghitterman (in memoriam) Alan Blakeboro Julianna Malis Susan Thompson Crystal Forsher The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara

Legal Aid attorneys provide legal representation to low-income families and seniors at risk of homelessness due to unjust eviction.

Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County www.lafsbc.org 301 E Canon Perdido Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-6754

Contact: Jennifer R. Smith Executive Director (805) 963-6754 x103 jsmith@lafsbc.org

The State Bar of California Judicial Council of California U.S Dept. of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women Hutton Parker Foundation Montecito Bank & Trust Yardi Systems Inc.

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County 301 E. Canon Perdido Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-2112634 By Credit Card:

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HILLSIDE

Hillside Provides Compassion, Community, and Care

"C The residents who call Hillside "home" are a diverse group of individuals with a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Embracing the various challenges they face, each day at Hillside is filled with programs and opportunities for them to gain independence and accomplish their goals.

riginally conceived in the late 1930s as a model residential facility for children with cerebral palsy, Hillside has evolved over the years to now providing services to 59 adults living with a range of moderate to severe intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/ DD). Hillside provides 24-hour intensive medical support plus empathetic caregiving through on-site programs that include occupational, physical, speech, recreational and aquatic therapy, sensory motor training, and independent living skills. Hillside’s emphasis on individualized person-centered care and the staff’s extraordinary level of love and compassion for the residents gives each individual – many of whom have been at the facility for decades – the opportunity to achieve their highest possible level of independence and accomplishment. When Hillside was founded, families typically kept their relatives with I/DD out of public sight – hence its somewhat ironic location in the then-remote neighborhood of Hidden Valley. Over time, through both State and Federal

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mandates and evolving societal morals, individuals with such disabilities are increasingly being integrated within the broader community. Hillside has been at the forefront of such efforts, working with its local partner agencies and organizations to provide residents with more cultural connections and opportunities for social engagement. “Our residents want to enjoy their lives just like everyone else,” says Hillside President and CEO Michael Rassler. “They very much have the same wants, goals, and desires.” While there have been lots of improvements, those with I/DD haven’t been given as much opportunity to transcend being confined by their disabilities, and therefore their ability to integrate more fully into the community. That’s where Hillside’s latest efforts come in, including procuring a new, larger, adaptive van funded by the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara that has enabled more residents to visit Santa Barbara’s parks, libraries, the beaches, and the Zoo, or simply enjoy a meal in a restaurant. | Santa Barbara |

aring for our son JP was extremely hard on our whole family. My marriage was suffering, and I didn’t really have a relationship with our daughter. It was all so overwhelming and difficult. JP’s needs were too much for us to handle. Hillside has enabled us to be a family again. JP is happy, all his needs are being taken care of, and he is learning so much. I have a healthy marriage now, and a great relationship with our daughter. We are so grateful for the wonderful care and love Hillside provides our son."

– Lisa Wilcox

Mother of JP (Hillside Resident) and Hillside Board Member

“Everybody talks about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hillside is a shining example of that in practice,” says Cheryl Sweeney, Hillside’s Chief Development Officer. “Our residents are some of the most vulnerable, and often forgotten, members of our community. They’re eager to engage with people and the broader community, whenever possible.” Recently, the van and Hillside’s work with the City of Santa Barbara’s Access Advisory Committee enabled several residents to attend both the Solstice and Fiesta parades. It’s not just the residents who reap the benefits of community engagement – increased access and inclusion strengthen the community as a whole. “Creating a more receptive, a more equitable, and a more integrated community, makes us all stronger,” Rassler says.

Equity and Inclusion for Hillside Residents illside residents live far below the poverty level. Government reimbursements cover the bare H minimum: room, board, and essential medical

care. In order to help residents reach their goals, Hillside must raise in excess of $800,000 a year to fund a variety of critically important services, programs, and activities including: • One-on-One Aides – most residents require individual care for walking or wheelchair use, dressing, eating, bathing, and toiletry; • Speech Therapy – crucial to help residents express themselves so they can let their wants and needs be known; • Physical Education – adaptive sports and movement increase mobility and bring residents a sense of accomplishment; • Behavioral Therapy – decreases maladaptive behavior and teaches residents techniques to help cope with their challenges; • Physical Therapy – maximizes residents range of motion, reduces pain, and prevents locking of joints; • Aquatic Therapy – helps residents gain more muscle control, increase their selfconfidence, and improve physical function; • Skills Development – to achieve greater independence such as cooking, money recognition, and using assistive technologies.

SCAN TO MAKE A DONATION... ...AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HILLSIDE

Hillside www.hillsidesb.org 1235 Veronica Springs Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 687-0788

Contact: Michael S. Rassler President & CEO (805) 687-0788 x111 (805) 766-0896 (m) mrassler@hillsidesb.org

A large group of staff and residents was able to attend this year's Fiesta Parade thanks to Hillside's new, large, adaptable van funded by The Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.

Hillside must fundraise over $800,000 per year in order to provide residents with all of the therapy, training, and supportive services that they need to live their fullest, happiest, and most productive lives. KEY SUPPORTERS Ann Jackson Family Foundation Assistance League of Santa Barbara Henry W. Bull Foundation Chumash Foundation City of SB Human Services Demboski & Chapman Financial Brad and Cynthia Frohling Norris and Barry Goss Hutton Parker Foundation IOA Insurance Services, Inc. Jim and Chana Jackson Latkin Charitable Foundation Donald Logan

June G. Outhwaite Foundation Joan Redmond & Susan Crossley Robert Ross Santa Barbara Foundation Gary Simpson/SB Home Improvement St. Francis Foundation Thomson Charitable Foundation Towbes Foundation Peter and Gina Troesch Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation Williams-Corbett Foundation Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Hillside House 1235 Veronica Springs Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 95-1816019 By Credit Card:

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BRADY UNITED

Show Gun Safety – Modeling Safe Gun Use in TV and Film

photo by Joe Pugliese

n the world of TV and cinema, being shot with a handgun often has the fallout of a stubbed toe or insect bite, with the gunshot victim clutching their upper arm or stomach and wincing, then launching into expertly choreographed fisticuffs. It does not show the true, gruesome fallout from a gunshot – the wound, or death itself; the life-changing reverberations of losing that loved one. What might be the social and policy outcome if our popular entertainments reflected the actual ramifications of someone taking a real-world bullet – the horrific deficits attached to actual gunfire, the devastating consequences of a family gun left lying around the house unsecured? If the question seems fanciful, consider the profound, well-correlated influence Hollywood has had on public attitudes – and practices – around other such important subjects such as drunk driving, smoking, and seatbelt use. Brady United’s Show Gun Safety program is taking this precedent and codifying it – working with the film and television industries to very intentionally address the way gun handling is portrayed on screen. History suggests this will organically normalize a responsible gun culture that has thus far eluded our legislative process here in the U.S. “My daughter was shot at her school. A 16-year-old kid she didn’t even know brought a ghost gun to school, turned it towards a group that my daughter happened to be standing

'm a lifelong believer in the power of storytelling to change hearts and minds – which is why I strongly support Brady United's Show Gun Safety campaign. I proudly stand with hundreds of creative professionals who are modeling firearm safety on screen. Film and TV can change the world – and each of us can make a world of difference."

– Bradley Whitford

Emmy-winning actor and activist

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Brady President Kris Brown (center) with Show Gun Safety leaders at the White House in April 2023.

with – and started firing. She was wounded and survived.” Those are the words of a screenwriter named Sean Tretta. “The reality,” he says, “was our daughter coming home with a sixinch channel in her abdomen from a 45-caliber bullet. Her mom and I had to follow a very specific treatment regimen each day so the wound would heal from the inside out.” When President Reagan’s Press Secretary, James Brady, survived a permanently debilitating head wound during an attempt on the president’s life back in 1981, he and his wife, Sarah, founded Brady United. The nonprofit advocates for responsible gun ownership and was instrumental in passage of the bipartisan Brady Bill, which strengthened the background check. The Brady Background Check system has blocked approximately four million prohibited purchasers from obtaining a firearm. But the signing of the Brady Bill was only the beginning of Brady United’s work. Brady United’s Show Gun Safety initiative emerged in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where a teenaged intruder fatally shot 19 children and two teachers, and injured 17 others. In response, a group of some 200 top Hollywood writers, producers, and directors signed and published an open letter, pledging to incorporate gun safety best practices into their storylines. Two dozen Hollywood actors, directors, and showrunners later took part in a roundtable discussion at the White House concerning the role Hollywood and the screenwriting community can play in combat| Santa Barbara |

ing the gun violence epidemic. “There often is this feeling of helplessness,” says writer/director Tretta. “Show Gun Safety is a way for this industry to help change the culture. At the core of this program are some of the most experienced and successful writers and show runners in our business. They’ve reached millions and millions of people over the course of their careers, and will continue to do so.” Christian Heyne is Brady United’s Vice President of Policy. “In 2005, my parents were shot in a horrific incident in Southern California, in Ventura County. My dad survived multiple gunshot wounds. My mom, unfortunately, was shot and killed. Through Brady United I met other survivors, and was made aware of the ways in which we can meaningfully address gun violence in America. The cultural work that we’re doing through Show Gun Safety will tackle our country’s gun violence epidemic from a social norming perspective.” Brady United’s Jared Milrad, J.D., concurs, and explains a killing irony. “The rating system has a sanitizing effect. If you want the broadest base of people to see your show, you can’t be gruesome in your depiction. So by trying to protect the viewer from the grotesqueness of gun violence, we’re inadvertently desensitizing and devaluing the weight that people carry as a result of real gun violence. Now we’re convening a group of people who can help facilitate action in the entertainment industry – an industry ready to do their part to lead this desperately-needed change.”

Seatbelts in TV Shows Saved Lives – Let’s Do the Same by Showing Safe Use of Guns rady is raising $1,000,000 to fund the national expansion of our Show Gun Safety Culture Change campaign in 2024. Cultural attitudes and behaviors around smoking, drunk driving, and seatbelts have all evolved due in large part to the Bpowerful influence of film and television. We’re taking on gun safety – and need your support to transform Hollywood’s portrayal of guns. 100% of your donation will help us change our gun safety culture and free America from gun violence.

“I

’m proud to support Brady’s groundbreaking Show Gun Safety campaign to be more intentional about how guns are portrayed on screen. We in the creative community must do our part to create a safer America free of gun violence — and that change can start in the characters we create and the stories we tell.”

— Piper Perabo,

Golden Globe-nominated actor (YELLOWSTONE)

Brady President Kris Brown (left) with actress Piper Perabo (center) and Show Gun Safety supporters at the White House in April 2023

Brady’s Show Gun Safety leaders discuss changing gun culture and modeling gun safety at the White House in April 2023

KEY SUPPORTERS Brady’s Show Gun Safety leaders meet with Biden Administration officials at the White House in April 2023

Brady United www.bradyunited.org 840 First St. NE, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 370-8100

Contact: Liz Dunning Chief Development and Engagement Officer ldunning@bradyunited.org (202) 352-2434

Judd Apatow Shonda Rhimes Adam McKay

Mark Ruffalo Jimmy Kimmel Amy Schumer

Glen Mazzara Piper Perabo Bradley Whitford

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence 840 First Street, NE, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20002

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By DAF or Stock Transfer: Tax ID# 52-1285097 By Credit Card:

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Preserving Santa Barbara’s Environment While Protecting Farmers’ and Ranchers’ Rights By Brian Rinker

usan F. Petrovich, an expert in environmental law, land use, and real estate at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Santa Barbara, has dedicated nearly five decades to the dual mission of preserving the environment’s beauty and resources while safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. Petrovich’s love for the land and commitment to those who work it were ingrained during her childhood. As a “free range” child, she explored the wonders of nature, galloped on horseback, and swam in the creek waters. With a deep affection for animals and an interest in biology, Petrovich would have pursued a career as a veterinarian if not for her aversion to the sight and smell of blood. Petrovich embarked on a legal career in the 1970s, a time when the profession was predominantly male, setting her apart as one of the few women at the table. Looking back on those challenging days, she recalls, “I faced resistance from male judges and attorneys, but my resilience was honed during my upbringing in the Army. I vividly remember one attorney who openly boasted about making female lawyers cry, though he never dared to test that with me.” Today she continues to handle complex cases about environmental matters, representing both public and private sector clients. She spends her free time with dogs by providing free dog obedience school at her house every Sunday morning. “I am training the people, not the dogs,” she jokes. In this Q&A, Petrovich shares her perspective on affordable housing challenges, the struggles of farmers and ranchers, her legal contributions to marginalized communities, and collaborative efforts between government entities and private businesses in environmental conservation. Q: What are the most critical social issues confronting your community? A: Affordable housing in the community. There just is not enough housing to meet demand. Countless families are living in poorly maintained apartments, often with several families crammed into an apartment meant for one family, or living in garages and similar structures not suitable for residential use. The City and County both have fallen behind when it comes to providing housing for the people who

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wait tables, clean hotel rooms and homes, and who work in other low-paid jobs. The City and County are trying to make up for lost time, but the shortage is significant. I was so proud of Montecito when Sharon Byrne organized a program for getting homeless people into safe housing so they weren’t sleeping outside near roadways, railroad tracks, or creeks and rivers. We truly need more programs like this, especially as winter approaches. Much of your career has been focused on land use. What are some of the challenges that farmers and ranchers in Santa Barbara County face when it comes to preserving their lands and maintaining their operations? New conservation laws requiring significant changes in or replacement of farm equipment and ordinances to keep agriculture far away from streams, rivers, and native plants have undercut farmers and ranchers and their employees’ survival chances in the future. People who live in Santa Barbara County talk about how beautiful it is and how important it is to save our open spaces, but they have no clue as to the hard time that farmers and ranchers have in keeping their land in operation

| Santa Barbara |

and preserving our environment. The average public doesn’t understand: open lands come at a high price and many farmers and ranchers are forced to sell their lands when the older generation dies or when the thin margins with which they operate become even finer – such that they can’t keep their heads above water, can’t send their kids to college, and can’t convince their children to stay in the agricultural business because it’s too tough to make a living, despite the hard work involved. The rural areas also have significant poverty among the farmworkers. Because this County makes it difficult to get a permit for onsite employee dwellings, many have to drive long distances to and from work, leaving their families in Ventura because that’s the closest area with affordable housing. Could you provide some instances of how your legal expertise has been utilized to provide support to marginalized communities? I have spent my entire career working to oppose County ordinances that make it difficult if not impossible for farmers and ranchers to make a decent living and to provide for rural housing, particularly for farmworkers. We’ve made some progress but not enough. For example, many years ago, a group of farmers convinced the County to adopt an inexpensive way to get a permit to build second-generation housing. But the County added a sunset clause in the ordinance and when the sunset date came, the County declined to renew the ordinance. I also helped write the Agricultural Element to the County’s General Plan, making sure that urban development wouldn’t swoop in and take over agricultural lands and farmers and ranchers wouldn’t be forced to allow public trails through their agricultural operations.

Currently, the County is considering a plan that is intended to allow non-agricultural uses (including a wide spectrum of recreational uses) on agricultural land to increase the revenue stream for farmers and ranchers. I applaud the effort but, unlike other counties that have opened this kind of program to a committee that comprises environmental experts and farmers and ranchers, our County did not include feedback from farmers and ranchers. How do government entities and private businesses collaborate to conserve the environment? Where have they achieved success? Much of the collaboration to preserve water and the environment has been launched by private citizens, generally through nonprofits. Heal the Ocean, for example, initiated an effort to clean up the beaches and, for the Summerland area, re-cap the oil wells that blanketed the beach and the ocean in the 1800s and early 1900s. These oil wells have been oozing oil and tar for decades and no one did anything to fix the problem. Thanks to a team that included experts, the State Lands Commission, Heal the Ocean, and others, those wells are being capped properly, one at a time.

“The City and County both have fallen behind when it comes to providing housing for the people who wait tables, clean hotel rooms and homes, and who work in other low-paid jobs.” | www.thegivinglist.com |

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Environment Our global degradation is already, and will continue to be, humanity’s greatest challenge. These organizations are rising to the challenge with determination and bold solutions.

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COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

Taking Bold Climate Action Together

ver the last couple of years, the Community Environmental Council (CEC) has dramatically increased its efforts to combat climate change on the Central Coast. The 50-plus-year-old nonprofit has developed a bold and aggressive strategic plan to do “twice as much, twice as fast.” This includes doubling its programming and geographic service area to include San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and growing the staff to vastly expand its proven formula for developing and scaling innovative, rapid, and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. Mid-2023 saw the opening of CEC’s firstof-its-kind Environmental Hub in downtown Santa Barbara – a collaborative epicenter for community activism, education, entrepreneurship, media, and art – amping up its interactive approach. “Reverse, protect, and repair are the central focus of everything we do,” says CEO Sigrid Wright. “But we can’t do it alone. To solve these issues, we need all corners of the community involved at a hands-on level.” As part of its initiative to increase on-theground momentum to address and alleviate climate impacts, CEC has partnered with the University of California to launch the Central Coast’s only Climate Stewards certification program, open to anyone wanting to take an active role in creating and implementing

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climate solutions in their homes, workplaces, and communities. Addressing the doom-and-gloom scenario, participants learn about the psychology and science behind climate change and how to create connections and take action on a boots-on-the-ground level. “The cold hard facts of climate change can be overwhelming, but the program flips the script entirely,” says Wright. “People evaluate where their points of influence are, build a cohort, and learn the tools to act effectively in those areas.” Each participant completes a capstone project in one of six areas that make a direct impact in communities throughout our region in a number of ways, large and small – from public education and nonprofit spaces to neighborhoods and community gardens. Among the 120+ Climate Steward graduates are a retired fashion expert from Ojai looking to do something to make an impact on the unsustainable “fast fashion” and manufacturing industry who created a website that includes information about the issue and how to shop second hand. A Ventura resident focused on helping her homeowners association get FIREWISE certified, while another alum designed a way to start a green team for her church in Lompoc. “The kind of breadth and depth of impact that Climate Stewards make is something we | Santa Barbara |

never could have done alone,” Wright says. “I can’t even begin to predict what these folks are going to come up with, but the beauty of the program is that everyday people are able to get the skills and tools needed to effect change where they live. They’re not just learning and going back to their daily lives – they are rippling out their knowledge and passion in really powerful ways.” Looking ahead, CEC plans to adapt the Climate Stewards program for high school students. “They watch TikToks and Reels full of doomsday information, despondent and cynical about the future,” Wright says. “We want to disrupt that, reach them with a similar program so they head off to college or the workforce more motivated and excited to make a positive impact on climate change. That’s how we make a dramatic difference both today and long into the future.”

Teaching Teens to be Climate Stewards for a Better Future for All

ommunity Environmental Council (CEC) piloted their Climate Stewards certification program for teens as a C one-day-only workshop in the fall of 2023. The nonprofit is now

raising funds to support the development and implementation of the Youth Climate program to launch more fully in 2024. Every donation, no matter the amount, is critical toward CEC’s mission to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for California’s Central Coast through such local-led initiatives that advance rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis, while also fostering greater community connections.

KEY SUPPORTERS Anonymous Anonymous in honor of Karl Hutterer Mary Becker Leslie Sweem Bhutani & Ashish Bhutani in honor of Pat & Derrell Sweem Diane Boss James S. Bower Foundation Patricia and Paul Bragg Foundation Sheila & Tom Cullen Emily, Dan, Casey & Willow Engel G. A. Fowler Family Foundation Dorothy Largay & Wayne Rosing John C. Mithun Foundation Mithun Family Foundation Charles & Betsy Newman Natalie Orfalea Foundation Hutton Parker Foundation Michel Saint-Sulpice Judy Stapelmann Suzanne & John Steed Elizabeth Weber Yardi Systems Zegar Family Foundation

Community Environmental Council www.cecsb.org Visit Us: 1219 State Street, Ste. A Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-0583

Contact: Sigrid Wright CEO swright@cecmail.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Community Environmental Council P.O. Box 90660 Santa Barbara, CA 93190-0660

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www.cecsb.org/donate

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EXPLORE ECOLOGY

Cultivating Environmental Stewardship Through Hands-On Learning

During a Watershed Resource Center field trip, students participate in a beach cleanup.

xplore Ecology inspires students and adults alike to become better environmental stewards through three programs that reach over 40,000 community members annually. Whether it’s taking children to the ocean for a field trip and beach cleanup, teaching students about photosynthesis in a school garden, or educating about waste reduction in an art workshop, Explore Ecology’s environmental education programs: Art From Scrap, the Watershed Resource Center, and School Gardens Program provide hands-on learning experiences that empower Santa Barbara County residents to protect and preserve the environment. You may be familiar with Explore Ecology’s Art From Scrap Creative Reuse Store, but Explore Ecology is much more than the reduce, reuse, recycle champion of Santa Barbara.

The Explore Ecology School Gardens Program, found in 30 schools across the county, provides beautiful outdoor classrooms where children can explore nature, learn how to garden organically, and see in real life what they read about in science class. At the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro Beach, students and visitors learn how to keep our creeks and ocean clean and join monthly beach cleanups that remove thousands of pounds of litter each year. Explore Ecology also organizes over 1,300 volunteers at over 31 sites for Coastal Cleanup Day. The Art From Scrap Creative Reuse Store diverts tons of discarded and reusable materials from the landfill annually and offers them to the community at affordable prices. The new EE Makerspace above the store is a creative hub for sustainability education where everyone is

The new EE Makerspace above the Art From Scrap Creative Reuse Store offers Crafternoons and workshops for all ages.

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“W

hat sets Explore Ecology apart is its dedication to handson participation. Students see presentations and read about the environment. With our programs, they’re actually going to the beach to learn about watersheds, or creating art with reuse materials, or checking on a plant that they grew. That’s what gets them super excited and engaged.”

–Lindsay Johnson

Executive Director, Explore Ecology

invited to explore the potential of reuse materials, imagine, invent, create and collaborate. “The difference between learning from a book and learning hands-on is a sense of wonder. In our School Gardens Program, elementary and junior high school students experience environmental stewardship firsthand by taking care of the plants that they grow, tending the soil, and participating in a closed loop composting system,” says Lindsay Johnson, Executive Director. “Educating about the environment can involve a lot of bad news and it’s easy to feel helpless. Explore Ecology teaches that environmental stewardship can be joyful, creative, and life-affirming. This means giving people hope, ideas, and solutions – actions they can take in their everyday lives that have an impact in creating a healthier world for all.”

Help Plant the Seeds of Change $50 - Cultivate Young Minds: Provide a year of school garden education for one child. $250 - Fuel Field Trips: Sponsor a school bus for 60 students to take an Explore Ecology field trip and explore the wonders of nature firsthand. $500 - Nurture Creativity: Fund five local artists to teach Makerspace art workshops. $1,000 - Clean Our Coast: Sponsor a beach cleanup event, making our beaches safer and cleaner. $2,500 - Equip Our Educators: Help purchase education materials for the Watershed Resource Center where students and the public learn about keeping our water clean!

KEY SUPPORTERS American Riviera Bank Audacious Foundation Brighten Solar Coastal Fund at UCSB Deckers Brands Garden Club of Santa Barbara Johnson Ohana Foundation McGowan Guntermann Mission Wealth Montecito Bank & Trust Natalie Orfalea Foundation Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise Charitable Foundation Santa Barbara City College Foundation Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Michel Saint-Sulpice Teachers' Fund Village Properties The Miller Family Fund Tisha Weber Ford Towbes Foundation Laura and Geof Wyatt Yardi Systems

Explore Ecology staff are thrilled to receive the Real Food Hero Award for their School Gardens program at the Santa Barbara Seed Swap.

hildren in our School Gardens program are happy with their bountiful fall harvest.

– Little Green Thumbs

Students in Explore Ecology School Garden

SCAN TO MAKE A DONATION... ...AND LEARN MORE ABOUT EXPLORE ECOLOGY Children learn how their actions on land affect local watersheds in an environmental education lesson.

Explore Ecology www.ExploreEcology.org 302 East Cota Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 884-0459

Contact: Lindsay Johnson Executive Director (805) 884-0459 ext. 4

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Explore Ecology 302 East Cota Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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WHITE BUFFALO LAND TRUST

Local Solutions, Regional Partnerships, Global Impact

Jalama Canyon Ranch - A global hub for regenerative land stewardship, ecological monitoring & research, education, training, and enterprise development.

t a moment when news about the fate of the Earth may seem apocalyptic, White Buffalo Land Trust is providing hope and most importantly workable, replicable solutions for the planet. Their goal is to restore the ecosystem through agriculture. What began in 2018 on a 12-acre flagship farm has blossomed into a 1,000acre Center for Regenerative Agriculture in Santa Barbara County, a global hub for regenerative land stewardship, ecological monitoring & research, education, training, and enterprise development. Founder and President Steve Finkel says that the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Jalama Canyon Ranch, the epicenter of White Buffalo Land Trust, is “a profound opportunity to extend the legacy of Santa Barbara as a global leader of environmentalism.” Their theory of change is a unique circular approach: local solutions, regional partnerships, global impact. It starts on the ground, with the demonstration of regenerative land stewardship principles and practices, followed by data collection and monitoring protocols which allow for the quantifying of impacts. This data serves to improve the management practices and informs the education and training programs. Ultimately, the bounty of the land reaches the marketplace, which contributes to ecological and community health, completing the circle. It’s a holistic approach, according to Ana Smith, White Buffalo’s Director of Programs and Engagement. At their core, Smith explains, is a paradigm shift. “It’s time to move beyond the goal of merely doing less harm. We as humans have the ability to create positive impacts through each action we take, growing a thriving ecosystem, healthier

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community, and a more resilient planet, ” she enthuses. Anyone visiting Jalama Canyon Ranch can see that paradigm shift in practice every day. A primary example is the USDA-funded Elderberry Project, an ambitious five-year endeavor that is a paragon of White Buffalo’s circular, holistic approach. The Western Blue Elderberry is a keystone crop of the region, long grown and tended by Native communities and essential to landscape restoration. White Buffalo has partnered with local stakeholders such as the Chumash Tribe, the Community Environmental Council, and several ranchers to use climate-beneficial practices to reestablish the Elderberry. When the harvested crop reaches the marketplace it will complete the circle, by helping restore and rehydrate riparian corridors of the local region, and creating market

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ur partnership with White Buffalo Land Trust is much more than philanthropic; their team inspires and educates our employees who in turn research and design regenerative goods and products that end up in the global marketplace. I believe what White Buffalo is doing is urgent for our planet and that our local partnership with them is creating global impact and expanding our larger strategy of putting our values to work."

– Dave Powers

President and CEO of Deckers Brands

“I

really enjoyed the hands-on and interactive learning environment WBLT offered, as well as the key industry insights from facilitators and many of the students. The time spent outdoors was a highlight of the training for me as it reinforced the class learnings with real environmental examples. I feel like I have a different perspective to view the world from now on!”

– R. Anderson

Farmer and 2023 Holistic Management Student

Be a Part of the Climate Solution e have assembled this incredible team at White Buffalo who are literally day by “W day implementing solutions that can change the

world,” says Founder and President Steve Finkel. Every donation will be put to use to advance the mission and address the environmental, climate, and biodiversity crises we face today. White Buffalo relies on individual donor support for 65% of their projects. “I believe today that we are in such a moment of imperative that there’s an application for every investment, because there is so much to be done,” insists Finkel. If the past is prologue, White Buffalo Land Trust’s past five years demonstrates that we have every reason to place our hope in them for our future.

"All Hands On" land stewardship workshop.

pathways to incentivize these climate-beneficial practices. “It’s another example of our approach of focusing on local solutions, with regional partnerships, aimed at global impact,” Finkel points out. Visitors to the ranch can see many of these enterprise partnerships at work including Richards Regenerative Beef featuring pastureraised cattle, Sandhi Wines creating world-class Pinot Noir from the vineyard, and Flamingo Estate, a successful specialty retailer that has created a custom product line featuring essential oils distilled directly from native sages at the ranch. The work being done at Jalama Canyon Ranch is already impacting behavior well beyond its fenceline. So far the work has reached thousands of people and impacted over 100,000 acres; and they are just getting started. Watershed restoration planting and monitoring at Jalama Canyon Ranch.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Products from Figure Ate, the regenerative food brand created by White Buffalo Land Trust.

White Buffalo Land Trust www.whitebuffalolandtrust.org P.O. Box 5100 Santa Barbara, CA 93150 (805) 637-5497

Contact: Sam Franz Director of Development (818) 426-1398

Manitou Fund Roberto Foundation WOKA Foundation Macdoch Foundation JS Bower Foundation GA Fowler Family Foundation Natalie Orfalea Foundation Metabolic Studio UGG TomKat Education Foundation Coyuchi Philanthropy Fund

Dancing Tides Foundation Brownstein Farber Hyatt Schreck Santa Barbara Foundation Zegar Family Fund Williams Corbett Foundation Land Trust for Santa Barbara County Gaviota Coast Conservancy McMorrow Family Foundation CA Dept of Agriculture U.S. Dept of Agriculture

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: White Buffalo Land Trust P.O. Box 5100 Santa Barbara, CA 93150

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MARINE WATCHDOGS

Creating a Force for Ocean Health and Education

cience Director Judah Sanders holds one of California’s greatest seafood treasures— a spiny lobster from Santa Cruz Island — and shows how to tell a male from a female lobster.

"Millions of tons of plastic still end up in the ocean every year," says founding Director Dave Dahl. "We need to put the brakes on that, so our biggest focus right now is on reducing the flow of single-use plastic trash."

n a cool September Sunday, a group of Marine Watchdog kayakers paddled into a sea cave on the rocky coastline of Shell Beach. It wasn’t what they saw that was striking, but what they didn’t see: thousands of purple and orange sea stars that had once covered the tide line and the rocks of the cave were gone. The sea star population, a keystone species, mysteriously died along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in 2013. The group has been mapping Pisaster ochraceus sea star locations along the California coastline searching for answers and looking for a comeback. Ocean changes like these are why Marine Watchdogs, an environmental action nonprofit, does its critical research, to act as a sentinel, share information, and push to protect and preserve vital ocean ecosystems. The group’s founders, Dave Dahl, a former Navy swimmer; Judah Sanders, a marine biologist and teacher; and Gitte, Producer/ Director, started Marine Watchdogs to create a force for ocean health and education. Their organization focuses on critical marine research, education, restoration, and public policy messaging. They use new technologies to answer crit-

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ical questions about microplastics and pollutants in the water, the health of marine animals, and our food chain. “We’ve seen the ocean degrade over our lifetimes,” says Dahl. “Fifty years from now, if we keep doing what we’re doing, the ocean ecosystems will collapse.” In addition to the sea star survey, Marine Watchdogs gathers samples and tests lobster and shrimp populations for toxins and chemicals and is testing microplastics in the water, sea salt, and plankton. Their seafloor surveys monitor ecosystems and locate trash buildup. “Millions of tons of plastic still end up in the ocean every year,” says Dahl. “We need to put the brakes on that, so our biggest focus is on reducing the flow of single-use plastic trash.” Key to that effort is public awareness. Marine Watchdogs puts a spotlight on businesses and municipalities that are reducing plastic and host a database of biodegradable alternatives. They are also developing an affordable canned water product to replace plastic bottles. “We want to help trigger a quantum push toward plastic reduction at the corporate level,” says Sanders. Additionally, Marine Watchdogs produces unique educational materials and interactive | Santa Barbara |

games to take their messaging directly to schools. Their kayak tours, seafloor and beach cleanups, and online resources promote marine ecology and ocean stewardship. “It’s today’s kids and grandkids that will have to deal with these problems, which will be much more intense than what we have to deal with now,” says Dahl. “The next generations have to take over. Not only do we want to prepare them, we want to make them aware of what the issues are and have them be excited about the ocean. We want kids to see the magic.”

An environmental action company, Marine Watchdogs is using new technologies to monitor and preserve Pacific Ocean ecosystems and inspire future generations of scientists and ocean caretakers.

Your Donations Can Help Clean Up and Save Our Oceans Sponsor crucial marine research, education, and cleanup actions: $100 - Funds a classroom learning game set $500 - Funds a beach cleanup event $1,100 - Funds a mini-submarine trash-finder drone $1,500 - Funds an interactive learning display $4,000 - Funds complete test battery to detect heavy metals, radiation, and agri-chemicals tests $10,000 - Funds a Pacific plankton study $15,000 - Funds the pilot production of a “truly recyclable aluminum water can”

DIRECT SPONSORSHIP & DONATION LINK MARINEWATCHDOGS.ORG/ SUPPORT

Becoming a Marine Watchdog Member (everyone is welcome to join): Priceless!

From the plankton to the whales, our ocean ecosystems are choking on plastic, and the amount of plastic trash entering the ocean is increasing every year. “We want to help trigger a quantum push toward plastic reduction at the corporate level,” said Sanders. Watchdogs’ plastic use reduction program includes promoting and providing direct access to biodegradable alternatives to plastic products.

KEY SUPPORTERS

Watchdogs’ research projects include seawater, plastic and plankton studies; the Pacific Pisaster ochraceus Sea Star Survey; and seafloor surveys that help locate areas of trash buildup and toxic materials such as the estimated 8,500 shipwrecks that risk leaking billions of gallons of fuel.

Marine Watchdogs 6 Harbor Way #185 Santa Barbara, CA 93109 California Public Benefit Co. #5312804 A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Contact: Dave Dahl Managing Director info@marinewatchdogs.org (805) 458-4606 www.marinewatchdogs.org/contact

Bonnie and AJ Brann Edward Jones VCA Noah’s Ark Montecito Bank & Trust Epstein Partners Drama Dogs Loul Dental Studios Aquatic Research Instruments Montecito Executive Suites EBF Productions

Mike Kelly 54 Concrete Happy Tails EDC Mobile Sharpening Sam’s to Go SB Hawaiian Ice Co. Placemark One Adams Printing Kardel Insurance

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Marine Watchdogs c/o Dave Dahl 276 Rosario Park Road Santa Barbara, CA 93109

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www.marinewatchdogs.org/support

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Community Treasures Gathering spots that nourish, educate, enfold and inspire their beloved public.

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GANNA WALSKA LOTUSLAND

Garden of Earthly Delights

The Lotusland Forever campaign seeks to build an enduring Garden through restoration and revival of existing buildings, improvements to the visitor experience, preservation of the living and non-living collections, and by ensuring Lotusland remains as a sustainable environmental center of excellence with a secure financial future.

From her fearless, relentless pursuit of a career on stage to her eclectic, unorthodox gardening techniques and fashion sense, Madame was not shy about following her heart, fighting for what she believed to be right, and making sure those fiercely independent decisions continued to echo through the lives of others.

ne of the most iconic public gardens in the world, Lotusland is a 37-acre wonderland of more than 20 distinct and uniquely beautiful interconnected garden spaces, each exhibiting a spellbinding variety of exotic plants that are as historic as they are stunning to view. Back in the early 1940s, Madame Walska, an opera singer, socialite, and philanthropist, purchased the property and spent the next four decades working with landscape designers to turn Lotusland into a magnificent garden, with an appropriately dramatic presentation of tropical and subtropical plants. Through her unique vision, Madame Walska arranged to obtain rare flora to curate the varied gardens that contain some 3,500 different species of plants, and 10 times as many specimens, including one of the most significant cycad collections in the country. Lotusland’s gardens range from succulents to olive trees and exotic orchards and from formal ornamental flowers to theater and topiary gardens. As the garden is located in the middle of a highly-prized residential area of Montecito, it took nearly a decade after Madame Walska’s 1984 death to secure the county permits to allow Lotusland’s stewards to share her luminous legacy with Santa Barbara locals and visitors from all over the world. Thirty years later, Lotusland continues to conserve and enhance the gardens that serve as a serene and contemplative place to enjoy and marvel at its astonishing beauty. Visitors also get to experience the magnificence of the historic buildings on its grounds, including a Mediterranean-style mansion designed by Reginald Johnson of Miraflores (aka the Music Academy), the Huguette Clark estate, and the Biltmore Hotel renown, and others from famed Montecito architect George Washington Smith. Along the way, the garden, and its grounds and approaches, have also served as a leader

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and an inspiration in preservation and earth-friendly practices. “Lotusland is here for enjoyment and education, conservation, and research,” says Executive Director Rebecca Anderson. “Our goal is to also be a resource and an example, not only for other public gardens, but also private homeowners, for beautiful but sustainable practices.” But the garden’s Conditional Use Permit that limits Lotusland’s visitor capacity as well as type and quantity of events each year also puts a strain on its financial stability, Anderson says. “Admissions only cover 13 percent of our expenses,” she says. “We have had a structural deficit in our budget every year since we opened, and have to draw down disproportionately on our endowment annually just to operate.” Accordingly, Lotusland is marking its milestone anniversary with both celebration and a new multifaceted fundraising campaign. The Lotusland Forever project aims to raise $30 million with half of the funds earmarked to add to its endowment to balance the budget, with the other $15 million needed for capital improvements for restoration, preservation, upgrades to infrastructure, and innovative initiatives. “It’s our first Master Plan since 2003, and includes all of the garden’s improvements for the next generation,” says Anderson, adding that the long-range vision incorporates an updated nursery and education spaces and structures, solar energy systems, and a comprehensive water security program with both storage and capturing of stormwater runoff, and new restrooms located in the gardens. “We’ve been focusing on restoring and maintaining the garden and the collections for 30 years, and we haven’t had the luxury of tending to the buildings and beyond. It’s time.”

otusland is a center of botanical excellence, architectural significance, horticultural education, and simply an inspiration to all who visit. We are honored to be a part of such a significant and critical Capital Campaign as Lotusland celebrates its 30th anniversary as a public garden. Our intention is to motivate and encourage other loyal (and future) Lotusland supporters to join us to preserve and protect this world-class space left by Madame Walska. We are very excited and proud to be contributing to the Garden entering its next era."

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– Julie and Roger Davis

Lotusland Forever Campaign Donors

Securing Lotusland’s Future Success here are myriad ways to be a part of Lotusland’s landmark $30 million fundraising campaign, which allows for naming rights to the T gardens and features, as well as key positions and programs that honor the character and immersive beauty of the gardens while balancing the operating budget. With your help, Lotusland can continue to serve as an awe-inspiring local wonder and model for the next century.

r. Kim Lagrant Hunter (right) is passionate about philanthropy. As a long-time member of Lotusland since 2016, his love and financial support for the magic within the pink walls began when he met Trustee Connie Flowers Pearcy (center), and she brought him and his partner, Dr. Paulo Lima (left), to the gardens for a tour. "The beauty of Lotusland is the kindness of the staff, the relationships developed among board members, and it is a place I call my very own sanctuary. Lotusland is a remarkable story of resilience meets forward-thinking, planning, and generosity. Lotusland has been able to flourish under such adversity. It's great to be a part of the journey."

While Lotusland is known primarily for its remarkable plant collections, the Main House and outbuildings are historically significant as well. Standing for over 100 years, the architecture is in need of care, both to protect and enhance the spaces as functional structures and to improve the daily experience for all.

– Mr. Kim Lagrant Hunter

Lotusland Forever Campaign Donor

2024 BOARD OF TRUSTEES David M. Jones, President Mari Mitchel, Vice President Lesley Cunningham, Immediate Past President Ashley Adelson Jeanne Anderson Laura M. Bridley Merryl Brown Ron Caird Geoff Crane Rachael Douglas Connie Flowers Pearcy

Anthony Grumbine Joseph Marek Elizabeth Patterson Susan Read Cronin Jeffrey Romano Stephen P. Schaible Mark Schmidt Wendy Schmidt Caroline Thompson Rick Vitelle Lisa Bjornson Wolf Crystal Wyatt

Ganna Walska Lotusland www.lotusland.org 695 Ashley Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108

Contact: Patricia Sadeghian Director of Development (805) 324-8426 psadeghian@lotusland.org

The Many Ways to Give... Lotusland has become a preeminent center for plant conservation. Two of the Garden’s primary areas of focus are practicing and teaching sustainable horticulture. Looking to the future, the Garden seeks to make “greening” improvements to its sustainable program including self-sufficient water systems, solar power options, and EV charging stations.

By Check: Ganna Walska Lotusland 695 Ashley Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108

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ELINGS PARK

Nature, Health, and Happiness in the Heart of Santa Barbara

Elings Park is a diverse landscape with recreation and natural ecosystems side-by-side.

n every great city is a community park that serves as its beating heart. Elings Park in Santa Barbara has been that living greenspace for more than 40 years. With sports, outdoor recreation, summer camps, weddings, and special events, it is a treasured place for residents to gather and share in nature. “What Central Park is to New York and Golden Gate Park is to San Francisco, Elings Park is to Santa Barbara,” says Dean Noble, executive director of the nonprofit Elings Park Foundation, which operates the park. As a private nonprofit, the park receives no tax dollars or government support for operations or maintenance. It depends entirely on community support and your donations to stay open and admission-free year round. Each year the park receives more than 300,000 visits from children, youth, and adults who enjoy the park’s wonders. What started as 90 acres of scrub and a tennis complex now houses thriving soccer, rugby, kickball, and softball leagues, a BMX bike track, a disc golf course, facilities for both remote control airplanes and cars, and the oldest continuously operated paraglider training hill in

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North America. Cultural performances include a host of festivals and live music, ranging from ballet to bluegrass. A big part of Elings Park is the immensely popular summer camp that sells out quickly and doubled this year to include almost 1,000 children. “We jokingly say the only screentime in Elings Park is sunscreen time,” says Noble. Seventy-five percent of the 230 acres is undeveloped, with nine miles of trails winding through oak groves and meadows offering sweeping views of the mountains, city, and Pacific Ocean – all the way to the Channel Islands. Efforts are underway to restore the landscape, particularly the park’s South Bluffs, with California native plants, in partnership with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Your Children’s Trees, and Channel Islands Restoration. In the past two years alone, the Foundation has replaced invasive trees and plants with 600 oak trees and more than 4,000 native perennials. “Since we are an urban park, we want to be a place to re-create, a healing place. There is | Santa Barbara |

no better way to do that than through plants and trees,” says Noble. The dedicated users of the park also include its 900 canine members, too. Owners register their well-behaved canine companions as “EP-DOGS” to enjoy the entire park off-leash. Because the park is funded privately, a special fundraising campaign has been needed to focus on addressing aging infrastructure and has funded new walkways, repaved parking lots and roads, handmade stone retaining walls, and renovated restrooms at the playing fields. The Foundation consistently works to maintain and update the park’s offerings, such as the newly opened trail connecting with the Las Positas multi-use path, a permanent entry kiosk, and more. “The best is yet to come – we are really just getting warmed up,” says Noble.

ogs and kids are happiest at Elings Park – come see for yourself!"

– Marcia Constance

Elings Park Foundation Board Member

Please Help Support Your Local Elings Park – Where Admission Is Always Free elp keep nature, health, and happiness accessible to all by giving to the Elings Park Foundation. The 60-year-old park asks for donations to complete $10 million EPIC capital campaign. Many improvements have been made. Still to be H completed: refreshed park playgrounds, renovation of Las Positas Tennis Center, and upgrades to Godric Grove, the park’s wedding and events location. More than double your support with matching funds for Tennis Center and Godric Grove.

Elings Park is actively replacing non-native plants with California native species – and has planted over 500 live oaks and 4,000 coastal natives in the past four years.

Family-friendly concerts, theater, and art come to life at Elings Park.

At 230 acres, Elings Park is more than twice the size of Disneyland and is visited over 300,000 times per year.

arks are society’s great equalizers. Elings Park reminds me of New York’s Central Park. Both are where individuals and families of all ethnicities, socio-economic status, and genders come to picnic, exercise, contemplate, celebrate. It is a spectacularly beautiful place. Elings Park is also a gentle and powerful community builder."

– Ron Gallo

Santa Barbara Foundation CEO Emeritus

KEY SUPPORTERS Adams Legacy Foundation Ann Jackson Foundation Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation Brittingham Family Foundation Emmett Foundation Hutton Parker Foundation June Outhwaite Foundation John C. Mithun Foundation Kirby-Jones Foundation MacDonald Family Foundation Manitou Fund Montecito Bank & Trust

Elings Park Foundation www.elingspark.org 1298 Las Positas Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 569-5611

Mosher Foundation Santa Barbara Foundation Schlinger Chrisman Foundation Schilinger Family Foundation Towbes Foundation Trek Trails Foundation Whittier Trust/WWW Foundation Williams-Corbett Foundation Wood-Claeyssens Foundation Zegar Family Foundation

Contact: Marinella Baker Director of Operations (805) 569-5611 mbaker@elingspark.org

The Many Ways to Give... By Check: Elings Park Foundation 1298 Las Positas Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105

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Learning From the Past: Preserving California’s Mission History By Duncan Alexander

nder the leadership of David Bolton for the last 12 years, the California Missions Foundation has raised millions of dollars to preserve the state’s collection of historic Spanish missions and made their priceless collection of colonial and native art and artifacts an education destination for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year including tens of thousands of elementary school students. Beginning in the mid-1700s, the Spanish built 21 missions from San Diego to Sonoma that today provide a unique trail of history across California or what was then called Alta California. Bolton, who grew up in Santa Barbara – which is home to Mission Santa Bárbara, known as “The Queen of the Missions” – developed a deep admiration for the state missions and their unifying influence on the community. However, it was a pivotal moment three decades ago that set him on an unexpected course. Bolton, a soccer enthusiast and longtime sports broadcaster, found himself out of a job in the 1990s. Over dinner with his mother and stepfather, the question of what Bolton would do next arose. Bolton’s response was, “I don’t know.” His stepfather, a former Navy admiral and lover of history, suggested Bolton film a documentary on the California missions. To his surprise, no comprehensive documentary on these historic landmarks existed. Bolton’s vision expanded beyond the borders of California. He set out to document not only the California missions but also those scattered throughout the Americas. His travels took him to Jesuit missions in South America, from Bolivia to northwest Argentina, and across the expanse of Southwest Brazil. He explored missions in regions as diverse as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and various parts of Mexico, including Sinaloa, Sonora, and Baja California. In 2013, Bolton was hired for the role of executive director of the California Missions Foundation. What started as a hobby evolved into a full-time job and a profound dedication to the preservation of the missions. While he still occasionally engages in sports-related endeavors, including coverage of eight out of nine Super Bowls for Fox Sports Latin America, his primary focus remains dedicated to the California missions, their interconnected historic sites, and the rich cultural narratives they hold.

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“My main passion on a daily basis continues to be not only the California missions, but the related historic sites, and all the culture and the stories that came out of that history,” he says. Over the past decade under Bolton’s leadership, the foundation has successfully expanded its student field trip program statewide, ensuring that future generations connect with their heritage. Additionally, the foundation has fostered a vital partnership with the California Mission Studies Association, uniting their efforts to research and document the multifaceted stories of the California missions. All the while, they remain committed to preserving the mission buildings and their invaluable collections of colonial and native art and artifacts. In the following Q&A, David Bolton delves deeper into his journey, the significance of the California missions, and the foundation’s mission to preserve and interpret these iconic landmarks. Q. Having visited so many missions in the U.S. and the

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Americas, in what ways are the California missions unique? A. They are unique in that they were the last of the mission chains established by the Spanish in the Americas. The missions in the Americas began in the mid-1500s, and the California mission didn’t arrive until the mid-late 1700s and into the early 1800s. When you do anything, you learn, you improve, and you fine-tune. Our missions here were built based on 250 years of knowledge. Some similarities: they’re all done the same. The architectural plans were done in Spain. Local materials were used. Even though some might say they are based on a cookie-cutter template, if you make cookies for 250 years, you’re going to become really good at making

cookies. Because we were the last, I think the missions here, both from an operational perspective and from an architectural perspective, are some of the finest. How does the foundation work to ensure that Indigenous perspectives and voices are included and respected in the preservation and interpretation of these historical sites? Today, we work very closely with the Native communities. We understand and want to know more about their story, their people, and their culture. We know that the Native communities were responsible for these missions in so many ways. The Native communities need to be recognized for their

“It’s important to convey that these structures are more than just buildings; they are repositories of history, brimming with stories, and worthy of preservation for the benefit of future generations.”

Old Mission Santa Barbara 1786. (Photo courtesy of caradoc)

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“Our California missions are important today because they act as a cultural platform, providing the perspectives and voices of many communities.”

Kids from Noble Elementary in North Hills at Mission San Fernando in 2022.

then taken over by Mexico. After Mexico won its independence, Mexico didn’t want the mission system, but the church stayed active for a while. Then the U.S. came in, and Abraham Lincoln gave the churches back to the Catholic Church. Most of the missions have been pretty close to continuously operating as centers of their communities. They’ve changed over the decades. Yet they continue to be fixtures in the communities. Yes, they’re active parishes, but many of them have community events and act as the community hub.

contributions to the mission system. We need to hear their stories from both the past and the present. Our California missions are important today because they act as a cultural platform, providing the perspectives and voices of many communities. Without the missions, we would lose this platform to share with the public the important diverse histories of California – from all cultural perspectives. How do the missions act as a platform to share the important stories and experiences of those who came before us? Every mission is honored to have descendants of the original Native communities as active parishioners. All the missions are doing outreach and inclusion. California Missions Foundation also thinks very highly of inclusion. Our educational program sends fourth graders to visit their local missions, where they can see the role of the Native community. We facilitate and amplify their voices. It’s always better to have people tell their own stories. The mission platform is a collaboration of various perspectives and experiences. It is by learning from the past that we can learn from our mistakes and make our future the best possible. You said you admire the role missions play in bringing our community together. What is that role and how does it bring communities together? The missions were created by the Spanish and they were

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What educational and outreach programs does the California Missions Foundation offer to raise awareness about the missions’ historical and cultural significance? We offer “All-Aboard-the-Bus” Mission Field Trip grants to fourth-grade classes around the state. Our field trips are critical to providing access to the missions for students because so many extracurricular programs have been eliminated in schools. Because of our grants, tens of thousands of students over the years have been able to visit the California missions. We also started a virtual tour during COVID. More than 30,000 students have watched our virtual field trip. It’s now just as popular as our on-site field trips. We see the students really benefiting by having the opportunity to visit these historic sites – to hear all the stories, the Native perspective, to learn about the way of life then, and to hear also how they continue as active places of worship as well as active centers at the heart of so many communities. California’s mission history is really our shared history, all of us here in California. The education program encourages future generations to have an appreciation for historic preservation. Hopefully, as they become adults, they’ll be stronger members of our communities and they will work towards keeping alive this historic legacy that’s in our state. I am very happy that we’ve expanded the educational program. It started in Monterey and we have added Los Angeles,

| Santa Barbara |

San Diego, Orange County, and the Bay Area. We’re looking for our next big wave of expansion beyond the mission cities. We want to have this program take root in the Central Valley of the state so that the students who don’t have a mission nearby can also experience our missions along the coast. You’ve recently secured matching funds in the amount of $1.2 million for retrofitting projects in Solvang and at the Mission San Juan Bautista. How is that going? California Missions Foundation works to preserve all of the missions in the chain, all 21 along with related historic sites. It’s very important that all of our historic buildings are retrofitted. We’ve seen firsthand here in California, the damage that can be caused to a building that hasn’t been retrofitted. One of the priorities of the California Missions Foundation has been to make sure that all of our California missions are retrofitted, and now only three remain. We continue to foster our relationship with the National Park Service and the Interior Department and have obtained federal matching funds so that the remaining missions can be retrofitted. Recently, we received federal grants for a total of $1.25 million to retrofit both Mission Santa Inés as well as Mission San Juan Bautista.

Hopefully, the funding will motivate those in local communities to also step up. In any preservation project, being able to combine federal or government funding with local individuals and local family foundations is really the key to success. It is important that all of our historic buildings remain standing so that we can continue to understand what was involved in creating them, and the lifestyle and structure of society around them. They are so important in helping us learn. And as we learn from our past, it will make a better future. How can people interested get more involved in missions? The most significant impact an individual can make is to visit the missions, learn about the history of California, and encourage others to participate in these experiences. Another effective way for individuals to gain insight into the history of the California missions is by inviting us to speak to their groups. This not only enhances learning but also fosters a deeper understanding of the missions’ rich history. It’s important to convey that these structures are more than just buildings; they are repositories of history, brimming with stories, and worthy of preservation for the benefit of future generations.

Kids from Franklin Elementary in Santa Barbara at Mission La Purisima in 2022. | www.thegivinglist.com |

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Index AHA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 California Missions Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Christian McGrath: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Community Environmental Council (CEC) . . . . . . . . . 128 Cottage Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) . . . . 68 David Bolton: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Direct Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Elings Park Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Explore Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Family Service Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Friends of VADA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Fund for Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Gabriella Taylor: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Ganna Walska Lotusland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Granada Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Gwendolyn Strong Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Hillside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Holocaust Museum LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Hospice of Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County . . . . . . 118 Luz Reyes-Martín: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Marine Watchdogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 M.E.R.R.A.G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

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Mission Scholars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 National Disaster Search Dog Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 NatureTrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 New Beginnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Reverend Dr. David Moore, Jr.: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 RiteCare Childhood Language Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 RunX1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Sansum Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Sansum Diabetes Research Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Santa Barbara City College Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Santa Barbara Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Santa Barbara Humane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Santa Barbara Museum of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Santa Barbara Symphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Santos Guzman: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 SEE International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Storyteller Children’s Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Susan F. Petrovich: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Sweet Wheel Farms/S.B. Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Tammy Johnson: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 UCSB Arts & Lectures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Wayfinder Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 White Buffalo Land Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Yvette Birch Giller: Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

| Santa Barbara |

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