About
SBEF

OUR MISSION

Support Every Student

Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) provides and supports programs that enrich the academic, artistic, and personal development of all students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

OUR VISION

Student Centered Always

All students have access to an education enriched by equitable and inclusive programs, resources, and opportunities that empower them to reach their full potential.

For 40 years, SBEF has served as the bridge between what public funding provides and what students truly need to succeed in school and in life.

WHO WE SERVE

Opportunities for Every Student

SBEF inspires and engages a community of individuals and organizations to support Santa Barbara Unified School District schools and their students.

Our goal is to provide opportunities for every student, especially those facing additional challenges, such as socioeconomically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and foster youth.

ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

Equitable and Inclusive Opportunities for Every Student

Santa Barbara Education Foundation joins those demanding changes to policies and practices that continue to perpetuate bias and racism in our public institutions. Public schools, with their inherent diversity, can be powerful engines of social change when sufficiently supported.

As an organization that supports public education, we believe that ensuring equitable and inclusive opportunities for students is critical to achieve and sustain positive systemic change.

We are committed to working with Santa Barbara Unified School District, its families, students, and our entire community to continue supporting and fostering programs that address gaps and help marginalized and under-resourced youth access opportunities to thrive in our community and beyond.

Our Commitment

Consistent with the efforts for systemic change, our board will continue to develop a diverse and inclusive environment. We commit to these values and will implement the following:

• Implicit Bias training for all Santa Barbara Education Foundation board members.
• Implicit Bias training for all Santa Barbara Education Foundation staff.
• Commitment to hiring Santa Barbara Education Foundation staff that reflects our community.
• Encourage the Santa Barbara Unified School Board to participate in implicit bias training.
• Conduct ongoing or annual assessments of our commitment to ensure relevance.

Equitable Funding

Our funding priorities will be considered through a lens of equity, asking programs as part of the application process how they will address historically marginalized groups of students.

In addition to informing Santa Barbara Education Foundation of the list of groups that are being served, programs will also be required, as part of the year-end reporting, to inform the foundation as to the progress (or lack of progress of those groups).