Santa Barbara Foundation
The Santa Barbara Foundation is Santa Barbara County's community foundation, established in 1928. For over 90 years, it has served as a catalyst for change by analyzing issues, convening community stakeholders, and strategically investing philanthropic capital to address challenges in the county. The foundation works through grantmaking, donor fund management, and social sector support to strengthen nonprofits and mobilize people to support dynamic initiatives that improve the community.
Key facts about Santa Barbara Foundation
- EIN
- 95-1866094
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $40,200,128
- Grants made (2024)
- 447
- Average grant
- $89,933
- Median grant
- $25,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (139 of 447, 2024)
- Total assets
- $503,570,797
- Primary geography
- California (54% 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 Santa Barbara Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Santa Barbara Foundation's 447 itemized 2024 grants were California (54%), Florida (17%) and Kentucky (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (181 grants), Los Angeles, CA (20 grants), Santa Maria, CA (19 grants) and Goleta, CA (18 grants). None of its 447 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Arts, Culture, and Humanities" (83 grants), "Environment and Animals" (72 grants) and "Human Services" (72 grants).
Is Santa Barbara Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 139 of 447 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $98K; repeat grants $86K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $26K repeat.
- 56% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+15%). Method
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 Santa Barbara Foundation
- How to evaluate Santa Barbara Foundation as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$503.6M
+6.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$40.2M
+62.9% YoY
Grant Count
447
+15.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$90K
+41.0% YoY
About Santa Barbara Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Santa Barbara Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in Santa Barbara, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $503.6M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 447 grants totaling $40.2M. Net investment income was $16.9M.
Focus Areas
Ready to take the next step with Santa Barbara Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 447 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $503,570,797 | $474,773,392 | $439,373,124 |
| Revenue | $121,575,886 | $37,810,274 | $65,112,090 |
| Expenses | $120,022,004 | $35,776,166 | $34,018,312 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $16,931,249 | $8,873,473 | $18,422,637 |
| 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
2,047 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
15 open opportunities from Santa Barbara Foundation
Behavioral Health/Health Care Grant Program
Santa Barbara Foundation
Amount
Up to US $30,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Child Care Grant Program
Santa Barbara Foundation
Amount
Up to US $15,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Community Grants - Shelter & Safety Grants
Santa Barbara Foundation
Amount
Up to US $30,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Dechomai Asset Trust ($7,000,000), Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($6,299,195), Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara ($1,271,700).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DECHOMAI ASSET TRUST Jacksonville, FL | PUBLIC AND SOCIETAL BENEFIT | $7,000,000 |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND Covington, KY | PUBLIC AND SOCIETAL BENEFIT | $6,299,195 |
| SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION OF SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara, CA | EDUCATION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT | $1,271,700 |
| FOOTHILLS FOREVER INCORPORATED Santa Barbara, CA | ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMALS | $1,159,104 |
| SANTA BARBARA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INC Santa Barbara, CA | ARTS, CULTURE, AND HUMANITIES | $1,098,650 |
| COMMUNITY PARTNERS Los Angeles, CA | PUBLIC AND SOCIETAL BENEFIT | $890,993 |
| LEWIS & CLARK COLLEGE Portland, OR | EDUCATION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT | $756,340 |
| ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND Cotati, CA | ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMALS | $689,100 |
| SANTA BARBARA HUMANE SOCIETY Santa Barbara, CA | ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMALS | $618,221 |
| CONGREGATION B'NAI B'RITH CORPORATION Santa Barbara, CA | HUMAN SERVICES | $605,100 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacqueline Carrera | President & CEO | 40 | $457,442 |
| Todd Yuba | VP, Finance & Administration | 40 | $297,791 |
| Tammy Sims Johnson | VP, Philanthropic Services | 40 | $214,255 |
| Elizabeth Thasiah | VP, Programs | 40 | $224,387 |
| Janet Mocker | Senior Director of Finance | 40 | $187,271 |
| Jessica Sanchez | Senior Director of Donor Relations | 40 | $144,202 |
| Jenny Kearns | Senior Director of Grantmaking | 40 | $137,695 |
| Matt Rowe | Chair | 4 | — |
| Stephen Hicks | Chair Emeritus | 2 | — |
| Angel Iscovich | Vice Chair | 3 | — |
| Danna McGrew | Treasurer | 3 | — |
| Michael Pfau | Secretary | 3 | — |
| George Adam | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Alexandra Allen | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Phil Alvarado | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Richard Beswick | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Pamela Gann | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Rafael Gonzalez | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Kiah Jordan | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Pamela Macal | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Lois Mitchell | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Robert Nakasone | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Ernesto Paredes | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Susan Richards | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Lynn Scarlett | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Alex Simas | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Tracy Stouffer | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Zohar Ziv | Trustee | 2 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Santa Barbara Foundation?
Santa Barbara Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in Santa Barbara, CA. It holds $503.6M in total assets as of 2024.
How large is Santa Barbara Foundation?
As of 2024, Santa Barbara Foundation holds $503.6M in total assets with $121.6M in annual revenue. It awarded 447 grants totaling $40.2M in 2024.
Where does Santa Barbara Foundation operate?
Santa Barbara Foundation has awarded grants in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming.
What size grants does Santa Barbara Foundation award?
In 2024, Santa Barbara Foundation awarded 447 grants totaling $40.2M — an average of about $90K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Santa Barbara Foundation's EIN?
Santa Barbara Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-1866094. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Santa Barbara Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.