United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc
To enrich the lives of children and families and build resilient communities by leading local programs and partnerships that improve school readiness and academic achievement, financial empowerment, and crisis response and recovery.
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc at a glance
In short: United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc gave $285K across 5 grants in 2025 (avg $57K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $285,094
- +850.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 5
- +400.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $57,019
- +90.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $16,959,684
- +1.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Guadalupe Union School District ($100K). Together the top 5 received $285K.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 26 grants of 44 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 5 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc gives
- Giving fell 45% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2024) to $2.4M (2021). In 2025 it made 5 grants totaling $285K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Guadalupe Union School District Guadalupe, CA | Brighter Futures Childcare | $100,000 |
| Regents of the University of California Santa Barbara, CA | Brighter Futures Childcare | $79,894 |
| Lean Engage Advocate Partner Goleta, CA | Brighter Futures Childcare | $75,000 |
| Little Angels Preschool Santa Barbara, CA | Brighter Futures Childcare | $15,200 |
| Coastal Family Preschool Carpinteria, CA | Brighter Futures Childcare | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $16,959,684 | $4,365,267 | $3,801,248 | $285,094 | 5 | $990,996 |
| 2024 | $16,708,347 | $3,719,909 | $3,905,838 | $30,000 | 1 | $368,266 |
| 2023 | $16,096,957 | $17,013,451 | $16,831,184 | $66,784 | 3 | $140,448 |
| 2022 | $15,549,253 | $21,862,789 | $20,084,913 | $522,683 | 6 | $1,603,366 |
| 2021 | $16,928,815 | $15,674,650 | $14,955,107 | $2,406,001 | 29 | $1,160,624 |
| 2020 | $14,836,796 | $5,706,396 | $4,414,353 | $586,446 | 14 | $458,940 |
| 2019 | $13,067,366 | $2,636,141 | $2,694,479 | $103,272 | 9 | $273,574 |
About United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc
Based on IRS filings
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc is a public charity, based in Santa Barbara, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $17.0M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 5 grants totaling $285K. Net investment income was $991K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc is led by Steve Ortiz, President, CEO & Board Secretary since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 4 of 22 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steve Ortiz
President, CEO & Board Secretary
Secretary & CEO → President, CEO & Board Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$165K (2019) → $346K (2025)
Cliff Lundberg
Chair
Treasurer → Board Chair, 2021
Board Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frances Contreras
Director of Programs & Partnerships
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$104K (2025)
Rose Levy
Director of Strategic Partnerships & Advancement
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$109K (2025)
Alex Koper
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Flattery
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Nelson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lance Connor
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Hollman
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terri Maus-Nisich
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Art Merovick
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrice Ryan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sue Birch
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dustin Dodgin
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alice Hampton
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clayton Coleman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Heider-Gray
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Blair
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$104K (2021) → $131K (2025)
Leo Hamill
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rick Scott
Immediate Past Chair
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Hersberger
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane B. Doiron
Vice Chair
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Maryan Schall (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Melinda Cabrera (2022–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Shari Liu Fellows (2023) — Director
- Former: Timothy K. Armour (2023) — Director
- Former: David Prichard (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Rosemary Mutton (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Terrance Holt (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Diane B. Doiron Clu (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: John Hanna (2019–2020) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Michael Noling (2020) — Director
- Former: Chuck Mertz (2019) — Director
- Former: Karim Kaderali (2019) — Director
- Former: Mike Nissenson (2019) — Vice Chair
- Former: Mike Noling (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $346K, to Steve Ortiz (President & CEO/Board Secr). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc
How much does United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc give each year?
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc gave $285K across 5 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $30K across 1 grant.
What is United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc's typical grant size?
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc's median grant in 2025 was $75,000, and its average grant was $57,019, across 5 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc give grants?
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (2 grants).
Does United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 5 grants with a stated purpose on United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Brighter Futures Childcare" (5 grants).
Who are United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc's largest grantees?
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Guadalupe Union School District ($100,000), Regents of the University of California ($79,894) and Lean Engage Advocate Partner ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc?
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc reported $17.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.4M.
What is United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc's EIN?
United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-1641968. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 21, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work United Way of Santa Barbara County Inc funds
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