THE FOUNDATION FOR SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE

The SBCC Foundation aims to provide access to an affordable, world-class education for all local students who wish to study at SBCC.

The SBCC Foundation fuels the excellence of Santa Barbara City College by engaging the community, building relationships, and inviting the generosity of donors.

The SBCC Foundation raises funds from individuals, foundations, businesses, and civic organizations who wish to invest in our college, its students, and the future of our region.

The resources raised and managed by the Foundation enrich college programs, remove barriers, and empower students to succeed.

In a typical year, the SBCC Foundation:
- raises more than $2 miilion to serve over 1,500 local recent high school graduates through the SBCC Promise
- provides more than $1 million is scholarships and book grants
- distributes more than $1.5 million to support college-based programs that support students to succeed
- partners with dozens of community-based organizations to increase college access, enrollment, and success

SBCC is a nationally-renowned comprehensive community college serving southern Santa Barbara County. Founded in 1909, Santa Barbara City College welcomes all students. The College provides a diverse learning environment and opportunities for students to enrich their lives, advance their careers, complete certificates, earn associate degrees, and transfer to four-year institutions.

The SBCC Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a strategic partner to SBCC by securing philanthropic investment in the college and its students. The SBCC Foundations provides approximately $5 million annually (more for special needs, disaster recovery, and other critical needs) for student success programs, scholarships, emergency funds, and to enable the college to support all students to succeed.

With more than 46 years of experience, a professional staff of fifteen, and a volunteer board of directors that draws from all corners of our region, the SBCC Foundation is a widely recognized leader in local, state, and national efforts to build community college philanthropy.

Managing more than $80 million is assets, the SBCC Foundation is currently the largest community college foundation in the State of California, and among the most successful in the nation.

As a completely independent 501c3 nonprofit organization, the SBCC Foundation has the capacity to move quickly, innovate, and ensure that the needs of our community's students are met.

In fall 2016, the SBCC Foundation launched the SBCC Promise, an ambitious effort to remove college access barriers and make our community's college accessible and affordable to all local students who have recently completed their secondary education within the SBCC district.

The idea of a “college promise" is not new, but the SBCC Promise is revolutionary in that it is comprehensive (covers all required fees, books, and supplies), robust (covers two full years), and open access (not restricted based on past academic performance). Eligibility is determined by a student's high school location or place of residence, year of graduation, and commitment to the SBCC Promise eligibility requirements (details at sbccpromise.org).

Research on college achievement correlates a student's chance of success in college with early enrollment, full-time student status, and access to academic counseling and support. The SBCC Promise is specifically designed to incentivize these three elements.

It is also an exemplary model of a public/private partnership, as 100% of the funding for the SBCC Promise is privately raised from donors to the SBCC Foundation.

The SBCC Promise reinforces our community college's commitment to the local community and strengthens our region's economy, neighborhoods, and families. Santa Barbara City College is repeatedly ranked among the nation's top community colleges due to its remarkable faculty and staff, history of innovation, student achievement, and more. Whether a student wishes to pursue a trade, earn a certificate, complete an AA degree, or transfer to a four-year institution, SBCC is the place and the SBCC Promise provides a new pathway.

As of Fall 2022, more than 6,500 local families have taken advantage of the SBCC Promise. Early data shows increased local enrollment, strong semester to semester persistence, and improved completion rates.