The Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) proudly announces a significant milestone as two of its fiscally sponsored programs, the Program for Effective Access to College (PEAC) and Mission Scholars, have transitioned to independent nonprofit organizations. This achievement underscores the foundation’s role in fostering these programs’ growth and amplifying their community impact.
PEAC provides a network of support to help increase 4-year college entry rates among low-income, historically underrepresented, first-generation college students, including academic support, mentoring, parent engagement, college scholarships, and career pathways for graduates to return to Santa Barbara as teachers and nurses. On the other hand, Mission Scholars provides high-achieving, low-income students access to comprehensive college admissions and financial aid counseling, continuous mentorship, and leadership training throughout their four-year college journey.
“We are thrilled to see these incredible programs thrive and reach this new level of organizational maturity,” shared SBEF Executive Director Pedro Paz. “Their evolution into independent nonprofits is evidence of the hard work of their teams and the importance of their missions to our community.”
Under SBEF’s fiscal sponsorship model, the foundation provided essential administrative support and oversight, helping to incubate the programs in their early stages. Now, as independent nonprofit organizations, PEAC and Mission Scholars gain increased autonomy and direct access to funding, enabling them to scale their impact further.
“SBEF’s sponsorship was invaluable in allowing us to launch and establish PEAC as a trusted network of support for students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District,” said Dr. Patricia Madrigal, Founder and CEO of PEAC Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for their partnership and excited for this next chapter.”
Cassie Lancaster, Executive Director of Mission Scholars, added, “Becoming an independent nonprofit will enable us to expand our programs to even more students in South Santa Barbara County. SBEF’s support was critical in our formative years.”
PEAC and Mission Scholars’ achievements showcase the effectiveness of SBEF’s sponsorship model in nurturing innovative education initiatives. The foundation looks forward to continuing its collaboration with both organizations as valued community partners.
“We celebrate the incredible growth of PEAC and Mission Scholars and look forward to opportunities of welcoming new groups to our sponsorship program,” said Paz. “Our mission is to support initiatives that create equitable opportunities for all students to thrive.”
Founded in 1985, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation promotes private support of Santa Barbara’s public education system, serving over 12,500 students in 21 schools. For more information, visit santabarbaraeducation.org.
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