Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative

What it reported doing in 2025

The chief focus of the SBAC for the last decade has been the building of the Community Arts Workshop, a space called for in a community-wide City Arts Master Plan published in 1985, and meeting a broadly identified need for affordable arts space. The SBACs origins are as an ad hoc committee organized in 2007 in response to the changing landscape for arts funding in Santa Barbara. A series of community meetings and conversations were convened to discuss loss of arts funding; loss of affordable space; an identified siloing of resources, organizations, communities, and opportunities; and other concerns. In response, a group of artists, arts organizations and concerned citizens came together to identify new and innovative ways to sustain the arts for future generations. A need was identified in the community for an organization that existed to stand in the gapsone that existed to collaborate, find and foster new opportunities, and broadly work to build the health of the local art scene. Since that time, the SBAC has collaborated to pilot and grow dozens, if not hundreds of projects and eventssome of which have become lasting programs of the SBAC like the Community Arts Workshop, Pianos on State, and Funk Zone Mapssome of which are now run by other organizations and individuals. We look for opportunitiesprojects or resources that would benefit the whole cultural ecosystem that no one else is suited to do, and work to connect resources to help make them happen. With the Campaign for the Community Arts Workshop completed, in 2025 through 2028 we are focusing our resources and fundraising efforts to support new programs like Opening Doors, Art KIT, Area Meeting, and the Community Arts Residency, expanding volunteer support by mobilizing Outreach Committee members, continuing development of the ArtZone apps potential as a promotional service for our local arts and culture sector, among other development goals.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 69.8%; rating input score 70
• Program expense ratio: 71%; rating input score 71
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 3.7%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.31; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 23.4%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings