For the first time in its 54-year history, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara will have flags flying above State Street. From May 13-19, 2016, flags featuring a bold reinvention of the Foundation’s classic logo will line Santa Barbara’s main thoroughfare.

The week of the SFSB flags flying on State Street coincides with the date the organization makes its annual announcement about its scholarship awards.


This year, SFSB awarded 3,013 students for a total of $8.74 million in funding, a marked increase from the organization’s initial offering in the summer of 1963: a total of nine $100 book awards.

Each year at the Annual Awards Ceremonies in May, SFSB honors that initial investment in Santa Barbara County students by raffling off nine $100 cash awards to students attending the event.

A large part of SFSB’s success and longevity has been the generous support of its board of directors, both in leadership and financial responsibility. Within six months of its inception, SFSB had over 35 board members, one of whom, Annette Slavin, hosted the first fundraising event at her own home.

In 2016, both current members and past presidents of the SFSB board of directors donated the funds necessary to cover the cost to the organization to create the flags for State Street.

“The State Street flags are such a time-honored institution in Santa Barbara, just like the Scholarship Foundation,” said Candace Winkler, SFSB’s president and CEO. “We’re excited to be part of this tradition for the first time, and we hope that when students see our flags, they know how much our community supports them.”

Following the SFSB’s week of flags on State Street, the Foundation will host its Annual Award Ceremonies to celebrate students receiving awards, beginning with the North County awards in Santa Maria May 24 and ending with the South County awards in Santa Barbara May 25. The public is welcome to attend both ceremonies.

For more information about the awards, visit SFSB’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

— Jennifer St. James is the director of marketing and communications for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.