Advancing progressive change by strengthening movements for Economic, Environmental, Political, Racial, and Social Justice. The Fund for Santa Barbara supports organizations working for progressive social change in Santa Barbara County, emphasizing solutions to social problems and support for those denied power and justice.
The Racial Equity Fund strives to capacitate, expand, and/or stabilize historically marginalized organizations in Santa Barbara County. Derived from grassroots demands for investment in the Black community post the events surrounding George Floyd's killing, the fund addresses equity issues via funds allocation, partly for internal County equity development and partly through The Fund for Santa Barbara's participatory grantmaking. In 2022, an additional grant cycle was supported with $275,000 by the County Board of Supervisors. The grant's funding strategy emphasizes strengthening the ecosystem of diverse, anti-racism organizations, boosting marginalized communities' participation in civic matters, uplifting marginalized leaders into decision-making roles, sustaining organizations led by such leaders with capital access, changing systemic negative narratives related to slavery, and establishing organizational capacity in areas like leadership, policy change, strategic communications, and more.