Fund for Santa Barbara Inc
The Fund for Santa Barbara is a non-traditional community foundation based in Santa Barbara, California, established in 1980. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization (tax-exempt since August 1985) dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations and groups working for progressive social change in Santa Barbara County.
Key facts about Fund for Santa Barbara Inc
- EIN
- 77-0070742
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $463,780
- Grants made (2024)
- 25
- Average grant
- $18,551
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 80% first-time grantees (20 of 25, 2024)
- Total assets
- $5,573,196
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Fund for Santa Barbara Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Fund for Santa Barbara Inc's 25 itemized 2024 grants were California (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (7 grants), Lompoc, CA (7 grants), Santa Maria, CA (4 grants) and Ventura, CA (3 grants). 40% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program/Project" (15 grants).
Is Fund for Santa Barbara Inc open to new grantees?
80%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 20 of 25 grantees (80%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Fund for Santa Barbara Inc
- How to evaluate Fund for Santa Barbara Inc as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.6M
+29.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$464K
+4.7% YoY
Grant Count
25
-26.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
+42.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Fund for Santa Barbara advances progressive change by strengthening movements for Economic, Environmental, Political, Racial, and Social Justice. The organization is committed to supporting grassroots community organizations at the forefront of combating inequities and dismantling systemic oppression.
The Fund prioritizes funding groups and organizations leading movement-building efforts to create transformative, systemic social change. It defines social change as change that addresses root causes—not symptoms—of social, economic, environmental, political, and racial inequities.
Funding guidelines require that requests actively:
- Support anti-discrimination based on race, sex/gender, age, religion, language spoken, or immigration status
- Support communities marginalized by power structures to engage in dialogue and actions countering social injustice
- Work to improve the rights of workers and their families whose living conditions have been marginalized
- Promote the cultural life of underserved communities and support cultural workers
- Promote self-determination and leadership development in low-income and disenfranchised communities
- Promote global peace and organize locally for just policies
- Build coalitions to improve environmental conditions
Grantmaking
The Fund currently operates eight funding programs:
Ready to take the next step with Fund for Santa Barbara Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Santa Barbara County, California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 25 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year Ending December 2024:
- Total Revenue: $3,746,864
- Total Expenses: $2,370,021
- Net Income: $1,376,843
- Total Assets: $5,573,196
- Net Assets: $5,302,279
Revenue Breakdown:
- Contributions: $3,502,069 (93.5%)
- Program Services: $190,565 (5.1%)
- Investment Income: $122,888 (3.3%)
- Sales of Assets: $5,951
- Net Fundraising: -$74,609
Expense Breakdown:
- Executive Compensation: $165,950 (7.0%)
- Other Salaries and Wages: $390,900 (16.5%)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,573,196 | $4,298,710 | $3,035,480 |
| Revenue | $3,746,864 | $2,656,659 | $1,727,517 |
| Expenses | $2,370,021 | $1,955,373 | $1,778,568 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $128,839 | $-137,959 | $139,939 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
130 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Fund for Santa Barbara Inc
Fund for Santa Barbara Grants - Movement Building Grant
Fund for Santa Barbara Inc
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Fund for Santa Barbara: Emerging Need Grants
Fund for Santa Barbara Inc
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Fund for Santa Barbara: Mickey Flacks Social Housing Fund Grant
Fund for Santa Barbara Inc
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Healing Justice Santa Barbara (HJSB) ($60,000), Collective Cultures Creating Change - Lompoc ($54,570), Martin Luther King Jr Committee Santa Barbara ($48,300).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| HEALING JUSTICE SANTA BARBARA (HJSB) Goleta, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $60,000 |
| COLLECTIVE CULTURES CREATING CHANGE - LOMPOC Lompoc, CA | PROGRAM/PROJECT | $54,570 |
| MARTIN LUTHER KING JR COMMITTEE SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $48,300 |
| CAUSE ACTION FUND Ventura, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE SANTA MARIA-LOM Santa Maria, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST Santa Barbara, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| ONE COMMUNITY ACTION OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY Santa Maria, CA | PROGRAM/PROJECT | $30,000 |
| SANTA BARBARA ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER SOLIDARITY NETWORK (SBAAPISN) Ventura, CA | PROGRAM/PROJECT | $18,380 |
| GATEWAY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES Santa Barbara, CA | PROGRAM/PROJECT | $15,000 |
| LOMPOC VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION Lompoc, CA | PROGRAM/PROJECT | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Eder Gaona-Macedo serves as Executive Director.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Cardenas | President | 3 | — |
| Joyce Howerton | Vice President | 3 | — |
| Arcelia Sencion | Treasurer | 3 | — |
| Andrew Oman | Secretary | 3 | — |
| Ted Rhodes | Director | 3 | — |
| Debbie Goldsmith | Director | 3 | — |
| Cuco Rodriguez | Director | 6 | — |
| Mahil Senathirajah | Director | 3 | — |
| Susan Wax | Director | 3 | — |
| Annette Cordero | Director | 3 | — |
| Quetzal Sanchez | Director | 3 | — |
| Terri Zuniga | Director | 3 | — |
| Eder Gaona Macedo | Executive Director | 40 | $155,000 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Fund for Santa Barbara Inc fund?
The Fund for Santa Barbara advances progressive change by strengthening movements for Economic, Environmental, Political, Racial, and Social Justice. The organization is committed to supporting grassroots community organizations at the forefront of combating inequities and dismantling systemic oppression. The Fund prioritizes funding groups and organizations leading movement-building efforts to create transformative, systemic social change. It defines social change as change that addresses root…
How do I apply for a grant from Fund for Santa Barbara Inc?
The Fund currently operates eight funding programs: **Movement Building Grant** • Maximum request: Up to $10,000 • Funding term: 12 months • Offered annually in the spring • Requires pre-application screening **Multi-Year Movement Building Grant** • Exclusively available to pre-existing partners with significant funding history (3 funding cycles or more) • Maximum request: Up to $40,000 • Funding term: 24 months, distributed in two equal annual payments • Offered annually alongside the Movement…
Where does Fund for Santa Barbara Inc make grants?
Santa Barbara County, California.
What size grants does Fund for Santa Barbara Inc award?
In 2024, Fund for Santa Barbara Inc awarded 25 grants totaling $464K — an average of about $19K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Fund for Santa Barbara Inc's EIN?
Fund for Santa Barbara Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0070742. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fund for Santa Barbara Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.