Casa Dorinda’s Lisa Thomas Awarded by the AFP

To celebrate National Philanthropy Day, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter, holds their annual awards soirée to honor those who have made a significant contribution in fundraising and philanthropy. Their 2024 ceremonies took place on Tuesday, October 29, at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

The event opened with a meet and greet cocktail reception, with both fundraisers and philanthropists exchanging business cards and #jokingnotjoking about poaching each other’s star employees. The program itself formally commenced with a welcome by Shannon Silk, President of the AFPs, who provided thankful remarks for the indigenous Chumash on whose grounds the SB Zoo was built. She also gave shout outs to event co-presenting sponsors, the Kellogg Organization, Inc. and the SB Foundation, and also thanked Montecito Bank and Trust, her board, and the event committee – Chair Molly Kemper, Karen Y. Kawaguchi, Megan Nuss, Gerry Pantoja, Hannah Quiroz,and
AJ Steinberg.

The prestigious Professional Fundraiser of the Year Award went to Lisa Thomas,Director of Philanthropy at Casa Dorinda. Thomas has devoted a career spanning 20 years to raising funds and awareness for local nonprofits prior to her appointment at Casa Dorinda, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the American Heart Association. Speaking about her work was Casa Dorinda CEO Brian McCague, who said, “I hired Lisa 8 years ago to launch the development program. She raised $9.5 million for our capital campaign and started the fund for employees after the fires and floods.” In her acceptance speech, Thomas thanked her peers and mentors who were in the room and said, “Find the work you love, find mentors, don’t ask for money from people, invite them to be a part of
your mission.”

Philanthropist of the Year Ventura County went to the McCune Foundation,founded by Sara Miller McCune and George D. McCune in 1990. Representing McCune was their Executive Director Claudia Armann, who talked about the organization’s mission, and shifting their focus to community leaders with the Central Coast Social Justice Academy saying, “Civic engagement is vital to democracy, providing leaders to drive social change.” 

Philanthropist of the Year SB County went to Tim Murphy, whose volunteer work raised $3 million for the Boys & Girls Club Mid-Central Coast, and spans to the Santa Maria Elks Rodeos Parade. Murphy is also Planning Commissioner for San Luis Obispo.

Awards were also given for Youth In Philanthropy Award to Carpinteria’s Sindy Zavala Lopez, for her work with the City of Carpinteria – for no smoking rules in schools, in housing, and her philanthropic work in Youth Making Change; Volunteer of the Year SBC Donna France; Karen Wright for Ventura County Volunteer of the Year; and the CentralCoast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy(CAUSE) organization Co-Executive Directors Hazel Davalos and Lucas Zucker won the Champions for Social Justice Award. 

Seen at the event supporting Casa Dorinda’s Lisa Thomas were Katina Zaninovich, Vicki Hazard, Diana Lovan with Montecito Bank and Trust’s Suzi Schomer, Bruce Stevens and Brianna Aguilar.

VIP attendees were AFP officers and board: V.P. Elena I. Nicklasson, Secretary Lauren Trujillo,Treasurer Rey Canseco,VP Membership Karen Y. Kawaguchi, andVP Professional Development Hannah Quiroz, Molly Kemper, Angela Miller-Bevan, Greg Mora and Stephanie Wilson; Women’s Economic Venture’s Lauren Lafferty, Melissa Miller of Ventura County Credit Union, Easy Lift Transportation’s Ernesto Paredes, Ventura College Foundation’s Gerry Pantoja, and Tania Reyes from The Fund for Santa Barbara.  

411: First held locally in 1987, National Philanthropy Day recognizes the great contributions of philanthropy and the people active in the philanthropic community who have enriched our world. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of giving and all that it has made possible.