Tag archives: nonprofits

Stars & Stripes USO
By Lynda Millner   |   April 18, 2019

They were all there! Rosie the Riveter, movie stars, socialites, dancers, military, and medical personnel in the USO Hollywood Canteen aka the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM). This was their annual fundraising gala stepping back in time to the 1940s. The evening’s honorees were Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation and the Santa Barbara Navy League. Sounds […]

Show of Appreciation
By Richard Mineards   |   April 18, 2019

Popular Santa Barbara charity, the Unity Shoppe, hosted an appreciation lunch for more than 100 senior volunteers at La Casa Nichita, the historic Mission Canyon home of veteran supporter Barbara Tellefson. “Last year was a very trying time for us,” Barbara tells me. “Disaster relief cost us more than $300,000, which severely depleted our funds, […]

Generous Grants from Garufis
By Richard Mineards   |   March 28, 2019

To mark its 44th anniversary, Montecito Bank & Trust hosted a grants reception at its majestic State Street headquarters when president and CEO Janet Garufis handed out checks worth $20,000 to 10 local charities. Along with the checks, the nonprofits also received a professionally produced one-minute promotional video. Employees of the bank, which since its […]

The Profitable Future of Traditional Philanthropy
By Peter Brill   |   March 14, 2019

by Dr. Peter Brill, with Mariah Miller QUESTION: I hear there are 1,000 non-profits in Santa Barbara. I am newly retired and moved here from Chicago after selling my business. I look at an organization like the Girl Scouts, which provides for a significant portion of their financial needs by selling cookies and other things. […]

Shades of Grey
By Richard Mineards   |   March 14, 2019

It was all too monochromatic for words when the Junior League of Santa Barbara threw its 12th annual Black and White Ball at the Coral Casino. The bustling 300-guest bash, held in memory of S.A.F.E. House founding donor Ethel Scar, was expected to raise $155,000 for the non-profit and was hosted by KEYT-TV Emmy Award-winning […]

CADA Celebration
By Richard Mineards   |   February 14, 2019

CADA – Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse – held its 8th annual gratitude lunch at the Biltmore, with more than 80 guests raising nearly $100,000 for the nonprofit’s 24-year-old mentor program, which matches fourth and eighth graders with adult help. Ed Stonefelt, president and CEO, described the 25-year-old program, which has helped more than […]

AHA! Benefit in Montecito
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 31, 2019

AHA!, a Santa Barbara-based non-profit that is celebrating its 20th year in operation, has announced a February 21 benefit event that will bring together three special speakers for an evening of connection and resilience. “It is incredible that this caliber of people are coming here, to help support AHA!” said AHA! co-founder and director Jennifer […]

SOS California
By Lynda Millner   |   January 17, 2019

The non-profit SOS (Stop Oil Seeps) held their annual holiday soirée in January at the University Club. Co-founder Lad Handelman was holding court with all his friends and the Club was full with members and guests sipping wine and scoffing down sliders and pizza. As Alice Green said in her blog, “Natural processes can wreak […]

Wildlife Resolutions
By Claire Garvais   |   January 10, 2019

Many of us have New Year’s resolutions for 2019. It’s common to shoot for the stars and find out that two weeks into January our resolutions are more difficult to keep up than we thought. Not to worry! Here’s an easy resolution to stick with all year: saving wild lives. The finches at our feeders, […]

Fresh Start
By Richard Mineards   |   December 27, 2018

Former longtime general director of Opera Santa Barbara, Steven Sharpe, has landed in a whole new aria. Steven, an accomplished consultant and administrator who has successfully led a succession of nonprofit organizations, has been named executive director of Food From The Heart, which provides medically challenged residents with nutritious meals. “In many ways this is […]

Would You Like a 500-Times Return on Your Money?
By Peter Brill   |   December 20, 2018

Q. I read the previous column about Jonathan Gartner and his excitement about impact investing. Isn’t philanthropy the best way to help people? I have heard that impact investing yields a low financial return. Why should I be interested in it? – Sam in Montecito Certainly, philanthropy is vitally important to our welfare at the […]

Community Dividends Awards
By Richard Mineards   |   November 29, 2018

Montecito Bank & Trust celebrated the 16th anniversary of its Community Dividends Awards, with 188 non-profits sharing $1 million, at the Coral Casino. The program, started by the bank’s founder and philanthropist Michael Towbes, has donated $16 million since its inception. Mike, who died two years ago, used to describe it as “my favorite day […]

Voices Carry
By Richard Mineards   |   November 22, 2018

The ballroom at the Hilton was packed when Human Rights Watch held its 12th annual Voices for Justice dinner, which raised around $600,000 for the 40-year-old nonprofit, which is a leading defender of fundamental freedoms, the activists who uphold them, and vulnerable people worldwide in 90 countries globally. The bustling bash for 460 guests, co-chaired […]

CALM Balm
By Richard Mineards   |   November 15, 2018

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day when the popular charity, CALM – Child Abuse Listening Mediation – hosted its 7th annual CALM at Heart lunch “Building Community” at the Coral Casino. More than 210 guests helped raise around $100,000 for the nonprofit, founded in 1969, with the ubiquitous Geoff Green emceeing the fun […]

Heal the Ocean
By Lynda Millner   |   November 15, 2018

Heal the Ocean (HTO) had a big 20th birthday party at the festive El Paseo Restaurant with 200+ folks who love the ocean in attendance. Executive director Hillary Hauser said this, “When Heal the Ocean came together in 1998, we were a warrior band with nothing but hand-made flyers and bumper stickers. Remember 1998. That’s […]

Teddy Bear Gold Ribbon Luncheon
By Lynda Millner   |   October 25, 2018

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) gave its Gold Ribbon Luncheon on the Monte Vista Lawn at the Biltmore Four Seasons Resort in spite of the rain. It was a tad muddy, but with a tent roof hung with beautiful turquoise and gold balloons over our heads, we were all dry and cozy. The luncheon was […]

New News is Good News
By Richard Mineards   |   September 27, 2018

Santa Barbara’s New House, a 63-year-old nonprofit to help men suffering from alcohol and drug dependency, held its third annual lunch with a sold-out record 220 guests at the Hilton emceed by KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri, raising around $45,000. The charity’s three residences in our Eden by the Beach provide 98 beds for those needing […]

$50K is A-Okay
By Richard Mineards   |   August 9, 2018

It was certainly a night on the tiles when the Polo Training Center, a charitable organization which supports youth polo, held a sunset soirée on the Mirador roof of the Hotel Californian, courtesy of the ritzy hostelry’s manager, Carlos Lopes. The reception for more than 50 guests was the precursor for a golf tournament the […]

United Way Distributes Funds
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 9, 2018

Last week, United Way of Santa Barbara County announced the distribution of the last of the funds donated to the organization following the Thomas Fire and debris flow. The second and last phase of funds are assisting households representing more than 1,200 Santa Barbara County individuals and families and 20 community organizations. The total amount […]

A Common Table
By James Buckley   |   August 2, 2018

Let’s call it “extraordinary,” as it certainly was out of the ordinary. I am referring to, of course, the recent Our Common Table event that occurred on the grounds of Montecito Union School on July 26. “We were worried we wouldn’t have enough food, and then the firefighters brought in thirty pounds of pulled pork […]