Today, the Santa Barbara Foundation and the City of Goleta announced the reopening of the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund Small Business Grant Program. The City of Goleta has added an additional $100,000 to the pool of funds to help support local businesses as they continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant program opens January 4, 2021 and the deadline for businesses to submit an application is January 15, 2021.

Grants are available to small businesses located within the City of Goleta as they reopen and adapt to operating under proper public health guidelines due to COVID-19. Please review the SBBT Small Business Grant Program guidelines for further details.

Learn more in English: SBFoundation.org/covid-19-business-community- resources/sbbt-small-business-grant-program-guidelines-goleta-english/

Para aprender más en Español: SBFoundation.org/covid-19-business-community- resources/sbbt-small-business-grant-program-guidelines-sbc-goleta-spanish

“Our priority at the Santa Barbara Foundation is to provide support to our community through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jessica Sanchez, Director of Donor Services at the Santa Barbara Foundation. “Finding creative solutions and collaborations like the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund Small Business Grant Program helps to bring much needed funding to small businesses who need it most.”

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The City is proud to partner with the Santa Barbara Foundation to help provide much needed support to our small businesses.  It is critical that we work together and do what we can to help our businesses survive during this unprecedented time of economic upheaval.”

Community members are welcome to donate to the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund at SBFoundation.org/give-now/give-to-sb-better-together-fund/.

The Santa Barbara Better Together Fund (SBBT) was set up at the Santa Barbara Foundation as a committee advised fund in March of 2020 with an initial $500,000 donation from Deckers Brands. The fund is helping local businesses survive these uncertain times which, in turn, will help sustain our community.

The Santa Barbara Better Together Fund is advised by representatives from Deckers, LinkedIn, Santa Barbara Foundation, local businesses and business advocates. Distribution of the funds are voted on by the committee members.

The Santa Barbara Better Together Fund provided its first grant in the amount of $125,000 to Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) for financial support to the small business community in Santa Barbara County through WEV’s ReStart Loan Program. Since August, the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund provided grant programs for small businesses in unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County, City of Carpinteria, City of Santa Maria, and the City of Santa Barbara. This grant program will be the second in support of small businesses located in the City of Goleta.

The City of Goleta and Santa Barbara Foundation partnership will support grants from the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund of up to $10,000 per grant to qualifying small businesses located within the City of Goleta as they reopen and adapt to operating under proper public health guidelines due to COVID-19. Grant awards are available to eligible businesses until funds have been depleted.


About Santa Barbara Foundation
The Santa Barbara Foundation, the largest community foundation in the region and the county’s go-to resource for investment and capacity-building, strives to mobilize and elevate all residents to thrive. Nearly every Santa Barbara County nonprofit organization and essential community project has been supported by the Foundation during its 92-year history.

The Foundation is working to improve areas that affect quality of life in Santa Barbara County including childcare, workforce development, and workforce

housing. The Foundation connects those who give with those in need – and all who dream of stronger communities. To learn more, please visit SBFoundation.org.

About the City of Goleta
The City of Goleta was incorporated in 2002, making it one of the youngest cities in California. Goleta’s eight square miles are nestled between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, offering unparalleled scenic beauty. More than 30,000 people live in Goleta, and many more commute to work here. The City is on the cutting edge of the high-tech and entrepreneurial business community. The Santa Barbara Airport and the University of California are both adjacent to the City’s boundaries. It is a General Law City, with a Council-Manager form of government, and a directly-elected mayor. This system of local government combines the political leadership of elected officials with the managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The City of Goleta has a dedicated team of approximately 110 staff members that are united in our mission to ensure that Goleta remains the perfect place to live, work and play. Our goal is to conduct City business in the most efficient, transparent and professional way possible to support a vibrant and sustainable community.

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