Santa Barbara Foundation Awards nearly $610,000 in Environment, Conservation and Public Trails grants to SB County Nonprofits
Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service.
(SANTA BARBARA, CA) – Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF) announces their Conservation, Environment, and Public Trails Grants (CEPT) for 2024. The grants, totaling nearly $610,000, will support 26 nonprofit organizations across Santa Barbara County in their innovative pursuits to preserve the region’s natural resources, ensure equitable access to trail systems, and promote environmental sustainability. CEPT grants announced in December of 2024 support projects scheduled to conclude in 2025.
The Conservation, Environment, and Public Trails Grant, made possible by the Hollis Norris fund and first introduced in 2021, aligns with the Santa Barbara Foundation’s long history of supporting environmental conservation and restoration projects, beginning with one of the most impactful environmental events to the ecological movement, the blowout of Union Oil’s Platform A in the Santa Barbara Channel on January 28, 1969.
This year’s grant recipients s[TG1] [JS2] upport a wide range of community-based restoration efforts, from preserving and expanding pollinator habitats in Carpinteria to rehabilitating fire- and storm-damaged trails[JS3] in Santa Ynez Valley, Lompoc, Figueroa Mountain and surrounding areas[JS4] . Additional notable initiatives include reef restoration project in Goleta Bay, watershed and beach clean-ups throughout the Central Coast, and the reintroduction of native plant species to local parks and trails throughout Santa Barbara County.
– more –
“We are so happy to be able — in collaboration with our donors — to leverage these funds to support our nonprofit partners working to maintain and create equitable access to our wonderful natural resources for all residents across Santa Barbara County,” explained Jenny Kearns, Santa Barbara Foundation Senior Director of Grantmaking.
Grant awards are determined through a thorough and collaborative review process involving Foundation staff and community-based experts, ensuring that each funded project aligns with Santa Barbara Foundation’s mission to support local environmental sustainability and accessibility.
Information about this and other Santa Barbara Foundation grant programs may be found here: https://sbfoundation.org/nonprofits/grant-opportunities/.
2024 Conservation, Environment and Public Trails Grant Recipients (CEPT)
Community Environmental Council
Lompoc Valley Parks Recreation & Pool Foundation Inc
Los Padres Forest Association Inc
People for Leisure and Youth Inc.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Inc
Santa Barbara County Trails Council
Santa Barbara Zoological Foundation
Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden Foundation Inc
The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County
True Nature Society DBA Quail Springs
University of California Santa Barbara
Wilderness Youth Project Incorporated
About Santa Barbara Foundation
The Santa Barbara Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life throughout Santa Barbara County for all who live, work, play and visit here. Working in partnership with individuals, community organizations, nonprofits, business, education and government, the Foundation strives to address our local communities’ most challenging needs. Recognizing that its work depends on the strength of the social sector, the Foundation is committed to the health and vitality of local nonprofits. Nearly every Santa Barbara County nonprofit organization and essential community project has been supported by the Foundation during its 96-year history. The Foundation connects philanthropists, subject matter experts, and our community members facing challenges – all who dream of stronger communities in Santa Barbara County. To learn more, please visit https://sbfoundation.org/.