The Santa Barbara Foundation and LegacyWorks have launched the Santa Barbara County Community Wellbeing Dashboard, a community-led online platform providing residents, policymakers, nonprofit groups, and funders with accessible data on key indicators shaping well-being across the county. The dashboard is accessible at SBCommunityDashboard.com and currently features housing and economic security as its first two focus areas.
More than 90 partners from 66 organizations across the nonprofit, government, funding, and business sectors contributed to developing the dashboard through a participatory process that included workshops and collaborative sessions. Jackie Carrera, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation, stated, “We are confident it will give our community a clear picture of what’s working, where needs are greatest, and where we can have the most impact.” The dashboard tracks essential metrics to equip community members with timely data to understand progress, identify challenges, and make informed decisions.
Expansion and Community Focus
The remaining focus areas—healthcare and behavioral health, food security, education, peace and justice, sustainable ecosystems, and community connectedness—are yet to be finalized. With new funding from the Santa Barbara Foundation, the dashboard will expand in 2026 to include focus areas for healthcare and behavioral health and food security. The Natalie Orfalea Foundation and the Schiele Family Foundation have joined the effort, sponsoring these focus areas as well. LegacyWorks, a nonprofit consultancy based in Santa Barbara, facilitates the initiative, supporting partners and ensuring community priorities are reflected in the dashboard. Steve DeLira, director of Family Youth Services at CommUnify, characterized the dashboard as “a tool that honors our diversity, shared values and commitment to ensuring every family and young person is seen and supported.” Michelle Heaton, LegacyWorks vice president of consulting, noted that the project is “building the relationships and shared understanding that make community-led actions to improve community wellbeing possible.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.noozhawk.com/santa-barbara-foundation-and-legacyworks-open-community-led-wellness-dashboard-for-county/