Tag archives: nonprofits

Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) executive artistic director Jonathan Fox was already talking about reopening when he was interviewed for the original Giving List book connecting philanthropists and nonprofits that we published last November. At this point, to the surprise of no one, six months later that still hasn’t happened as the pandemic pounced once again […]

With fingers crossed that California will “reopen” on June 15, the team at Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) is planning their first in-person event in over a year. Like all local nonprofits in 2020, TBCF cancelled numerous fundraising events, held a virtual event, and pivoted at every turn, all while providing more support than ever […]

Nonprofits often have to work closely with banks to help support their growth and launch new initiatives. Like a horse and rider working together, the bank can help the organization get to where it is trying to go.  As part of their ongoing goal to give back to the community, Montecito Bank & Trust (MBT) […]

Every organization had to pivot to produce programs during the pandemic. But for the MOXI museum, innovation comes with the territory. Indeed, that’s what the “I” in the nonprofit’s name (Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation) stands for.  “What the pandemic forced us to do is to take what we do best — which is […]

Friendship Center has been there for its seniors and their families for many years. There are two facilities, one in Montecito across the street from the Episcopal church (All Saints-by-the-Sea) and another in Goleta. They provide day care for elder and dependent adults. Before the pandemic, their centers were a home away from home. Members […]

This past Saturday, Montecito Country Mart hosted a socially-distant photo op with the Easter Bunny, welcoming more than 200 families over the course of the day. County Line Florals created an Easter floral backdrop for the photo moment, and popped up with their 1965 VW Transporter, Betty, with Easter blooms for the day.  All proceeds […]

Everybody in town likely knows about One805. Sure, they’re the organization who three years ago created the “Kick Ash Bash,” mounting the massive benefit concert as a way of thanking both the firefighters whose brave stand against the Thomas Fire in December 2017 saved untold homes in Montecito, as well as honoring the already weary […]

April is national Child Abuse Prevention Month, so naturally our very own Child Abuse Listening Mediation has some special activities planned. CALM is half-a-century old and the only nonprofit in Santa Barbara County that specializes in the prevention and treatment of childhood trauma. This organization, just like every other nonprofit, has had to forgo its […]

Through my work at Leading From Within over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to know many nonprofit leaders. They’re a special group of people that are uniquely called to make the world better than they found it. Many of them sacrifice a great deal in their commitment to help others. Where do these […]

When COVID-19 first closed down in-person meetings, everyone hurried to figure out online opportunities. But New Beginnings Counseling Center (NBCC) had a leg up, having already nearly completed a partial pivot to Zoom before the pandemic opened the floodgates toward the platform.  It turns out the nonprofit had recognized a need to find a way […]

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that to many folks in our community, everyone who works at AHA! could be called a hero. After all, the Santa Barbara nonprofit equips teenagers – and often their teachers and parents – with social and emotional intelligence, using the five pillars of mindfulness, awareness, connection, empathy, and […]

When I moved to Santa Barbara in 1993, I was struck not only by the area’s beauty – the opportunity to play volleyball daily on pristine East Beach, the nearby mountains – but also by the rich cultural opportunities. I was mesmerized by the extensive listings in what was then called SBCC Adult Ed (now […]

Having completed five years leading Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, Barbara Ben-Horin is leaving the pro-girl nonprofit. Since joining the organization in January 2016 it has expanded its Teen Center programming, overhauled its emergency planning, and advanced its advocacy efforts on behalf of girls’ rights and opportunities. “I deeply believe in Girls Inc.’s vision […]

Yes, it’s time to think about that 97 year-old-fun fest, Old Spanish Days (OSD). To start the Fiesta year off La Presidenta 2021 was just announced, Stephanie Petlow. She has lived here for many years and served on the OSD board for 20 years. Her leadership team is primer Alex Castellanos, vice presidente; David Bolton, […]

Several years ago, my elderly neighbor gave up driving due to recurring hip injuries and a debilitating autoimmune disease. Sometimes I’d look across our cottage complex and notice a taxi waiting to take her to doctor appointments or grocery shopping – she was old-fashioned enough to not even own a smartphone, so Lyft and Uber […]

Pound for pound, or rather inch for inch, it’s doubtful that Santa Barbara has ever had a more hardworking, tireless, dedicated, and effective advocate for the underprivileged than Barbara Tellefson. The founder and president of Santa Barbara’s Unity Shoppe, who passed away at 84 on November 22, was an undeniable dynamo whose stature and influence […]

On a personal note I remember Barbara Tellefson, founder and president of the Unity Shoppe, who lost her valiant battle with a terminal illness aged 84. A woman of extraordinary fortitude and passion, Barbara was without doubt a force of nature who devoted her life to the century-old nonprofit, working innumerable hours directing operations for […]

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, even if it wasn’t the raucous family-packed affair we’re all used to. Hopefully by next year it will be safe for all of us to return to that long-cherished tradition of gathering with loved-ones even if we dread being seated next to that one random cousin with whom […]

There are certain holidays I appreciate less for their historical importance, than for the opportunity they afford us to stop and reflect upon our lives, and to feel gratitude for all we have been given. As well as all we are able to give back. At the risk of retreading well-travelled terrain, I won’t go […]