Our Mission

Coastal Fund connects people and the environment by allocating funds to programs that celebrate, explore, and protect the coastal ecosystems in and around the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Our Values

  • Community: We welcome collaboration between and within campus and community organizations, engagement with local stakeholders, and multigenerational perspectives. 
  • Exploration: We believe people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds are explorers at heart, and we support both research of and physical access to our local coastal environment.
  • Joy: We celebrate the endless discoveries, surprises, and wonder that people experience when interacting with our coast, and we are inspired by those pursuing their unique passions.
  • Opportunity: We acknowledge the systemic barriers that exist in academia and environmental work and seek to address these barriers by prioritizing paid internships for students with limited experience and from underrepresented backgrounds. 
  • Protection: We cultivate resilient environments by restoring degraded coastal systems, mitigating impacts at the wild-urban interface, and safeguarding sufficient open space and biodiversity to maintain ecosystem function.
  • Trust: We honor mutually respectful, interdependent relationships with our applicants by clearly communicating our priorities and process, offering and accepting honest feedback, and being flexible to the changing needs of our grantees and community.
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