2027 Racial Equity Grant

Ends on

 

This program is funded and supported by the County of Santa Barbara and administered in collaboration with the Fund for Santa Barbara. The Board of Supervisors has allocated funding to support the current cycle.

MISSION: To invest in and strengthen organizations that address anti-racism through systems change strategies in Santa Barbara County. This fund aims to effect the culture, policy, and systems change necessary to advance racial equity and justice, and reverse the legacy of slavery and effects of racism in Santa Barbara County.

HISTORY: The Racial Equity Grant program was born from the grassroots organizing of Black femme leaders and the advocacy of countless Black community members across Santa Barbara County. Following the murder of George Floyd, these organizers called on the County to invest in Black communities and advance racial justice, mobilizing to make this funding a reality. 

Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors (“the County”) passed a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, made a commitment to racial justice, and pledged $500,000 to begin to address equity issues in the county. Roughly half of the funds were allocated to internal/institutional County equity development, with the remaining funds to be distributed through the Fund for Santa Barbara’s (“The FUND”) participatory grantmaking process in collaboration with The County of Santa Barbara. 

In the years since, Black community leaders and organizations have continued to advocate for and defend this funding, ensuring that investments in racial equity remain a priority.

The FUND has a long history through its grant making program of supporting historically marginalized communities to be full participants in our community’s social, civic, and economic life. This funding program aims to build capacity, expand, and/or stabilize historically marginalized organizations working to change the policies and systems that perpetuate racial inequities in Santa Barbara County.  Now in its sixth year, more than $1.65 million has been invested in the Racial Equity Grant program. Beginning with the 2027 grant cycle, The FUND will now match the County’s annual investment, bringing total available grant funding to $467,500. 

 OBJECTIVES   This fund aims to provide organizational capacity assistance to:

  1. Strengthen the ecosystem of diverse, anti-racism organizations in the community that share a common goal to address cultural and systemic effects of  racism.
  2. Increase active participation of historically marginalized communities to influence civic matters that impact our community at large.
  3. Develop the pipeline to uplift historically marginalized leaders to positions of decision-making and influence.
  4. Increase and sustain investment to strengthen organizations led by historically marginalized who have lacked access to capital.
  5. Addressing and working to change systemic negative narratives about the legacy of slavery in the community
  6. Establish and advance organizational capacity in organizations historically marginalized in the following areas:
  • Leadership development
  • Advocacy, policy change, legal analysis, and research
  • Strategic communications
  • Alliance and coalition building
  • Organizational development
  • Community engagement and organizing
  • Innovation and continuous learning
  • Develop organizational and programmatic objectives, conduct evaluations, and assess outcomes.  

ELIGIBILITY

  1. Must be a historically marginalized organization in Santa Barbara County (i.e. Must serve community members directly harmed by the racist policies and marginalized by systemic racism)
  2. Must include as a core mission the goal of addressing systemic racism
  3. Work must be ongoing; new initiatives will not be considered
  4. Projects must take place in the County of Santa Barbara
  5. Have a Tax ID Number, Employer Identification Number (EIN), or a fiscal sponsor
  6. Have an organizational bank account (or a fiscal sponsor's)

 

GUIDELINES & PRIORITIES

  1. To be eligible, an organization must meet The FUND's Funding Guidelines and Priorities.
  • **REG funding cannot be used for lobbying, legal strategy, or 501(c)4 work
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