Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara reported $31.9 million in revenue and $10.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $84.96 went to program services, $8.58 to management and general costs and $6.46 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was investment income: 55.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $260,635 (CEO). 4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 255% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $10MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $32M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$43.88 $14M
- Program service revenue$0.27 $85,392
- Investment income$55.85 $18M
Other revenue was negative: −$36,676. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 85.0% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 8.6% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.5% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.05 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 43.9% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.3% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $260,635 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.53% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 93.8 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 29 of 29 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara helps Santa Barbara county students access postsecondary and vocational education through scholarships and financial aid advising. It is the nation's largest community-based provider of postsecondary education scholarships, having cumulatively awarded in excess of $167 million to over 64,000 students throughout Santa Barbara county since its founding in 1962. In 2025, the Scholarship Foundation awarded $7.7 million to 2,125 Santa Barbara county students. Scholarships for undergraduates studying at two-year and four-year colleges and universities…
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara serves more than 20,000 individuals each year through financial aid workshops and individual appointments. Specifically, Scholarship Foundation program advisors assist students with scholarship applications, help decipher complex federal and state financial aid forms, and explain financial aid award letters and loan programs, all free of charge. Office financial aid workshops and presentations take place at schools throughout Santa Barbara county. Financial aid advising appointments are available for students and their families countywide. The…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $242,727 | $0 | $17,908 | $260,635 |
| CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $169,294 | $0 | $12,472 | $181,766 |
| CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $153,156 | $0 | $12,047 | $165,203 |
| DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $142,297 | $0 | $7,661 | $149,958 |
4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $459K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b29 · 29 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 522
- Volunteers Part I, line 6100
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| JP MORGAN PRIVATE BANK Investment management | $160,709 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 1 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
48 private foundations reported grants to Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara totaling $2.5M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara spent in FY2025, $84.96 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Yale New Haven Health at HomeMilford, CT · revenue $32M · programs 88.2% · FY2025
- Community Mental Health AffiliatesNew Britain, CT · revenue $32M · programs 78.3% · FY2025
- The Arc of Central AlabamaBirmingham, AL · revenue $32M · programs 94.3% · FY2025
- Abyssinian Development CorporationNew York, NY · revenue $32M · programs 88.5% · 2024
- Riseboro HomecareBrooklyn, NY · revenue $32M · programs 93.3% · FY2025
All unclassified charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara reported that 85.0% of its $10.3 million in expenses went to program services, 8.6% to management and general and 6.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $260,635, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara get its money?
Of $31.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 43.9% came from contributions and grants and 0.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 23-7087774 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202600279349301320 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202403209349316280 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202303199349322580 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202233189349318728 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202200319349301700 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202130619349300613 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 23-7087774: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.