Giving Back

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”  – John Wesley

Of all the places I’ve lived or spent any significant time, none take giving as seriously as Santa Barbara. 

Santa Barbara proudly boasts more nonprofits per capita than any county in this country. This means that not only do we understand the fundamentally important safety net our local nonprofits provide for the people of this region (and beyond), but it directly reflects the life values of those who call this community home. 

November 29 is GIVING TUESDAY. Of course, this is not the only day of the year we give or think about the impact we’d like to have through our giving. This day does, however, reflect our already generous giving tendencies, on steroids. It has become the day we not only give, but we do so to the point where perhaps we’re giving something up.

Giving is not just for the rich; it’s for everyone. Not only because as human beings, we have a fundamental responsibility to give back, but because when we give, at any level, we have skin in the game. We are empowered to make a difference. We become part of Team Humanity and it gives our lives meaning. Because we are, in fact, our brothers’ keeper.

There is no question that the most interesting and compelling stories in this (and most) communities are of the work that is being done by the nonprofit organizations working day in and day out on the front lines of recovery, pressing for social and racial justice, uplifting our children and families, supporting the arts, and fighting to preserve our precious natural world.

Any day now you will receive our annual Giving List Book Santa Barbara –  available online on Giving Tuesday at TheGivingList.com. The Giving List was created out of the belief that storytelling, one of the most powerful tools we have as humans, is vastly underutilized in educating donors on the foundational work being done by nonprofits. 

Each nonprofit organization in this book took the time to work with us to tell their story in a way that can offer deeper insight into the work they do, and why it matters. We believe that helping organizations (big and small) gain direct access to individual donors is not just important but critical to their survival. And, of course, nothing is as impactful as giving locally, and the best way to change the world is to uplift our own beloved community. 

In these pages, in honor of Giving Tuesday, we have taken the opportunity to introduce you to the inspired and inspiring nonprofit organizations that are included in this year’s Giving List Santa Barbara!

That is not to say that these are the only nonprofits worthy of your support. But we do believe that this year’s Giving List organizations well represent Santa Barbara’s vibrant nonprofit and philanthropic culture. They are organizations that are doing important work, at an important time, and we believe are worthy of your strong consideration.

We like to say that living well is doing good. So, live well. Give until you give something up. And on behalf of all our Giving List partners, thank you for your incredibly generous and loving spirit, which is at the core of what makes our community the best on Earth!