Barbareno Chumash Tribal Council; 805UndocuFund; Collective Cultures Creating Change Lompoc; Gateway Educational Services; Healing Justice Santa Barbara; Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, Santa Barbara; NAACP Santa Maria-Lompoc; and the Regents of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
These are the organizations the Fund for Santa Barbara’s Racial Equity Grant (REG) committee chose to receive money to help advance anti-racism efforts across the county. At its April 1 meeting, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the funding recommendations, reaffirming the county’s commitment to advancing racial justice and investing in grassroots solutions.
“I don’t look at this as a charitable contribution,” 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said during the meeting. “I look at this as an investment in the community.”
Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, local grassroots organization Healing Justice Santa Barbara lobbied the county to support racial equity work. According to the Fund’s grant program manager, Tania Reyes, these efforts took some time, but eventually, the board declared racial equity a crisis and put aside money to be used for anti-racism causes.
“We’re always super grateful that the supervisors continue to support this program,” Reyes told the Sun. “I think it really shows a commitment to continue supporting not only equity work, but really the most deserving and marginalized community members throughout our county that really benefit from these funds.”
For the last four years, the board has allocated $275,000 as part of the Racial Equity Grant to distribute to organizations through the Fund, Reyes said. The mission of the Racial Equity Grant, as stated on the Fund’s website, is to support Santa Barbara County organizations working to address systemic racism and build change, and each application is reviewed by volunteers on the grant-making committee.
“Everything falls under that umbrella of advancing anti-racism systems work in Santa Barbara County, and so the requests that we receive are really viewed through that lens,” Reyes said. “We make that information all public. All applicants know that that’s what the grant-making committee’s criteria is in reviewing the proposal, so it’s never a surprise whether or not something truly aligned with the objectives of the program.”
During the April 1 meeting, a volunteer from the grant-making committee, Lyiam Galo, encouraged the board to approve the recommendations by noting that the committee used a “trustworthy process” to select “trustworthy people.” He emphasized that the funds provided through this program are important now more than ever.
“It is a time of incredible instability and uncertainty for human services organizations, like the ones we’re choosing to fund, and in the wake of that, we’re looking at the state, the county, city bodies, other foundations to provide a bridge so that people can continue to deliver effective service,” Galo told the board. “And so, you’re playing a part in that with this funding pool. These organizations are relying on this, and not only that, they feel that there is a kind of authority and validity afforded to them when the county gives them the thumbs up, you know, like a seal of approval through this funding program.”
Every time the Fund approaches the Board of Supervisors about the Racial Equity Grant, it requests increased funding, Reyes explained to the Sun. She added, however, that receiving any money for this program is especially valued right now because of the “pullbacks going on in equity work” across the country.
“I think now, given everything that’s going on, it’s going to be even more important for the community to voice their support of the funding program and really cement it into the county Board of Supervisors’ budget so that it continues to move on,” she said.
Highlight
• A Guadalupe family is seeking support as their son, CJ Hunt, remains hospitalized in Madera because of a traumatic brain injury. On March 30, during a Righetti High School varsity football game, Hunt experienced a severe injury on the field. Since then, he has undergone brain surgery and will require long-term care at the hospital, according to a GoFundMe page created by Christina Ruiz and Unique Martinez. Hunt’s mother, Krystal Alvarez, will need to take time off work to be by his side while still managing to care for her other two children. The organizers of the community fund are confident that with support, they can provide assistance to Alvarez and her family during this challenging time. Find the GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/f/help-cj-hunt-heal-from-traumatic-brain-injury.
Staff Writer Emma Montalbano can be reached at emontalbano@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 10-20, 2025.
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