Santa Barbara Foundation
Enriching Lives in Santa Barbara County
The Santa Barbara Foundation is a community foundation established in 1928 to enrich the lives of the people of Santa Barbara County through philanthropy. We play many roles and partner with many people - explore our website to connect to the causes you care about.
Our History
The Santa Barbara Foundation was established in 1928 by Max Fleischmann and a forward thinking group who wanted to enrich the lives of people from Santa Maria to Carpinteria.
For more than eight decades, the Santa Barbara Foundation has been at the center of civic activity, a vibrant expression of its engaged citizenry, a solver of problems, a partner in philanthropy, and a critical supporter of community organizations and efforts.
There is hardly a nonprofit organization or essential community project that has not benefitted from the work of the Santa Barbara Foundation.
As we have grown, our goals have remained the same - turning community dollars into community change. Today, thanks to the unwavering generosity of our community, our assets have grown to exceed $280 million and we are the largest grantmaker in our county.
Whether you wish to donate, create a fund, or establish a legacy, the Santa Barbara Foundation can help support your dream.
Become a Donor
We make giving easy, meaningful, and effective by helping donors select well-run nonprofits addressing causes that are important to them.
Our Work
We help nonprofits operate at peak efficiency and get the most out of every dollar. We also identify critical community issues in our county and mobilize forces to address them.
Investment Overview
The Santa Barbara Foundation’s endowment is invested in a diversified portfolio of domestic equities, international equities, fixed income, and a broad array of alternative investments.
The portfolio employs both passive index funds and actively managed funds. The portfolio’s objective is to achieve a total return equivalent to or greater than the Foundation’s financial requirements over a long-term time horizon. Appropriate investment strategies are used to manage risk and ensure that charitable dollars grow and are available forever to benefit our community.
The Investment Committee includes professionals in our community and Foundation trustees who have significant experience and knowledge in finance and investing. The committee meets quarterly with our investment advisor, Mercer Investment Consulting, Inc., to review the investment program. Mercer Investment Consulting, one of the nation’s foremost institutional investment consultants, provides direction and guidance to our Investment Committee and assists in monitoring our investment program. Their stewardship over the years has produced consistently solid investment returns for the portfolio.