Foundations that fund organizations in Santa Barbara, California
Worked out from where the grants went, not where the foundations sit.
Funding landscape for Santa Barbara nonprofits
1,246 private foundations gave $180M to Santa Barbara organizations in their latest filings; 29 of the 100 that say either way accept applications.
4,780 grants in total, with a typical foundation's median grant to Santa Barbara around $75K. 60 of these funders are based in California; the rest give here from elsewhere.
- Foundations giving here
- 1,246
- Accept applications
- 29
- of 100 that state a policy
- Dollars to Santa Barbara
- $180M
- latest filings
- Grants
- 4,780
- Typical median grant
- $75K
- Based in CA
- 60%
- of funders listed
Funders, by dollars given to Santa Barbara organizations
| Foundation | Based in | Grants here | Dollars here | Median | Accepts applications | Typical purposes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitp House Project | Palo Alto, CA | 1 | $7.2M | $7.2M | Preselected only | General operating support |
| Swift Foundation Co Manchester Capital Management | Santa Barbara, CA | 1 | $6.7M | $6.7M | Yes | See Grant Statement |
| Macdonald Family Foundation C/O San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust | Los Angeles, CA | 19 | $5.4M | $22K | Preselected only | General charitable purposes |
| Lilly Endowment Inc | Indianapolis, IN | 2 | $5.0M | $2.5M | Yes | Christian faith&life storytellg init |
| Indian Paintbrush Foundation | Washington, DC | 1 | $5.0M | $5.0M | Preselected only | Educational support |
| Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 10 | $5.0M | $348K | Preselected only | To deepen understanding of resilient and nature-focused fir…; To develop and implement a wildfire resilience index for th…; In support of experimental research aimed at investigating… |
| The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 55 | $4.9M | $25K | Yes | General operating support; Adventures in caring volunteer program; Expanding lifesaving veterinary care for cats: supporting s… |
| The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation | Palo Alto, CA | 3 | $4.7M | $1.2M | Preselected only | To provide support to establish an employee assistance endo…; To provide support for the master plan.; Support for integration of models and observations across s… |
| Balay Ko Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 3 | $3.6M | $1.7M | Preselected only | General support |
| Bentson Foundation | Wayzata, MN | 2 | $3.4M | $1.7M | Yes | General |
| Manitou Fund | White Bear Lake, MN | 42 | $3.2M | $50K | Preselected only | General operating; Hurricane relief fund program; Long-term care ombudsman program |
| Bragg Health Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 10 | $3.2M | $128K | Preselected only | General fund |
| The Zegar Family Foundation | New York, NY | 15 | $3.1M | $100K | Preselected only | General purpose contribution; Forgiveness of loan interest; Regents fund - general purpose contribution |
| Warren & Katharine Schlinger Foundation | Laguna Niguel, CA | 2 | $3.0M | $1.5M | Preselected only | General support |
| The John C Mithun Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 40 | $2.7M | $38K | Preselected only | General |
| The Pfizer Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 6 | $2.5M | $2,893 | Preselected only | Matching gifts; Address vaccine preventable illness for underserved populat…; Volunteer program |
| Ann Jackson Family Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 137 | $2.5M | $10K | Yes | General operating support; Program support; Event support |
| R O W Foundation | Lisle, IL | 1 | $2.4M | $2.4M | Preselected only | Seizure control for people with epilepsy in low-income area… |
| Patricia Bragg Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 46 | $2.2M | $25K | Preselected only | General support for charity's purpose |
| James S Bower Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 39 | $2.0M | $25K | Yes | General operating support; Aha! peace builders: leadership and social emotional learni…; Jim bower golf tournament fore community outreach |
| Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation C/O Richard Kohan Afo LLC | Coral Gables, FL | 1 | $2.0M | $2.0M | Preselected only | General support |
| Hutton Foundation Dba Hutton Parker Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 190 | $1.9M | $10K | Yes | Core/general operating support; Discretionary; General discretionary |
| Schlinger Chrisman Foundation Northern Trust Company Trustee | Chicago, IL | 33 | $1.9M | $25K | Preselected only | Support for youth.; Support for performing arts.; Support for museum research and exhibits. |
| LA Centra-Sumerlin Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 32 | $1.7M | $25K | Preselected only | Education programs; Education program; Services for the homeless |
| Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 40 | $1.6M | $40K | Yes | Glass house complex restoration; Front entrance door replacement; Yr 4 of 1m construction pledge |
| The Simons Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 10 | $1.5M | $113K | Preselected only | Localization of waves; Simons investigator in aquatic microbial ecology award; Ultra-quantum matter |
| Mosher Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 64 | $1.4M | $5,100 | Yes | In furtherance of section 501(c)(3) charitable purpose; Rooted santa barbara county; Santa barbara search & rescue foundation |
| Walter J & Holly O Thomson Charitable | Dallas, TX | 38 | $1.4M | $30K | Yes | Unrestricted general; For thomson scholarship; Thomson memorial |
| The George and Dale Cavalletto Charities | Santa Barbara, CA | 3 | $1.4M | $300K | Preselected only | Education; Health care |
| Wm Keck Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | 4 | $1.4M | $33K | Yes | For general support of charitable purposes.; To decipher coral regenerative biology |
| Waitt Foundation | North Sioux City, SD | 2 | $1.3M | $646K | Preselected only | Ocean conservation |
| Novo Foundation | Hurley, NY | 5 | $1.2M | $250K | Preselected only | General support; Wildseed community farm and healing village; Empowerment works: hylo |
| Towbes Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 70 | $1.1M | $10K | Yes | General operating support; Unrestricted MT Legacy Award; General Operating Support |
| Hugh E& Marjorie Spetersen Foundation Inc | Santa Barbara, CA | 8 | $1.1M | $38K | Preselected only | General suppport; General support; Ukraine relief |
| Www Foundation | Pasadena, CA | 37 | $1.1M | $20K | Preselected only | General operating support; Summer youth program; Elings park capital campaign |
| Ting Tsung & Wei Fong Chao Foundation | Houston, TX | 2 | $1.1M | $530K | Preselected only | General operating support |
| Gainey Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | 16 | $1.1M | $50K | Yes | Program support; General operating; Grotenhuis construction |
| The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust | New York, NY | 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M | Preselected only | Exercise specific aid algorithm for type 1 diabetes |
| Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M | Preselected only | Science: imaging |
| The Jack and Laura Dangermond Conservati on Foundation | Redlands, CA | 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M | Preselected only | General support |
| Stone Family Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 37 | $955K | $15K | Preselected only | General; Generalgeneral |
| The Heising-Simons Foundation | Los Altos, CA | 7 | $898K | $64K | Preselected only | For research on the observational signatures of quantum gra…; For comparing proxy-based climate reconstructions to astron…; To support the kitp fellows program |
| Volentine Family Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 46 | $878K | $15K | Preselected only | Family support services; Youth support services; Community support services |
| Audacious Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 7 | $874K | $15K | Preselected only | conclusion of the Future Smiles program, supporting 343 pat…; "Garden Explorers" cultivating garden education opportuniti…; 12th Annual School Wellness Summit September 17, 2025 |
| The Little One Foundation C/O Bessemer Trust Company | Garden City, NY | 30 | $843K | $20K | Preselected only | Operational |
| Mithun Family Foundation | Wayzata, MN | 19 | $830K | $30K | Preselected only | General fund |
| Williams-Corbett Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 54 | $825K | $15K | Yes | To support roof repairs and wall repair - 235 e. cota st.; To support emergency mold removal & remediation project.; To support garden explorers early education pgm. |
| Dancing Tides Foundation Inc C/O Flsv Seth Starr | Garden City, NY | 29 | $813K | $10K | Preselected only | Charitable contribution |
| Musk Foundation | Austin, TX | 1 | $795K | $795K | Preselected only | Support higher education, research, and student programs |
| The Kirby-Jones Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 46 | $793K | $10K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted; Mission Scholars; the ongoing restoration of Godric Grove |
| John S Kiewit Memorial Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 9 | $790K | $70K | Preselected only | Program support |
| Peter Douglas Foundation C/O Nksfb LLC | Encino, CA | 10 | $780K | $100K | Preselected only | General donation; Contribution to support foodbank.; Contribution toggse mcenroe reading clinic fund |
| The Armand Hammer Foundation | Carpinteria, CA | 1 | $774K | $774K | Yes | General funds |
| Hillman Family Foundations | Pittsburgh, PA | 27 | $765K | $25K | Yes | Capital support; Access for all; Ucsb arts & lectures - earth, air, fire, water series |
| Brittingham Family Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 48 | $758K | $5,000 | Yes | General operating support; Foster parent program; Via rancheros visitadores in honor of steve beneto |
| Helen and Will Webster Foundation | Arcadia, CA | 1 | $733K | $733K | Preselected only | Education |
| The Gretler Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 16 | $703K | $28K | Preselected only | Unrestricted; Ucsb propel scholars-studnt schlrshp; Counseling services |
| Abbott Fund | Abbott Park, IL | 4 | $700K | $200K | Preselected only | The Abbott Disaster Resiliency Grant Program; Hurricanes Helene and Milton Response; Emergency Response to Flooding in Spain |
| Andrew Lessman Foundation | Henderson, NV | 1 | $698K | $698K | Preselected only | Provide supplements to developing countries, communities |
| Alfred P Sloan Foundation | New York, NY | 5 | $680K | $75K | Yes | Alfred p. sloan research fellowship for xiao luo in physics; Alfred p. sloan research fellowship for chenhao jin in phys…; Alfred p. sloan research fellowship for yang yang in chemis… |
| The David and Lucile Packard Foundation | Los Altos, CA | 4 | $675K | $175K | Yes | Fellowships for Science and Engineering; Families and Communities; Environment and Science |
| The Otis Booth Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | 4 | $650K | $50K | Preselected only | To support the school's programs which provide excellence i…; To support the preservation and care of elings park, a recr…; To support the promotion of the ideas of individual freedom… |
| June G Outhwaite Charitable Trust Js Poucher Kl Englert & Cm Cooney Co-Tr | Santa Barbara, CA | 46 | $619K | $10K | Yes | General Operating Support; Rental Subsidies & Special Grants for Low-Income Seniors; Advancing Nuclear Medicine on the Central Coast - Acquisiti… |
| Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation | Beverly Hills, CA | 13 | $607K | $20K | Preselected only | Charitable-unrestricted |
| Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 1 | $600K | $600K | Preselected only | To support the building readiness capital campaign. |
| Tom and Meg Names Family Fdn | Pennington, NJ | 1 | $600K | $600K | Yes | Unrestricted general |
| Burnand-Partridge Foundation H Scott Partridge Et Al Co-Trustees | Rohnert Park, CA | 3 | $597K | $5,000 | Preselected only | Educational programs for girls; Performing arts and education; Scholarships |
| William K Bowes Jr Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 2 | $583K | $292K | Preselected only | General operating support; The garland initiative for vision |
| Natalie Orfalea Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | 12 | $554K | $50K | Preselected only | General operations; Donor advised fund; Bren environmental leadership program |
| The Mericos Foundation | Pasadena, CA | 9 | $545K | $50K | Preselected only | Summerland oil mitigation study; Challenge grant - summerland oil mitigation study (soms); General operating support for accessibility programs |
| The Lucky One Foundation C/O Bessemer Trust Company | Garden City, NY | 25 | $528K | $10K | Preselected only | Operational |
| Gould Tr Fbo Sb Foundation | Eagan, MN | 1 | $506K | $506K | Preselected only | General operating |
| Raintree Foundation | Goleta, CA | 15 | $503K | $5,000 | Yes | In furtherance of section 501(c)(3) charitable purpose; Project life saver; Educational offerings |
| The Ilsababy Foundation | Sullivans Island, SC | 1 | $500K | $500K | Preselected only | Medical |
| Abbvie Foundation | North Chicago, IL | 1 | $500K | $500K | Preselected only | Los Angeles CA Wildfire Disaster Response |
| Thatcher Foundation C/O Phillip M Bardack Cpa | Woodland Hills, CA | 11 | $472K | $50K | Preselected only | To further goals of foundation |
| Arie and Ida Crown Memorial | Chicago, IL | 4 | $466K | $108K | Yes | Program; General operating |
| The McCune Foundation | Ventura, CA | 51 | $461K | $2,500 | Yes | General operating support; Central coast social justice academy; Emerging needs fund |
| The Crawford Idema Family Foundation Inc | Concord, MA | 27 | $431K | $15K | Yes | In furtherance of section 501(c)(3) charitable purpose |
| Conrad N Hilton Foundation | Westlake Village, CA | 8 | $427K | $63K | Yes | To support the implementation of the behavioral health serv…; For general operating support; To support the implementation of a peer-to-peer mental heal… |
| The Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation | Rancho Mirage, CA | 31 | $406K | $10K | Preselected only | Afterschool culinary programs; Outdoor school campership; Support youth activities |
| Woka Foundation | Newbury Park, CA | 1 | $400K | $400K | Preselected only | General operating support |
| Bd Foundation Inc | Franklin Lakes, NJ | 1 | $400K | $400K | Preselected only | To support projects in various communities |
| Schlinger Family Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 18 | $396K | $10K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted |
| Rja Foundation | Playa del Rey, CA | 9 | $380K | $10K | Preselected only | Support people affected by poverty or emergencies; Support clean up of oceans; Support to develop and educate conservation of plants |
| The James Irvine Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 2 | $376K | $188K | Preselected only | For support of KCSB; To support Just Prosperity in California |
| Mark and Dorothy Smith Family Foundation | Santa Maria, CA | 22 | $376K | $14K | Yes | Support |
| Linked Foundation | Carpinteria, CA | 11 | $375K | $25K | Preselected only | Fight poverty; Community healthneeds; Leadership development |
| Ailene B & Pierre P Claeyssens Charitable Trust | Santa Barbara, CA | 1 | $370K | $370K | Preselected only | In furtherance of 501(c)(3) exempt purpose |
| Alumbra Innovations Foundation | Bentonville, AR | 2 | $367K | $184K | Preselected only | to provide program support for Mexico-based activities; to support the community in identifying actions and solutio… |
| Bruce and Marilyn Wallace Foundation | Woodland Hills, CA | 1 | $363K | $363K | Preselected only | To further charitable giving goals established by the board… |
| Ina T Campbell Trust | Dallas, TX | 1 | $358K | $358K | Preselected only | Unrestricted general |
| Builders Vision Foundation | Chicago, IL | 2 | $343K | $172K | Preselected only | to support its work creating and managing fisheries refugia…; to support research evaluating parametric fisheries insuran… |
| The Ahmanson Foundation | Beverly Hills, CA | 3 | $340K | $100K | Yes | For second-year costs of processing and cataloging the amer…; Toward renovation of the clark k residence hall; Scholarship support, 2025-2026 |
| The Marisla Foundation | Laguna Beach, CA | 3 | $335K | $100K | Yes | General support |
| The Victor and Susan Schaff Family Foundation | Carpinteria, CA | 23 | $320K | $10K | Preselected only | General support; Help to fight heart disease and stroke; Women's drug and alcohol rehab center in santa barbara |
| Walton Family Foundation Inc | Bentonville, AR | 3 | $315K | $100K | Preselected only | To support the work of Catch Together in building a nationa…; To support community-driven initiatives through collaborati…; To engage and educate member funders on a range of agricult… |
| Zhu Family Foundation Inc | Wilmington, DE | 3 | $304K | $100K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted; Zhu Graduate Student Support Fund in the Department of Comp…; Graduate Fellowship Program |
| Ahlers Clifford F Non-Marital Tr | Eagan, MN | 2 | $300K | $150K | Preselected only | General operating |
| Tiny Blue Dot Inc | West Hollywood, CA | 2 | $300K | $150K | Preselected only | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being cond… |
Source: IRS Form 990-PF Part XV, latest electronic return per foundation (2026-10-28). "Accepts applications" reflects the foundation's own checkbox on Part XV line 2. Grants to individuals excluded.
Common questions
Which foundations give to nonprofits in Santa Barbara, California?
Kitp House Project, Swift Foundation Co Manchester Capital Management, Macdonald Family Foundation C/O San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust, Lilly Endowment Inc, Indian Paintbrush Foundation and 95 others reported grants to Santa Barbara organizations on their latest Form 990-PF.
How do I approach a foundation that doesn't accept applications?
A foundation that checks "contributes only to preselected organizations" on its 990-PF won't review a cold proposal. Look at who it funds, find a shared board member, grantee or advisor, and ask for an introduction. Foundations that accept applications usually list a contact and deadlines in Part XV; we show that text on each foundation's page.
Is this list complete?
No. It covers private foundations (Form 990-PF filers) whose latest electronic return lists at least one grant to an organization in Santa Barbara. Community foundations and corporate giving programs file different forms and are not included yet.