The Small Capacity Building Grant Program awards are aimed at strengthening the organizational capacity and programmatic effectiveness of nonprofit organizations serving communities within Santa Barbara County.
Donor Name: Santa Barbara Foundation
State: California
County: Santa Barbara County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/08/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Foundation believes organizations are more effective when they are equipped with thoughtful strategy, strong leadership, sound operations and compelling communication. It is our hope that this funding helps organizations strengthen these fundamentals in support of their mission and better programmatic outcomes. The Foundation may also consider funding small capital expenditures. To provide flexibility and assist applicants in their planning, the Foundation offers four opportunities throughout the year to apply. Organizations may submit one Small Capacity Building Grant application per calendar year. Small Capacity Building Grants are very competitive. The Foundation receives many more requests than it can fund. Proposals with the best chance of being funded clearly state the need, readiness, and commitment to the project.
Types of Support
- The Santa Barbara Foundation has established the following guidelines for its Small Capacity Building grants in the following areas. The focus is to support sustained or expand organizational capacity not existing program expenses.
- The Santa Barbara Foundation has established the following guidelines for its Small Capacity Building grants in the following areas. The focus is to support sustained or expand organizational capacity not existing program expenses.
- Readiness preparation to address potential funding loss risks to organization’s sustainability.
- Examples include: legal guidance, emergency/business continuity planning costs, fundraising plan, contingency planning costs, cyber security assessment.
- Organizational development and capacity building (i.e. campaign feasibility studies, strategic planning, succession planning, program evaluation, exploratory strategic alliances/collaborations, or merger and acquisitions)
- Staff, board, or volunteer training and development as well as collaborative learning opportunities
- Small capital items and equipment that specifically allow your staff to locally serve clients and fulfill your organization’s mission. (i.e. installing security systems, initial purchase of software licenses)
- Defined projects such as program design/piloting, as well as strategic marketing, communications, or development plans.
Funding Information
The maximum award for Small Capacity Building Grant is $6,000.
Grant Period
1 year
Eligibility Criteria
- Organizations must be certified as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or use a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) tax status.
- The foundation accepts applications from public entities such as schools, universities, and libraries through an affiliate or supporting 501(c)(3) organization.
- An agency acting as the fiscal sponsor on behalf of a community collaborative may be eligible to submit proposals on behalf of its own agency needs as well as the needs of the collaborative.
- A fiscal sponsor may submit one application on behalf of their organization and one application acting as a fiscal sponsor per grant program in a calendar year.
- All applicants must be serving communities within Santa Barbara County. Nonprofits based outside Santa Barbara County should demonstrate knowledge of the local landscape in their issue area and are encouraged to engage local partners/stakeholders.
For more information, visit Santa Barbara Foundation.
