There’s Hope Yet

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Santa Barbara Foundation hosted its annual Hope Awards at the historical museum, where a record 232 guests raised more than $120,000, a figure then matched by a local foundation.

One honoree was the late Margie Yahyavi, who as executive director of the foundation from 2010 to 2022 transformed it from a small nonprofit with a $300,000 budget into a thriving force for local schools. Under Yahyavi’s watch, SB Foundation  oversaw ten signature programs, and 14 fiscally sponsored initiatives with a $2.5 million annual budget.

Also recognized with honors was the half century-old Children’s Creative Project, which has been igniting imaginations and transforming lives through the power of the arts.

Guests included Brianna Aguilar, Salud and Gina Carbajal, Marybeth Carty, David Edelman, Nina Dunbar, Gregg Hart, Oscar Gutierrez, Leslie Schipper, Cecily MacDougall, and Frank and Marika Tabar.