Supporting the organizations that make Carpinteria thrive.
About this fund
Our longest-standing grantmaking program, the Carpinteria Fund supports nonprofit organizations based in Carpinteria, as well as Santa Barbara County organizations bringing programs or services to the Carpinteria community.
We are a generalist funder supporting a broad range of local work including educational programming from early childhood through college graduation, our local arts community, environmental initiatives and protecting Carpinterians' access to our natural resources, and safety net programs including food, shelter, and housing.
Eligibility & Grant Guidelines
- We fund tax-exempt public charities under Section 501(c)(3)
- With few exceptions, we fund Carpinteria-based organizations and Santa Barbara County organizations bringing programs or services to the Carpinteria community
- Generally, we award one grant per organization per year — all program requests should be included in a single application
- As a rule, we do not sponsor or fund events
- Our evaluation includes consideration of organizational health and stability — leadership excellence, board stewardship, financial stability, and operational effectiveness
2026 Grant Cycle — Key Dates
Application Opens: July 15, 2026
Application Deadline: September 1, 2026
Awards Announced: November 2026
How to apply
Grant Cycle Closed
If your organization received funding from LCSF within the past 12 months, you are pre-approved to apply in this cycle. You will receive an email invitation with a link to the full application on July 15th.
If your organization has not received funding from LCSF in the last 12 months, please begin by submitting a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). We accept LOIs on a rolling basis. If approved, you will receive a link to our full application on July 15th.
Questions about the 2026 grant cycle or application? Email carpinteria@lcsf.org.
If your organization has not received funding from LCSF in the last 12 months, please begin by submitting a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). We accept LOIs on a rolling basis. If approved, you will receive a link to our full application on July 15th.
Questions about the 2026 grant cycle or application? Email carpinteria@lcsf.org.