Women's Fund of Santa Barbara Grants $535,000 to 7 Nonprofits

Seven local nonprofits have received a total of $535,000 in grants from the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, bringing the organization's total contributions to the community, since it began in 2004, to more than $6.6 million.

The grants have gone to 93 local nonprofit programs impacting more than 97,000 women, children and families in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria.

The $535,000 grants pool was also the largest solely-member funded pool in the organization's history. The presentation was made during an event last week at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.

Nonprofits receiving 2017-18 Women's Fund grants are:

CADA, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse - $75,000 to provide mental health support to help prevent possible reoffending and incarceration of Teen Court youth.

Children's Resource & Referral - $65,000 to provide quality childcare and business development training for in-home family child care providers.

Dyslexia Intervention Program - $50,000 to expand a pilot program to remediate effects of dyslexia in K-3 students in Santa Barbara School District.

Early Childhood Classroom Behavior Intervention Program - $50,000 to expand a program to respond to disruptive classroom behavior for 3-5-year-olds in Goleta Union School District.

Foodbank of Santa Barbara County - $95,000 to partially fund the purchase of a new refrigerated box truck that will collect, store and distribute fresh food, reduce food waste, and meet new emission requirements.

Santa Barbara Rescue Mission - $100,000 to increase the number of beds and build bathroom facilities for women needing emergency shelter.

United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County - $100,000 to replace and rebuild sections of leaking roof for a clubhouse that serves low-income youth in Carpinteria.

"We are a volunteer-driven organization based on a simple, creative model - women combining our charitable donations so we can make a larger impact on the community than most of us would be able to accomplish on our own," said Laurie Tumbler, steering co-chair.

"We strive to be educated, strategic givers working to make a difference in the lives of women, children and families in our community," she said. "We are optimistic, compassionate and caring women, and we are determined to continuously improve our community and our organization.

"We are capable of a bold vision, that by combining our charitable dollars, we can change lives together," she said.

The popularity of the collective giving model is evident in the more than 10-fold growth in membership the Women's Fund has achieved in 14 years. The volunteer-driven organization also prides itself on its efficiency; striving to minimize expenses to maximize the annual grants pool.

Accepting on behalf of CADA and the Teen Court Program, the organization's president/CEO Ed Stonefelt said, "Teen Court works. The recidivism rate is only 2 percent for teens who successfully complete the program.

"Adding individual counseling and intensive case management will allow us to provide the personalized care necessary for each teen's success," he said.

"The Women's Fund grant to Goleta Education Foundation is for the expansion of the on-site behavioral intervention program for early childhood classrooms," said Lisa Rivas, Goleta Education Foundation president.

"CALM early childhood education consultants work with the preschool and transitional kindergarten teachers in the moment, to address social emotional issues, and provide tools and support to the teachers, students and their families," Rivas said.

"We contribute to the Women's Fund because we want to make a difference and collectively that difference is larger than what most of us can do on our own," said Shelley Hurst, next year's steering chair.

"Together we've fed families, provided medical care to vulnerable women and helped young people realize their full potential," Hurst said. "We've helped house seniors, provided a refuge for troubled teens and protected women and children from violence.

"The more than $6.6 million we've given together since 2004 is more than a number; it represents people. Lives we helped change together."

Tumbler and Hurst were the research committee co-chairs for 2017-18 and Mary Weimann chaired the event.

For more information about the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, visit www.womensfundsb.org.

- Leslie Dinaberg for Women's Fund of Santa Barbara.