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Coming Soon: The State of Nonprofits in Santa Barbara County (2025)
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Dear Friends and Partners,
Every three years, the Santa Barbara Foundation takes a close look at the state of our nonprofit sector, examining the challenges organizations face, the strengths they bring, and the opportunities that lie ahead. We are currently working on a new edition of the State of Nonprofits in Santa Barbara County report, developed in partnership with researchers at the UCSB Center for Evaluation & Assessment and informed by nonprofit professionals throughout the county.
As part of this work, we are hosting three opportunities for nonprofit leaders to engage with the findings:
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May 12, 2026—Joint Executive Director & Development Professionals Roundtable discussion, in partnership with the Nonprofit Resource Network (9:30-11:30am in Solvang) Learn more
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June 2, 2026—Inaugural State of the Nonprofit Sector event, a cross-sector community convening at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort for business, local government and community leaders, funders, elected officials, and nonprofits (8-10:30am in Santa Barbara). Limited to one representative per nonprofit. Save the Date—link coming soon!
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June 4, 2026—Open webinar for the broader nonprofit community, covering report highlights, themes, and recommendations. Learn more
We hope you will join us for one of these conversations, and we look forward to sharing the full report soon.
With gratitude,
The Santa Barbara Foundation Programs Team
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Nonprofit Resources
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Mission Minded offers free resources, expert insights, and actionable guides to strengthen your strategy, fundraising, branding, and leadership.
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Alan Hancock College's Work Experience Education (WEE-Based Internship Program) is a unique work-based academic program in which the student, employer, and college cooperate to combine study and practical work experience. The WEE program can assist you in creating an Internship Education Program specific to your workplace, helping assure that you are not in violation of labor laws regarding uncompensated employees.
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The Santa Barbara Foundation actively supports frontline organizations who provide resources and support to community members in need of access to immigration resources, supplies, and mental health support. Here is our Donor Guide on Immigration for those who would like to do the same.
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SBF's Collaboration for Social Impact is dedicated to supporting nonprofits serving Santa Barbara County. This includes continuously identifying and sharing resources such as those above as well as professional development training opportunities for nonprofit leaders and staff. This year's topics included contingency planning, fundraising, and leveraging technology such as social media to achieve your organization's goals. You can check our resource library as well as sign up to be notified about specific topics here.
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Two Opportunities to Build Your Organization's Capacity
The Center for Nonprofit Leadership at California Lutheran University, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Foundation's Collaboration for Social Impact, is accepting applications for two certificate programs for nonprofits serving Santa Barbara County.
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Board Leadership Institute is a five-month program for leadership teams of board members and their CEO or Executive Director, focused on governance, fiduciary oversight, and strategic leadership. Application deadline: May 29. Learn More
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Nonprofit Adaptability Lab is a six-month program helping teams build adaptive capacity through modules on financial health, strategic planning, funding stability, and change management, plus one-on-one coaching. Space is limited to eight organizations. Application deadline: June 8. Learn More
Both programs are $150 per team and include a Certificate of Completion.
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How the Santa Barbara Foundation is Investing in Our Home this Earth Month
Every April, Earth Day is a chance to pause and recognize the people who show up, not just one day a year but every day, to protect landscapes, coastlines, and trails that define this region. In Santa Barbara County, much of that work is being done by local nonprofits on the front lines of conservation, restoration, and public access...
Learn More
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"We're honored to collaborate with our donors to ensure that generations to come understand the value of our natural resources and know how to love and protect them."
—Tatyana Venegas Swanson
Director of Grantmaking, Santa Barbara Foundation
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Mission-Driven AI: Tools and Resources for the Nonprofit Sector
The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how nonprofits operate and improve their efficiency. In February, the Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF) sponsored a training hosted by Coastal Intelligence, geared toward helping nonprofit organizations better understand how innovative technology tools can be used to advance their missions...
Learn More
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April 16–Cash Flow Projections 101 Will your organization have enough cash to cover payroll next month? How about an unbudgeted expense or fabulous new opportunity? Financial statements are important... Learn More
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April 28–Designing & Implementing Useful Surveys: How to Deepen Understanding An effective survey provides a unique opportunity to obtain detailed insights on programs and audiences. Surveys can help you understand the needs of the people you'd like to support... Learn More
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May 5–Storytelling for Impact: Tools to Amplify Your Mission, Build Your Influence and Unlock Funding The stories we tell shape the world we live in and the future we're building. As funding becomes harder to secure and competition for awards grow... Learn More
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May 19–Creative Ways to Collect, Understand and Share Data During this training, we will explore innovative tools that can be used to collect data, make sense of data, and share data... Learn More
| | Nonprofit Sector Policy Highlights | | | | |
On February 9, 2026, SBF signed onto The Arc's advocacy campaign to protect federal enforcement of special education laws, citing concerns that proposed Department of Education restructuring and staff eliminations would disproportionately harm vulnerable students by shifting the burden of accommodations from federal mechanisms to nonprofits and families.
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On February 27, 2026, SBF opposed the Bureau of Land Management's proposed oil and gas leasing expansion across Central California public lands by submitting an independent public comment and signing onto a coalition letter led by Los Padres ForestWatch, citing concerns over sensitive areas in Santa Barbara County.
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On March 30, SBF signed on to a congressional campaign opposing the proposed GSA changes to the System for Award Management that would require federal grantees to make new organization-wide certifications related to DEIA, undocumented immigration, and terrorism—backed by criminal and civil liability—as a condition of receiving federal financial assistance.
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