Transforming Lives, One Grant at a Time

The word of the evening? Transformative.

Transformative to attendees, volunteers, and staff; to local nonprofits; and, of course, transformative to women, children, and families in our community.

This transformative moment was the annual Celebration of Grants. On May 20, 11 nonprofits addressing critical needs in south Santa Barbara County were awarded a record $1,250,000 in grants.

As one of the largest giving circles in the U.S., boasting more than 1400 members and 265 volunteers, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara has been transforming our community for 21 years. “Like other collective giving circles, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara is based on a deceptively simple premise,” Carolyn Jabs, board chair, said during the ceremony’s opening remarks. “Together, when we pool our resources, we can achieve far more than we could ever accomplish alone.”

Linda Putnam couldn’t agree more. A member since 2018, Putnam is a captain, board member, and group captain liaison. “It’s a collaborative endeavor,” she says, “where you feel rewarded even for a small part in making this work.”

And the transformation is just beginning. Over the course of the next year or two, it’s up to the nonprofits to make their initiatives happen. For some, such as Channel Islands YMCA, part of that transformation has already come to fruition.

Just a few months ago, Channel Islands YMCA opened the county’s first home for youth aging out of foster care. Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Heinen-Stiffler presented jarring statistics: By the age of 21, one in five youth exiting the foster care system reports being incarcerated, and one in four becomes a parent or experiences homelessness. The care center, which opened in February and welcomed their first client just weeks ago, will provide a “safe, stable launching pad for getting foster youth into adulthood,” said Heinen-Stiffler.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after Michelle Erickson, executive director at Mothers’ Helpers, thanked the crowd for the $80,000 grant that will help to hire a part-time bilingual support center coordinator, who will be only the second employee for this nonprofit that manages more than 60 applications from parents in need of baby essentials every single month. The grant will help to facilitate more meaningful conversations with parents in their native language. Baby essentials — the cost can reach upward of $2,500 in the first six months of an infant’s life — are things many families can’t afford. Erickson shared the story of a new mother who’d moved into a shelter with a 4-month-old and an 18-month-old after fleeing a domestic violence situation. “She went from having everything, to nothing, in an instant,” Erickson said. That’s where Mothers’ Helpers step in.

“[The Celebration of Grants] makes everything come alive when you hear nonprofits talk about how this money can be used and how it’s meaningful to them,” adds Putnam, who has attended about four ceremonies over the years. The 2025 event was no different. And why the word “transformative” continued to pop up in every acceptance speech. The grants will make a lasting change in our community, and beyond.

“We prove that collective giving works,” closed Lauren Trujillo, board vice-chair. “We are truly changing lives.”

See womensfundsb.org.

Agencies Awarded Grants by
Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara

Carpinteria Children’s Project (CCP):  $100,000 to provide scholarships for 20-40 low-income students in CCP’s Dual-Language Immersion Program, enhancing kindergarten readiness and supporting families with access to additional resources and services.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County (CASA):  $75,000 for upgrading the data management system and hiring a full-time data management specialist to improve advocacy for children in foster care.

Channel Islands YMCA:  $100,000 to establish the county’s first fully licensed transitional housing program for youth exiting foster care, providing intensive case management and support for nine young adults.

Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County:  $200,000 over two years to expand their childcare licensing program, guiding 60 women through the licensing process to create up to 480 new licensed childcare spaces in underserved communities.

Domestic Violence Solutions:  $100,000 to upgrade security measures at their emergency shelter and long-term housing facility, enhancing safety for 162 clients annually through new fencing, security systems, and training for staff.

Good Samaritan Shelter:  $150,000 to purchase a fully equipped food truck, the Good Samwich, providing culinary training program graduates with paid employment while serving 14,000 meals annually to the community.

Mothers’ Helpers:  $80,000 over two years to hire a part-time bilingual support center coordinator, enhancing operations to serve more than 600 low-income families annually while improving volunteer management and reducing response times for parent requests.

New Beginnings Counseling Center:  $150,000 over two years to increase mental health care staffing by hiring a full-time front desk staff member and expanding intake coordinator hours, which will improve client intake and reducing wait times for approximately 860 clients annually.

PATH Santa Barbara (People Assisting the Homeless):  $110,000 to purchase and install privacy partitions in the women’s dormitory, improving the living conditions for an average of 114 women annually and enhancing their well-being within the shelter.

SEE International:  $110,000 to expand the SEE Vision Care Program by hiring additional staff and increasing service days at their Goleta clinic, enabling the organization to serve an additional 1,126 patients and reduce appointment wait times.

Showers of Blessing:  $75,000 to purchase a new gas-powered truck base, ensuring reliable transportation for their mobile shower services and enabling continued access to hygiene facilities for 800 clients, providing a total of 7,000 showers each year.