Supporting the organizations that make Carpinteria thrive.

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.

  • 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

Application Opens: July 15, 2026

Application Deadline: September 1, 2026

Awards Announced: November 2026

How to apply
Grant Cycle Open Organizations funded within the last 12 months, or whose LOI has been approved, are pre-approved to apply.

If your organization has not received funding from LCSF within the past 12 months, please begin by submitting a Letter of Inquiry. We accept LOIs on a rolling basis.

Submit a Letter of InquirySubmit an Application

Questions about the 2026 grant cycle or application? Email carpinteria@lcsf.org.