Montecito Bank & Trust Awards $1M to Local Nonprofit Organizations

This article was originally published by Noozhawk.

It’s the giving season.

In that spirit, Montecito Bank & Trust awarded 188 nonprofit organizations from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties $1 million in its annual giving celebration on Monday.

The Santa Barbara Foundation and the Ventura County Community Foundation each received $100,000 through the Michael Towbes Community Impact Dividend.

In the packed ballroom at the Hilton Santa Barbara, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd., nonprofit organizations and community members came together to share a meal and celebrate one another during the bank’s 23rd annual Community Dividends luncheon.

“This year, as we prepared to identify organizations to apply for the impact dividend, it proved an impossible task for our philanthropy committee to identify just one pillar of giving where the need was obviously the greatest,” Montecito Bank & Trust CEO Janet Garufis said.

She said this year has shown a “perfect storm” of increased need with decreased funding for organizations, and there was no way to just pick one organization.

“We believe that by allowing these two organizations, one in Santa Barbara and one in Ventura County, to take the lead during this unprecedented time and support their grant-making, it demonstrates Montecito Bank & Trust’s unwavering commitment to our entire community,” Garufis said.

The Michael Towbes Community Impact Dividend was created to commemorate late founder Michael Towbes, who shaped the bank’s philanthropic giving program.

Each year, the dividend gives a total of $100,000 to one or more organizations. However, this year, two organizations were awarded $100,000.

The first recipient, the Santa Barbara Foundation, works to improve the lives of residents and communities throughout the county.

“To say that these are troubling times and to say that we are in a crisis is hardly an understatement,” Jackie Carrera, president and CEO, said. “While we are joyous at this moment, I also want to acknowledge that there are nonprofits among us who are struggling.”

The second recipient, the Ventura County Community Foundation, connects donors with local nonprofit organizations and offers grants. Since 1987, the foundation has granted about $250 million to the community.

Vanessa Bechtel, president and CEO of the foundation, was overcome with emotion and excitedly took the stage as Garufis announced the award.

“I don’t think I will ever forget this moment,” Bechtel said.

During her acceptance speech, she shared a story about when she first met Towbes, saying he always made her feel welcomed.

Sing!, a free after-school music academy in Santa Barbara County, surprised guests with a performance of a Hebrew folk song, eliciting a chorus of “aww” from guests.

This year’s awards ceremony was especially significant as it fell during the same year as Montecito Bank & Trust’s 50th anniversary, Garufis said.

The event concluded with a scene right out of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.”

Each guest received a Montecito Bank & Trust impact report, but hidden inside five random ones were golden tickets. Golden ticket recipients won $500 to their organization or could donate it to another organization.

One of the recipients was Carlos Mendez from the Pacific Pride Foundation, an organization that supports the LGBTQ+ community.

“I really felt like Charlie from ‘Willy Wonka’ opening it,” he said.

He said the $500 will go toward the Pacific Pride Foundation.

The event concluded with Garufis sharing her gratitude to nonprofit organizations and urging the community to do good.

“We look forward to seeing you out there in the community, doing the right things, even when no one is watching,” she said.