Our Local Impact

United Way of Santa Barbara County’s mission is to enhance the lives of children and families and strengthen communities by leading local programs and partnerships that focus on improving academic achievement, financial empowerment, and crisis response and recovery. Thanks to the support of our community partners and dedicated volunteers, United Way serves thousands of local residents each year.

In 2024, United Way provided individualized academic support to over 1,600 students,
distributed $400,000 to assist with rent, utilities, and other basic needs, and helped more than 3,600 individuals with free tax preparation services, resulting in over $2.5 million in tax refunds coming back to local families. 2024 was United Way’s largest year of program expansion, particularly in our Academic and Financial Empowerment impact areas.

Expansions have included year-round tax preparation services, increased financial resiliency support, and growing capacity at Fun in the Sun, we now have capacity to serve over 500 children, including transitional kindergarten through 5th grade students—for the first time in the program’s history. We also launched Bridge the Break, an extension of Fun in the Sun, providing educational and recreational support during Winter and Spring breaks.

Along with these expansions, is the creation of the Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative,
designed to make high-quality childcare more accessible and affordable for families in Santa Barbara County. Through this initiative, United Way established the Brighter Futures Childcare Fund, delivering a philanthropic mechanism to support families, businesses, and childcare providers in advancing a strong childcare sector.