With the holiday season just around the corner, the spirit of giving is about to take center stage. On the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday encourages people worldwide to come together in the name of generosity, supporting causes that matter most to them.
This year, Noozhawk invites you to get involved and give back locally. Our Giving Guide makes it easy to discover local organizations that could use your support, helping you make a lasting impact as 2024 comes to a close.
Visit our Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section to find opportunities to donate and spread kindness throughout the community this holiday season!
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Elise Erb, Director of Development at UCSB Arts & Lectures to learn more about how the nonprofit has become one of the premier University-based performing arts and special event programs in the United States.
UCSB Arts & Lectures
Question: What is the name of your nonprofit, and what is its mission?
Answer: UCSB Arts & Lectures presents more than 100 events annually, from critically-acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues.
With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and lifelong learners in the Santa Barbara community.
Q: How long has your organization been serving the community, and who founded it?
A: Arts & Lectures is celebrating its 65th anniversary during the 2024-2025 season! Since it was founded in 1959, A&L has become one of the premier University-based performing arts and special event programs in the United States.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded, and what are its biggest needs right now?
A: UCSB Arts & Lectures is primarily funded through ticket sales and individual, corporate and foundation donations. Philanthropic support from our Santa Barbara community is imperative so that we are able to present high-quality, timely conversations with leaders in the arts, sciences, and politics as well as presentations by the world’s foremost artistic talents.
Philanthropic support provides a stable and flexible source of annual income for A&L to continue to provide accessible arts and culture opportunities to all community members, regardless of their socioeconomic status now and for years to come.
Q: How can people get involved with your nonprofit or volunteer?
A: We are honored to be celebrating 65 years in the Santa Barbara community, and look forward to the next 65. None of it would be possible without you! A&L thrives on philanthropic support through community membership.
Our largest membership level is our Producers Circle – a group of dedicated, actively-engaged people whose contributions make Arts & Lectures possible. Membership helps underwrite world-class programming and supports A&L’s extensive education programs. Producers Circle members have the opportunity to engage behind the scenes with A&L and our featured artists and speakers.
Q: What sets your nonprofit apart from similar organizations?
A: UCSB Arts & Lectures is a premier arts and culture organization based on a University campus with a mission to educate, entertain and inspire.
While many presenting organizations specialize in performing arts or speakers, A&L does both, seeking the very best artists and timeliest newsmakers, from world-renowned dance companies and Grammy-winning musicians to Nobel Prize-winning scientists and bestselling authors.
Additionally, A&L hosts annual film festivals, free community film screenings, extensive K-12 and adult lifelong learning outreach programs, and countless community partnerships.
This season, A&L continues the Justice for All programming initiative, which highlights the need for deeper conversations about equity across a variety of social justice and diversity issues.
Through the Thematic Learning Initiative A&L extends the conversation from the stage into the community, inspiring lifelong learning opportunities that initiate change and empower audience members and participants.
Featuring community-wide book giveaways, free events and discussions around this season’s theme of Leadership and Vision, your participation can leave a lasting impact on our community.
UCSB Arts & Lectures’ educational engagement programs provide internationally recognized artists and speakers as educators to K-12 students, university students, and our local community of lifelong learners.
When these talented individuals enter the lives of students, they bring a unique opportunity to relate academics to current events and artistic trends from the world stage. A&L’s engagement programs provide free educational activities to students with partnerships on campus, in schools, and in the community through:
-Assemblies in elementary and secondary schools
-After-school workshops and conversations with youth
-Assemblies for incarcerated youth
-Meet-the-artist sessions on and off-campus
-Panel discussions with artists and University scholars
-Lectures and demonstrations in University classes
-Technique classes for students of all ages
-Coaching for advanced students
-Social events and meetings with student groups and classes
-Post-show Q&A sessions with audiences of all ages
-No-cost tickets to public events for students, their families and teachers
-Free family performances in underserved neighborhoods
A vibrant cultural arts environment contributes to the well-being of any community. Arts & Lectures takes pride in being a leader as the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A&L’s programming encourages the community to gather and experience the joy of live performances or lectures, and to be exposed to new ideas and artists.
As the largest presenting institution on California’s Central Coast, A&L is the main resource for artistically significant cultural events in the region.
Q: Can you share a fun fact or little-known detail about your nonprofit that would surprise people?
A: The price of your ticket only covers about half the costs of your seat for any given performance. We rely on private contributions to cover the remainder. Our donors allow us to keep ticket costs accessible for the community
Q: Could you share a story or two about individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by your organization?
A: Our favorite story of the year comes from Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara, a Spanish-language program that A&L co-presents with partners across the county. This program brings LatinX artists into our schools and Spanish-speaking communities at no cost.
In January, we welcomed Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles to the Viva stage, and heard the story of Ely, a member of the group who first experienced mariachi at a Viva program over a decade before.
As an 11-year old, she had attended the concert and decided she too wanted to play mariachi, and now she has fulfilled her dream and performs with the band. Her story truly shows the impact these programs can have on the trajectory of a young person’s life.
Q: How do you share your nonprofit’s impact and updates with the public?
A: UCSB Arts & Lectures uses an integrated communications model to reach diverse audiences by leveraging all available media- including print, radio, direct mail, email, social media, and digital displays. A&L creates various strategic community collaborations with local partners across the County and with various UCSB campus venues and programs.
Q: What makes your organization trustworthy for donors, and are there other ways people can support your cause beyond donations?
A: The longevity of A&L proves how much Santa Barbara trusts us to bring world-class dance, music and lectures to Santa Barbara. In addition to making a donation, purchasing tickets to attend an event that interests you is a great way to support our programs.
Q: Is there anything important or unique about your nonprofit that we haven’t covered yet?
A: As the largest presenting organization on the Central Coast, we have a little something for everyone! Check out our website and we’re sure you’ll find something you want to attend. We can’t wait to see you in the theatre!
Click here to support UCSB Arts & Lectures mission to educate, entertain and inspire by bringing visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more to the Santa Barbara community.
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide click HERE.