Nearly 200 Non-Profits to Divide a Share of $1-Million in a Special Dividends Luncheon
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (KEYT) - Montecito Bank & Trust started off the Thanksgiving week with a contribution to 188 non-profits that will each share a portion of $1-million.
The philanthropic program is called Community Dividends that got its start back in 2003 by the late Michael Towbes the founder and CEO of the bank.
The 2025 funds were distributed at a special lunch at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Each person enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal while hearing about the program's history and plans for the future.
Montecito Bank & Trust President and CEO Janet Garufis told the room of 300, "you listen to your community, engaging with them to better understand their needs. You collaborate with partners to be more effective and how those needs are met, you advocate for changes to enhance the quality of life for all segments of our community."
Since the distribution began more than $23-million has gone to groups specializing in programs for arts, youth and education, social services, and medical and health services sectors.
Many of the representatives gathered prior to the lunch to share updates about their non-profits and some of the financial challenges they face either with a change in local donations or a drop in federal funds. In some cases the stories were dire and included program staff layoffs.
There was also be a special Michael Towbes Community Impact Dividend. That was founded in 2019 to continue the late CEO's legacy beyond the original dividends goals by Towbes. It is an annual award of $100,000 to one or more non-profit organizations that deliver critical and sustainable services to a large number of the most vulnerable people in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. This year there were two winners.
They were given to the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF).
In receiving the award VCCF President Vanessa Bechtel recalled a quote by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu which read, "do your little bit of good where you are." They also have a Neighborhood Support Coalition that will be using the funds.
Santa Barbara Foundation President and CEO Jackie Carrera said there is a dire need to keep groups funded that are providing health care, aid for those who are facing food insecurity and in need of mental health resources. She re-emphasized the national concern about the shift in public funding which in many cases, is going down.
"We have a big job ahead of us with the number of applicants we are seeing that are experiencing those cuts and changes to those programs because of policy changes but we have a good team to make those decisions," said Carrera.
One of the growing programs was featured when a choir of children performed for the luncheon.
They were with the Music Academy of the West "Sing! " after school program that serves 300 young singers.
Additionally, this year there were five recipients of a golden ticket worth $500. that they found inside the Montecito Bank & Trust annual report handed to each attendee. Those who received the surprise could keep it for their organization or pass it on to another non-profit in the room.
This years list of recipients are:
2nd Story Associates
Access Central Coast
Adelante Charter School
AHA! (Attitude. Harmony. Achievement.)
Alano Club of Santa Barbara, Inc.
Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara
Alzheimer's Association, California Central Coast Chapter
American Indian Health & Services
Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara
Association of Fundraising Professionals, Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter
Atterdag at Home, Inc.
Atterdag Village of Solvang
Bethania Tuesday Food Distribution
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, Inc
Blind Fitness Inc
Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura
Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark & Simi Valley Inc.
Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Inc.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV)
C.A.R.E.4Paws
Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation
California Avocado Festival, Inc.
California Missions Foundation
California Nature Art Museum
California State University Channel Islands Foundation
CALM
Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa BarbaraÂ
Carpinteria Children's ProjectÂ
Carpinteria Education Foundation, Inc.
Carpinteria Skate Foundation
Casa Del Herrero
Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families
Casa Serena, Inc.
Channel Islands YMCA
Children's Creative Project
Children's Resource & Referral
City Impact, Inc.
CommUnify
Community Counseling and Education Center
Community Environmental Council
Congregation B'nai B'rith
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ventura County
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County
Crane Country Day School
Dignity Moves
Direct Relief
Easy Lift Transportation
Economic Development Collaborative Ventura County
Elings Park Foundation
Ensemble Theatre Company
Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County
Fielding Graduate University
Food From The Heart
Food Share of Ventura County
Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
Friends of Fieldworkers, Inc.
Friendship Adult Day Care Center, Inc.
Friendship Manor Inc.
Ganna Walska Lotusland
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara
Girls Incorporated of Carpinteria
Goleta Education Foundation
Good Samaritan Shelter
Grace Fisher Foundation
Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County
Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County
Hearts Aligned Inc.
Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center
HELP of Carpinteria
Hillside
Hospice of Santa Barbara, Inc.
House Farm Workers
Housing Opportunities Made Easier
Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County, Inc.
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County
Immigrant Hope of Santa Barbara, CA Inc
James Storehouse
Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara
Laguna Blanca School
LEAP: Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner
Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County
Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association
Lobero Theatre Foundation
Magoo's Shoes
Many Mansions
Meals on Wheels Santa Barbara
Mental Wellness Center
Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project
Momentum WORK, Inc.
Moorpark College Foundation
Mothers' Helpers
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
Museum of Ventura County
Music Academy of the West
Mystic Ocean Adventures
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
New Beginnings Counseling Center
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Old Mission Santa Ines
Opera Santa Barbara
Organic Soup Kitchen
Outreach Alliance of Ventura County
Pacific Pride Foundation
Parks and Recreation Community Foundation
Partners In Housing Solutions, Inc
PathPoint
Peoples' Self-Help Housing Corporation
Pilgrim Terrace Cooperative Homes
Planned Parenthood California Central Coast
Safety Town of Santa Barbara County
Sansum Clinic
Santa Barbara Birth Center
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Inc.
Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation
Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.
Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
Santa Barbara Community Housing Corporation
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation
Santa Barbara County Education Office
Santa Barbara Culinary Experience
Santa Barbara Education Foundation
Santa Barbara Foundation
Santa Barbara Hillel
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Santa Barbara Humane
Santa Barbara International Film FestivalÂ
Santa Barbara Middle School
Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Santa Barbara Police Activities League
Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation
Santa Barbara Rescue Mission
Santa Barbara Symphony
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Santa Barbara Waldorf Association
Santa Barbara Zoological Foundation
Santa Cruz Island Foundation
Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation
Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People, Inc.
Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
Showers of Blessing Santa Barbara
Solvang Friendship House
Solvang Senior Center
Solvang Theaterfest, Inc.
St. Vincent's
Standing Together to End Sexual Assault
State Street Ballet
Storyteller
Stuart C Gildred Family YMCA
Students for Eco-Education & Agriculture, Inc.
Studio Channel Islands Art Center
Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International
Teacher's Fund
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation
The Arc Foundation of Ventura County
The Cecilia Fund
The Foundation for Girsh Park
The Foundation For Santa Barbara City College
The Marjorie Luke Theatre
The Salvation Army of Santa Barbara
Tina Hansen McEnroe & Paul V. McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic at UCSB
Transition House
Turning Point Foundation
TV Santa Barbara
UCSB Arts & Lectures
UCSB Economic Forecast Project
United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County
United Way of Santa Barbara County, Inc.
United Way of Ventura County, Inc.
Unity Shoppe, Inc.
Veggie Rescue
Ventura College Foundation
Ventura County Community Development Corporation
Ventura County Community Foundation
Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation
Ventura Housing
Ventura Land Trust
VNA Health Foundation
Westmont College
White Buffalo Land Trust
Wilderness Youth Project
Women's Economic Ventures (WEV)
Women's Fund of Santa Barbara
Youth and Family Services YMCA: Noah's Anchorage Youth Crisis Center
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