CEC Closes Historic “Protect Our Climate Campaign” with $16.97 Million Raised

By the Community Environmental Council

After hosting more than 22,000 community members back to Alameda Park for the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival at the end of April — the first time since 2019 — CEO Sigrid Wright announced [this week] the success of CEC’s 50th Anniversary Protect Our Climate Campaign. Over $16.97 million was pledged to immediately tackle the urgent threat of climate change on the Central Coast, exceeding the $15 million goal. 

Inspired by CEC’s proven reputation for developing and scaling innovative local solutions to complex problems, over 300 donors pledged $16.97 million to reverse and repair from climate change in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Of this, roughly $10.25 million is funding a growth sprint of CEC’s climate programs and the build-out of an innovative Environmental Hub in downtown Santa Barbara. The remaining pledges — about $6.75 million — will be fulfilled in coming decades through long-term legacy gifts, ensuring the future sustainability of the organization. The unexpectedly strong support shown by donors making legacy commitments in their estate plans led to the campaign surpassing its goal. View a complete list of campaign contributors here.

“Central Coast donors made it clear that they are deeply concerned about climate change and resonated with CEC’s message of hopeful action,” said Jon Clark, President, James S. Bower Foundation. “CEC thinks big and thinks long-term, and the organization demonstrates results over and over again.”

There were several foundations and individuals who made $1 million-plus donations to the campaign: James S. Bower Foundation, Patricia & Paul Bragg Foundation, Karen and John Jostes, and Zegar Family Foundation. 

In addition, the following investors made gifts of $250,000 and above: Sheila and Tom Cullen, Katie Davis, Hutton Parker Foundation, Jean Kaplan, Dorothy Largay and Wayne Rosing, Natalie Orfalea Foundation, Paul Relis and Fanny Pearce, Sea Forward Fund, Judy Stapelmann, Michel Saint-Sulpice, Suzanne and John Steed, Yardi Systems, and Anonymous.

A cornerstone of the campaign was the creation of the first-of-its kind Environmental Hub — centrally located on Santa Barbara’s State Street. CEC’s new Environmental Hub is a 10,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility designed to be an epicenter for community activism, education, entrepreneurship, media, and art. A Grand Opening community celebration will take place on Thursday, July 6, at 5:30 p.m. as a part of downtown Santa Barbara’s 1st Thursday Art Walk.

In addition, the campaign, which launched in 2021,  kickstarted CEC’s five-year effort to accelerate regional climate solutions through climate justice, regional and state policy, climate resilience, climate smart agriculture, a new Climate Stewards certification program, and other programs.

“We are incredibly inspired by our community,  which understands the pivotal moment we are in and sees CEC as a beacon of hope for protecting the Central Coast,” said CEO Sigrid Wright. “By investing the funds as we’ve raised them, we’ve been able to double down with some incredibly bold goals – meaning that we’ve doubled staff, doubled programming, and expanded our geographic reach.”

The campaign was led by a Steering Committee chaired by Jon Clark, President, James S. Bower Foundation, and Merryl & Chuck Zegar of the Zegar Family Foundation. Committee members included: Dennis Allen, Mary Becker, Leslie Bhutani, Emily Engel, Laura Francis, Carolyn Fitzgerald, Karl Hutterer, David Jackson, Pat McElroy, Maryanne Mott, Charles Newman, Matt Riley, Lisa Murphy Rivas, Ken Saxon, and Sigrid Wright.

About the Community Environmental Council (CEC) : 

CEC advances rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis – including ambitious zero carbon goals, drawdown of excess carbon, and protection against the impacts of climate change. CEC was recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and a City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero, and is led by CEO Sigrid Wright who was recently named 2022 Congressional Woman of the Year. CEC has worked since 1970 to incubate and innovate real life environmental solutions that directly affect the California Central Coast. Our programs lead to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems and reduction of single-use plastic. Learn more about why CEC is one of only five nonprofits in Santa Barbara County to have the highest possible ratings on Charity Navigator and Guidestar at CECSB.org/impact. Find CEC on the web at CECSB.org and on Facebook.com/CECSB, Instagram.com/CEC_SB, Twitter.com/CECSB, and Linkedin.com/company/cecsb/.