Santa Barbara’s nonprofit sector provides vital services that impact every segment of our community: environment, animals, healthcare, arts and culture, a wide range of human services. The demand for these services continues to expand as nonprofits step up to provide services that government and private business no longer supply. Like many communities, we have come to depend on the nonprofit sector for our comfort, health, safety, enjoyment, and well-being. All of us—government, business, public, nonprofit, and individuals—play a critical role on the team to keep our community vibrant.

The dramatic changes wrought by the Coronavirus threaten to devastate these often underfunded but efficiently-run organizations. We are keenly aware of the impending destruction of so many small businesses. Most nonprofits are struggling for their survival, too—while continuing to do all they can to provide their essential services to our community.

Private donations provide a large portion of our nonprofit sector’s revenue.

“We have never experienced anything like this before,” said Steve Ortiz, President & CEO of Santa Barbara County United Way. “Financial impacts to the nonprofit sector are huge. Community needs are so high, but nonprofits were forced to cancel their fundraising events and the economic downturn will impact philanthropy. Nonprofit leaders are having to make tough decisions regarding their staffing and operations.”

Donors and funders play a key role in the success of nonprofits, providing a high percentage of funds for these vital services. Since Santa Barbara has the second-highest number of nonprofits per capita of any county in California and these organizations spend $992 million annually, private contributions are critical to survival. Donors and funders are indispensable partners in ensuring our community is well-served with so many essential services.

Nonprofits show resilience and innovation in response to recent challenges.

In an effort to shine a light on the challenges nonprofits are facing, their creative ways of adapting to the new normal, and their determined resiliency, I caught up with some of these hard-working leaders. I asked them to tell us about how the pandemic restrictions are affecting their organization, how they are adapting, and what advice they have for others.

So often, leaders emerge in response to a crisis. This is definitely a crisis and leaders are rapidly appearing with creative insights and solutions. Ortiz tells us about an excellent example of collaborative ingenuity. “United Way of Santa Barbara County (UW), the Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF), and Hutton Parker Foundation are leading a countywide collaborative with members of the Foundation Roundtable to provide assistance to individuals and families as well as organizations actively engaged in assistance efforts for members of the community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This joint effort allows us to coordinate funds and rapidly meet the needs of our community as they arise through collaborative decision-making. The collaborative has raised over $1M in pledges. Organizations are now applying for funding. You will find the application on the UW and SBF websites.”

Ortiz explains that within the collaborative, UW is providing grants to individuals for those disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of the pandemic. Funding priorities focus on three areas: Individual financial need to help struggling community members secure and maintain basic needs, unexpected childcare and education expenses, and recovery from loss of wages due to business closures and social distancing measures.

Appropriately, Ortiz says, “My advice to nonprofits is that now is the time to collaborate more than ever before. Thankfully we are seeing lots of collaboration right now. So much is unknown, though. But the more we talk about how we can approach these emerging needs as a community and coordinate efforts, the better off we will be and the greater impact we will have.”

Santa Barbara Foundation is doing its part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

In a letter to the community, Jackie Carrera, Interim CEO for Santa Barbara Foundation, explains that “Our physical offices are closed, but our business operations are in full swing as our team is working remotely. We are here to serve. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything. As your community foundation, I want you to know that we are hard at work at the confluence of philanthropy and community.

These are trying times, indeed. Never have we been challenged to work harder to mobilize philanthropic capital and collective wisdom for the benefit of our Santa Barbara County. We are humbled by the tremendous outpouring of care and compassion from our donors, community and corporate leaders, nonprofit partners, and colleagues in philanthropy.”

To donate to Santa Barbara County’s COVID-19 Joint Response Effort, please contact Nick Dietzen at (805) 880-9352 or [email protected].

Leading From Within provides a host of resources for those in the nonprofit sector.

The website for Leading From Within explains that they “foster a dynamic network of public-minded leaders who know each other, trust each other, and are better able to work together to improve our communities. This investment better ensures that leaders can address some of society’s more persistent challenges.”

Ed France, Executive Director of Leading From Within, points out that nonprofits with cash reserves will be better able to rise to the challenge of the recent economic challenges. “This is a longer-term disruption than we have ever had,” says France. “Now is the time to reach out to our donors in as personal a way as possible.” It’s more important than ever to remind our supporters how critical their help is for our work and for our community.

France hosts a weekly Zoom meeting with local nonprofits through the Leading From Within Facebook site. Every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., they discuss common challenges and explore ways of being more creative in coordinating their efforts to adapt to these tribulations.