Page 38 - Society Social Calendar

Janet Garufis (MB&T Chairman & CEO), Joyce McCullough (SB Rescue Mission), Rolf Geyling (SB Rescue Mission), George Leis (MB&T President)
Montecito Bank
& Trust
Community
Dividends®
Montecito Bank & Trust kicked off the holiday season on Monday November 25, 2019, with a special annual tradition, their Community Dividends awards luncheon. Now in its 17th year, this unique giving program has granted a total of $17 million to local Santa Barbara and Ventura County nonprofits.
The Four Seasons Biltmore’s La Pacifica ballroom was filled with 188 central coast nonprofits. Chairman & CEO, Janet Garufis, specifically thanked them for their service to the community and announced a new twist for this year’s event, “As part of his legacy, Michael Towbes always wanted Community Dividends to grow, to find new ways to share the Bank’s success and to have an even greater impact, particularly on the most vulnerable in our communities. As we thought about this year’s Community Dividends, we wanted to celebrate the Bank’s continued strength and success by doing something a little different. Asking ourselves how can we help our communities make even greater strides in the face of challenges that come in all shapes and sizes? It is with that thought in mind that I am so pleased to introduce the Michael Towbes Community Impact Grant,” said Garufis. She then invited Rolf Geyling, President of the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, up to the podium to accept the inaugural award which included a check for $100,000 to help them continue to serve those in our community that struggle with homelessness and addiction.
The Community Dividends grant program was created in 2003 by Michael Towbes, Montecito Bank & Trust’s late owner and Founder, with a primary focus on supporting organizations or programs that serve low- and moderate-income individuals and families in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Dividends are awarded to organizations that serve youth and education, social services, medical and health services, and the arts.
Nonprofit organizations look forward to this event especially networking with their nonprofit colleagues, sharing ideas, and building stronger bonds within the community. Montecito Bank & Trust held an educational event prior to the lunch where guest speaker, David Greco, M.A., President & CEO of Social Sector Partners, shared ways that nonprofit leaders can
engage funders in conversations on what it really costs to deliver on their mission.
Montecito Bank & Trust is the oldest and largest locally owned community bank in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Founded in 1975, the bank celebrated its 44th anniversary on March 17, 2019 and operates 11 branch offices in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Montecito, Carpinteria, Ventura, Camarillo and Westlake Village
Photos courtesy of Clint Weisman
Drew Brahos & Jennifer Strong, MBT
Janet Garufis (MB&T Chairman & CEO), George Leis (MB&T President)
Shannon Kelly (People’s Self-Help Housing), Maria McCall (MB&T), Gerald Parent (MB&T)
Sal Sandoval, Janet Garufis, Jennifer Strong & Drew Brahos
Daniel Estrada (MB&T),
Karen Arreola (MB&T), Ben Scott (MB&T)
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February / March 2020
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Society Social Calendar
Standing: Robin Britt, Scott Mosher & Sal Sandoval. Seated: Bryan McQueeney, Jill Haney, Susan Muratta, Linda Braunschweiger & Andrew Stevens