Funding Policies

Unsolicited Request for Funding

First Five Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara Office
  • 1 East Anapamu Street, Suite 200
  • Santa Barbara, CA 93101
  • Phone: 805.884.8085
  • FAX: 805.564.8586

Santa Maria Office
  • 218 West Carmen Lane, Suite 111
  • Santa Maria, CA 93458
  • Phone: 805.739.8740
  • FAX: 805.739.8747

Funding Opportunities

First 5 Santa Barbara County receives approximately $5 million per year to fund programs, projects, services and activities that support young children's healthy development. The Commission awards the majority of the Proposition 10 funds received through a Request for Application process to fund programs and initiatives that meet their funding priorities.

The Commission awards three types of community grants:

One Year Community Grants

The Commission hopes, through this funding, to provide the opportunity for emerging programs or capital projects to receive support in a simplified format to promote program development and enhancement directed to services for children age 0-5 and their families. Priority is given to those agencies or organizations in under-served, culturally diverse communities who have the goal of increasing access of services to families and young children. The Commission has a long-term interest in learning how under-served communities will be helped by this funding, and will work with organizations awarded contracts under this funding to determine the degree of improvement and identify project successes.

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Spruce Up for Kids Day

In 2000, First 5 Santa Barbara County launched Spruce Up For Kids Day. Spruce Up For Kids Day is a mini-grant program for family child care providers to improve the quality of their programs. First 5, in partnership with local private donors make funds available on an annual basis. In order to receive funding, providers must secure additional support from parents, local community volunteers and donations to help complete their projects. Funds are to be used for short-term program improvement projects. Projects take place on Spruce Up For Kids Day. This year, Spruce Up For Kids Day will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2007.

Spruce Up For Kids Day is made possible through the active participation of the early care and education community, the Office of Early Care and Education, Community Care Licensing and the many volunteers who contribute their time to the programs that receive funding. The program is administered by the Children's Resource & Referral Program of the Santa Barbara Family Care Center.

For more information about Spruce Up For Kids Day 2007 contact Sylvia Cruz at 805-925-7071.

Co-sponsorship Guidelines and Criteria

First 5 Santa Barbara County supports increasing opportunities for community members to access quality training to help achieve the Strategic Objectives outlined in the Commission's Strategic Plan.

Funding requests for co-sponsorship of non-recurring training programs can be submitted to the Commission at any time during the year, but funding is limited. Request for funds should be focused on speaker fees, scholarships for attendance and/or outreach on the event to persons interfacing with children under the age of five.

The event must be collaborative co-sponsorship and requests will only be considered where the primary focus of the conference is directed to the needs of children age 0-5 and their families.

Co-Sponsorship Policy and Application MS Word doc

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