The Fund for Santa Barbara would like to clarify some misleading statements that were made at the County Board of Supervisors meeting last Tuesday, June 15, in regard to the disbursement of funds designated to support local equity efforts.
Last year, in response to grassroots organizing by Black leaders and overwhelming community support for the Black Lives Matter movement, the county committed $500,000 for racial equity work. The county has already spent some of these funds, but today $270,800 is still waiting to be disbursed.
Wondering what to do with this unspent money, the County approached the Fund for Santa Barbara about a possible collaboration in which we would act as the re-granting agent for the remainder. On May18, the County Board of Supervisors approved for county staff to begin the process of entering into a MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the Fund for S.B.