Fund for Santa Barbara

"Change Not Charity"™ since 1980

Fall Funding Cycle

The cycle is now closed. Thank you to those who applied!

To learn where in the cycle we are, please follow the calendar below.

Schedule: Fall Cycle 2018

Proposal Review by Staff

Applications Due - No Later than 5:00pm

Site Visit Interviews

Please note that not all applicants will receive an interview and that interviews are not indicative of a decision to award funding.

Funding recommendations are made

Grant Recipient Orientations

This is an opportunity for grantees to review the Grant Award Packets and ask FUND staff for any assistance when submitting Grant Agreements.

Fall Grant Awards Celebration 

All grant applicants are welcome regardless of funding decisions.

August 1st - August 31st 

September 7th

October 10th - October 31st

   

 

November 10th

November 11th  - November  30th

 

  

To be determined

Funding Guidelines

We Will Not Consider:

  • Projects involved in electoral campaigns on behalf of candidates or parties
  • Private (vs. public) interests
  • Direct labor organizing
  • Projects located outside of Santa Barbara County
  • Projects providing direct services without a social change component
  • Direct support to individuals, capital ventures, or building improvements

We Invite Applications From Groups:

  • Working against discrimination based on race, sex/gender, age, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, physical/mental ability, ethnicity, language, or immigration status
  • Struggling for the rights of workers
  • Promoting self-determination in low-income and disenfranchised communities
  • Promoting international peace and organize locally for a just foreign policy
  • Working on improving the environment, especially organizing a constituency usually without access to decision makers
  • Operating in a democratic manner, responsive to and directed by the constituency being served

The Fund believes that significant social changes ultimately require broad participation in a democratic control of all social and economic institutions. Historically, social conditions improve most dramatically when people organize on their own behalf, form alliances with other like-minded people & organizations, and build coalitions to confront and change the conditions that have denied them access, equity, and justice.

The Fund gives preference to projects working to address the root causes of social, economic, environmental and political problems. The Fund provides seed grants to new grassroots projects, general support or project grants to small organizations, and targeted grants to larger, more established organizations.

Affirmative Action considerations are among the criteria used in all funding decisions.

Additional Information

Amount of Funding Available

The maximum award for each individual project is $10,000. The average grant is approximately $6,500.

Repeat Funding

We accept requests for repeat funding if such proposals include detailed information about the outcome of the previous grant, how further financial assistance would advance the goals of the original proposal, and an in-depth analysis of the successes and failures of the original grant.

Technical Assistance

You are strongly encouraged to attend one of our free Grant Application Workshops and utilize our staff's assistance before you write your grant proposal.

Contact

Questions? Contact us at grants@fundforsantabarbara.org / (805) 962-9164

Tax Exempt Status

The Fund for Santa Barbara will accept grant applications from groups regardless of their tax-exempt status if their activities clearly fall within IRS tax-exempt guidelines. Fiscal sponsorship are is acceptable but not required.

Additional Grant Making Programs

Youth Making Change Grants

Please click here if you are interested in the Youth Making Change Grant Program.

Multi-Year Grants

The Multi-Year Grant Application is different than the regular grant cycle. Applications are accepted during the Spring Cycle only. Any interested applicants must first contact the FUND office. Please call (805) 962-9164 for a pre-application and guidelines.

Donor Advised Grants

The Fund for Santa Barbara also manages a limited number of Donor Advised Funds focused on social justice work. These grants are not available through the regular application process. If you are interested, please contact Executive Director Marcos Vargas at (805) 962-9164 or mvargas@fundforsantabarbara.org.

Emerging Need Grants

Projects that need immediate financial assistance and could not meet the deadline for our regular Fall or Spring Grant Cycle due to extraordinary, unforeseen circumstances may be eligible for an Emerging Need Grant. We do not consider poor planning, cash flow problems, depletion of funds or insufficient fund-raising efforts to be grounds for an Emerging Need Grant. If you are interested in the Emerging Need Grant Program, please contact  our North County Program Manager Patricia Solorio at (805) 922-1707 or psolorio@fundforsantabarbara.org.

Santa Babrara GIVES!

Santa Barbara Gives! (SB Gives!) is a year-end fundraising program intended to leverage the resources of The Santa Barbara Independent and The FUND to generate valuable media exposure and create a new network of donors for progressive nonprofit organizations serving Santa Barbara county. SB Gives! is modeled on successful campaigns in other communities and central to the program is sbgives.org, an online fundraising platform that features the important social change work of participating nonprofits selected for their progressive programs.