From the Chair
Santa Barbara’s nonprofit sector has never been more vibrant than it is today. Innovative new collaborations, initiatives, and programs are truly making a difference in the lives of families in our community. Our foundation is proud to have supported many of these inspired efforts, and we invite you to read their stories in the Partnership section of this website.
As we prepare for the growing needs of our local nonprofit community, we are taking the opportunity to consider how to best structure our grantmaking to maximize our support of their life-changing work. While our 2024 funding is fully committed, we expect to resume reviewing new grant proposals in the Fall for funding in Spring 2025 and urge you to check this website for updates.
Our grantmaking will remain by invitation only and true to our mission of funding programs that drive meaningful positive change in a relatively short period of time.
Thank you to the many nonprofits that are working tirelessly to build a stronger community for everyone to enjoy. Your work is nothing short of remarkable, and it is our privilege to continue to do all that we can to help you succeed.
Sincerely,
Edward E. Birch
Chair & CEO
Our History
The Mosher Foundation is named after Samuel B. Mosher, who founded Signal Oil and Gas, the largest independent oil company on the West Coast in the 1950s. While he was a very successful businessman and corporate executive, Mr. Mosher’s passion was growing prize-winning orchids and exotic flowers. Dos Pueblos, his 45,000-acre ranch north of Santa Barbara, included Dos Pueblos Orchid Company, a stand-alone wholesale flower growing operation. Following Mr. Mosher’s death in 1970, his wife Margaret served as President of the Mosher Foundation until her death in 2002. Upon her passing, it was her wish that Dr. Edward E. Birch, Vice President of the Foundation and longtime advisor and friend to the Mosher family, assume responsibility for the Foundation and serve as its President & CEO. Since that time, he and other members of the Birch family have led the activities of the Mosher Foundation, ensuring that it continually evolves to align with the needs of the Santa Barbara community.