Tag archives: nonprofit

RiteCare Childhood Language Centers
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 23, 2024

There are 19 RiteCare Childhood Language Centers across California, a program of the California Scottish Rite Foundation that provides life-changing speech therapy, language skills, and literacy services to more than 2,300 children at no cost to the families. The highly effective centers in many ways more than fill the gaps between what the public schools […]

The Fund for Santa Barbara
By Montecito Journal   |   July 9, 2024

The Fund for Santa Barbara was founded way back in 1980 as a means to support local organizations working for progressive social change. Nearly 45 years later, while the issues, its methods and organization might have grown, that purpose has not been altered at all: The Fund remains dedicated to helping to find solutions to […]

Hillside’s 20th Annual Emerald Soirée
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 25, 2024

Hillside Santa Barbara held its 20th Annual Emerald Soirée on Friday, June 7, at the Santa Barbara Club’s outside garden area. The organization has been helping those community members with special needs for 80 years. The funds raised at the event support the quality of life for the 59 residents at Hillside. The event started […]

18th Annual CommUnify Champion Awards Fundraiser
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 25, 2024

The 18th Annual CommUnify Champion Awards fundraiser was held on Friday,June 7, at the Craft House at Corque in Solvang. The CommUnify 2024 honorees are Geoff Green, The Vikings of Solvang,and Hardy Diagnostics for their dedicated work on behalf of the people of Santa Barbara County.  Program commenced with welcome remarks by Chief Executive Officer […]

Estate Visit
By Richard Mineards   |   June 18, 2024

Montecito designer, developer, and author Xorin Balbes used his latest project in our rarefied enclave to raise monies for the local charity, United Way. 80 guests descended on Monte Arroyo, a most impressive Hot Springs Road estate, built in 1910. Xorin and his floral curator husband Truman Davies live a tiara’s toss or two down […]

Stay Royal ShelterBox
By Richard Mineards   |   May 28, 2024

ShelterBox, with headquarters in Santa Barbara and Truro, Cornwall, has had its royal patronage renewed. After a review conducted by the Royal Household, following Queen Elizabeth’s death two years ago, and coinciding with the first anniversary of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, it comes at a poignant time as ShelterBox approaches […]

Charlie Kaller Markham
By Stella Haffner   |   May 21, 2024

Have you guys read The Giving List? If not, you should go check it out. Lots of great nonprofits featured in there. And I should know – I covered some of those stories. Three years ago, I was given the opportunity to interview the team at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. Fascinating! Of course, […]

Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara 20th Anniversary Grantee Celebration
By Joanne A Calitri   |   May 21, 2024

For its capstone annual event, The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara (WFSB) held its 20th year anniversary “Celebration of Grants” at the Lobero Theatre on Tuesday, May 7.  The WFSB provides grants for the much-needed services and organizations that support all citizens in our town. With its strict guidelines of qualifications and series of interviews […]

M.E.R.R.A.G.
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 30, 2024

When M.E.R.R.A.G. was formed in 1987 as Montecito Emergency Response and Recovery Action Group, the uber-local organization started serving a vital purpose as the Montecito Fire Protection District’s neighborhood eyes and ears through a cohort of trained, embedded local volunteers augmenting our first responders’ efforts to keep the community safe. Growing out of a newly […]

Al Fresco Angels
By Tim Buckley   |   April 30, 2024

Local doctor Michael Behrman and his wife Sonia, both foster parents, opened the gates of their picturesque oceanfront Hope Ranch estate for the third consecutive year for Angels Foster Care’s 11th annual al fresco lunch with 270 guests raising around $250,000 for the non-profit founded in 2006 by Meichelle Arntz, who was Mistress of Ceremonies, […]

Foundational Persons
By Richard Mineards   |   April 30, 2024

It was a very in-tents occasion when a giant marquee covered the Hilton Hotel’s rotunda when the Santa Barbara Foundation held its 81st Persons of the Year lunch, with awards going to Jim Morouse and Peter Schuyler, whose mother Jane Schuyler won the award in 1997, making them the first mother-son duo to be so […]

A Compassionate Campaign
By Richard Mineards   |   April 30, 2024

Hospice of Santa Barbara has launched a Legacy of Compassion campaign to coincide with its 50th anniversary. CEO David Selberg announced the campaign, which helps with activities throughout the year, at a Shining Light Society spring reception at its Riviera headquarters, just a tiara’s toss from the Belmond El Encanto. Behavior analyst Rosy Bucio shared […]

PATH
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 23, 2024

A significant number of nonprofits and other organizations have been working to end homelessness in Santa Barbara and across California. PATH has had a jump on nearly all of them, as its mission is built right into its name – which is an acronym for People Assisting the Homeless. PATH started small and simply with […]

Connecting Doctors to Underserved Communities and Career Fulfillment Across the Globe
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 23, 2024

World Telehealth Initiative had a very lofty goal when the nonprofit began in 2017: use modern medical robotics and engage volunteer physicians to make an impact in healthcare disparity across the globe. With half of the world’s population lacking access to essential health services, statistics show that nearly nine million people die every year from […]

All Aboard!
By Richard Mineards   |   April 16, 2024

Mega philanthropists Roger and Sarah Chrisman hosted a fun fête for supporters and friends on the 110 ft. gaff rigged schooner Mystic Whaler, which is now run by the Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation based in Oxnard, as an education vessel for young people aged 10 to 18 years. The tony Montecito twosome bought the […]

Granada Theatre
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 2, 2024

Are you wondering why there’s a whole lot of hoopla about the Granada Theatre 100th birthday beyond merely marking a major milestone? First, perhaps, pivot over to Hattie Beresford’s comprehensive column The Way It Was (page 22) in this issue. That piece traces the history of the grand old theater – from its vaudeville days […]

SBCC Foundation’s New CEO 
By Richard Mineards   |   April 2, 2024

Bobbi Abram is Santa Barbara City College Foundation’s new chief executive officer, starting May 1. Abram has spent most of her career as a leader in nonprofit and higher education fundraising and administration, and has served as executive director of the Pasadena City College Foundation since 2012. “This is an exciting time to be joining […]

New Beginnings
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 26, 2024

New Beginnings’ Safe Parking program turned 20 earlier this year, a milestone you need to celebrate. On the other hand, I wish it didn’t even exist in the first place. In an ideal world, there wouldn’t be homeless people living on the streets or in their cars. The latter is what the Safe Parking program […]

Channelkeepers Having a Ball
By Richard Mineards   |   March 26, 2024

A tidal wave of generosity enveloped the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s sold-out 22nd annual Blue Water Ball at the Cabrillo Pavilion with more than 200 guests raising around $170,000 for the popular nonprofit. The boffo bash was emceed by the ubiquitous Andrew Firestone and 14 paintings by local artists, including Kelly Claus, Benjamin Anderson, Eric Foote, […]

SBCC Foundation
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 19, 2024

It was Geoff Green, the longtime CEO of SBCC Foundation, who created and spearheaded the organization’s SBCC Promise, the program that provides all recent local high school graduates with the opportunity to attend the community college full-time free of charge for up to two years. The Promise is comprehensive and robust, covering virtually everything a […]