The The Fund for Santa Barbara‘s 17th annual Bread & Roses Community Dinner and Auction on Sept. 19 in Summerland boasted a record-setting attendance of nearly 800 and raised a record $168,000.

The event was a truly collaborative effort thanks to the work of more than 100 volunteers and more than 400 donors and sponsors.

With expenses of just $21,000, more than $147,000 will be going directly to The Fund’s grant-making and technical assistance programs. In other words, 88 cents of every dollar raised at the event goes directly to the work.

“Bread & Roses 2010 showed that in these difficult economic times, our community is more committed than ever to the work of The Fund,” Executive Director Geoff Green said. “Santa Barbara County’s progressive community is large, vibrant and growing … and the need for us to come together and provide support for grassroots organizing has never been greater. The Fund continues to serve as our community’s primary meeting place for those committed to a more just, fair and equitable community.”

Guests were treated to a gourmet meal donated by 20 local restaurants, caterers, wineries and breweries. A high-energy live auction saw a weeklong stay in Tuscany sell for $5,000 and two pairs of Platinum Passes to the 2011 Santa Barbara International Film Festival sell for $4,000 each, while the silent auction featured 240 items from $5 to $1,000, including gift certificates from local businesses of all kinds, original works of art and more.

— Geoff Green is executive director of The Fund for Santa Barbara.