Tag archives: Giving List

Hospice of Santa Barbara
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 21, 2022

Lots of people in Santa Barbara might have only become more aware of Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) over the last two years through one of its responses to the pandemic. And it wasn’t simply because folks were afraid of catching a fatal case of COVID-19 in those early pre-vaccine days, but because of the […]

What Dreams May Come
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 31, 2022

In the quarter-century since its founding, Dream Foundation, the only national dream-granting organization serving terminally-ill adults, has provided end-of-life Dreams for more than 32,000 terminally-ill adults across the country. Based in Santa Barbara, the organization serves as something of a counterpart to the well-known Make-a-Wish Foundation – the Phoenix-founded nonprofit that for 40 years has […]

Beyond Christmas Unity: No Off-Season for Food and Services
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 4, 2022

It might seem like bad timing to be writing about Unity Shoppe in the last week of the year, considering the nonprofit just held its 35th annual holiday telethon — the latest edition of the annual marathon fundraiser that airs on KEYT-TV — on December 12. After all, the event brings together all sorts of […]

On a Mission to Address the Vulnerable
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 23, 2021

ShelterBox’s reason for being is because human displacement is one of the biggest issues plaguing our planet, one that’s increasing as time goes on. Over the last year, the nonprofit reports, the number of people displaced due to conflicts, natural disasters, or the consequences of climate change has grown to 113 million people, a staggering […]

Preparing for a Sparkling Anniversary
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 2, 2021

To many, the 2021 Music Academy of the West Summer School and Festival was nothing short of a miracle. Despite the need to plan well in advance of the state’s reopening in mid-June, MAW not only managed to pull off a spectacular hybrid season that brought more than 100 fellows from around the world to […]

Giving Tuesday is Here and We’ve Got Your Giving List
By Gwyn Lurie   |   November 30, 2021

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year. I love how the holiday allows us to reflect and give gratitude before we launch into the rest of the end-of-year holidays. Oh, and I love the food. This year I find Thanksgiving especially poignant. For those not felled by COVID, we’re coming up on the […]

Opportunities to Give Back: Unity Shoppe, Organic Soup Kitchen both raising funds for those in need
By Nick Masuda   |   November 30, 2021

‘Tis the season for our little slice of heaven to showcase its robust heart, with nonprofits across the South Coast hosting a plethora of events and fundraisers to aid those in need. Throughout the season, we’ll highlight companies that need help in order to hit their goals. This week, we take a look at the […]

Montecito Firefighters’ Charitable Foundation: Providing Needed Financial Support
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 25, 2021

Montecito Firefighter Lucas Grant is too young to have personal memories of what it was like when local firefighters were an integral part of a community beyond responding to emergencies, but that Norman Rockwell image of the local firehouse as a friendly and helpful gathering place still pulls on his heart. “I hear stories about […]

Granada, the Great
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 18, 2021

It’s purely coincidence that this week’s Montecito Journal hits newsstands the same day the Granada Theatre officially unveils Plaza Granada, a new pathway to the theater and the historic arts district in downtown Santa Barbara with a private ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Plaza transforms the formerly barren parking lot behind the theater and the previously dark […]

‘Creating Hope’ with UCSB Arts & Lectures
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 11, 2021

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, UCSB Arts & Lectures, like every establishment across the country, was forced to close and cancel all its programs. But the 62-year-old organization — still the largest and most influential arts and lectures presenter not only in the Santa Barbara region but in the several hundred- mile […]

‘Provide Some Cheer’: Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation Puts Emphasis on Holidays
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 4, 2021

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) was founded by Nikki Katz back in 2002 after hearing of the financial and emotional challenges faced by the family of a three-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with bone cancer and a brain tumor and felt alone in dealing with both the diagnosis and the fallout. “I wanted to […]

RAINN: Connecting an Influx of Survivors With Needed Support
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 28, 2021

Peruse the list of RAINN supporters online or in the 2020-21 inaugural The Giving List book and you’ll find a whole lot of famous names. There are singer-songwriters Tori Amos and Kesha, entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, and the actresses Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino, among many others. That’s because, unlike virtually all […]

Looking to Create “Positive Change”
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 21, 2021

In its short 13-year history, Leading From Within — which was founded in 2008 as the Courage to Lead program that was created to offer renewal to experienced nonprofit executive leaders while also offering leadership development — has already had quite an impact in town. More than 60 executive directors have participated in the year-long […]

‘Mainstream Topic’: Pandemic Puts Mental Wellness Center in Spotlight
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 7, 2021

It’s just a coincidence that World Mental Health Day falls right in the middle of the circulation for this week’s edition of the Montecito Journal. The annual campaign was created by the World Health Organization with a stated objective of raising awareness of mental health issues and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health and […]

United & Thriving: Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara Combine Forces
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 30, 2021

It was just about a month into the pandemic when the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara (UBGC) fully united, as the downtown club agreed to merge and fully centralize the 83-year-old organization. That might seem like a strange time to be making structural changes, as the merger was completed in April 2020, […]

Justified Pivot: Organization Doesn’t Stop Fight Against Discrimination
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 9, 2021

Just Communities (JC), the nonprofit whose mission includes “dismantling all forms of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression,” works towards its vision of an equitable and inclusive Central Coast by offering cultural competency training to organizational leaders, education seminars for the general public, leadership training for students and teachers, and customized consultation to local agencies for diversity […]

The Giving List
By Lynda Millner   |   August 19, 2021

It is said that Santa Barbara is home to more nonprofits per capita than any other county in the country. After writing about them for 30 years, I believe it. All the executive directors met at Chomp on the Rocks restaurant to celebrate the beginning of their fiscal year and chat about their business. Being […]

One with Nature: Montecito Union’s Unique Lab Making Progress
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 19, 2021

Montecito Union School’s Nature Lab, its interactive 2.5-acre space that’s beginning to take shape on the Upper Village campus, has been serving as a learning laboratory even before ground was broken on the project. The students at the enviable elementary school were a big part of the process about how to use the land adjacent […]

A Beautiful Race: Annual Fundraiser is Back for Girls Inc.
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 12, 2021

Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara has had plenty on its plate since the pandemic altered almost everything back in March 2020. Like everyone else, the nonprofit — whose mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold with a vision serving empowered girls in an equitable society — had to make […]

A Virtual Success: Cottage Hospital Foundation Surpasses Tiara Ball Goals
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 5, 2021

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation’s 2020 Tiara Ball, one of the more popular annual black-tie galas in a town with no shortage of big bash benefits, was one of the last public events in the community before the COVID crisis closed everything down. The so-called “Party of the Year,” held on February 29, Leap Year […]