Residents and organizations across Santa Barbara County may discover a comprehensive view of community well-being with the start of the Santa Barbara County Community Wellbeing Dashboard at SBCommunityDashboard.com.
With seed funding from the Santa Barbara Foundation, the new community-led, online platform provides a broad view of key indicators shaping well-being across the county. Housing and economic security are the first two focus areas of the dashboard that are developed and ready for community use.
Gabriella Garcia, executive director of Storyteller, works with planning group to develop new wellness dashboard for residents and organizations in Santa Barbara County. (Santa Barbara Foundation)
The remaining focus areas yet to be finalized include healthcare and behavioral health, food security, education, peace and justice, sustainable ecosystems, and community connectedness.
The dashboard tracks essential metrics to equip residents, policymakers, nonprofit groups and funders with accessible, timely data to understand community progress, identify challenges, and make informed decisions.
“We are so proud to have sponsored and supported the creation of the first two focus areas for the dashboard,” said Jackie Carrera, president/CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation.
“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. We expect the dashboard to help guide smarter decisions, stronger partnerships, and strategic investments across the county.”
The new dashboard is similar to community dashboards already in use in San Diego County and Baltimore, Maryland, and follows the principle of “for the community, by the community.”
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, reflecting priorities identified directly by contributing community partners.
The Natalie Orfalea Foundation and the Schiele Family Foundation have joined the effort, adding their sponsorship for these focus areas as well.
More than 90 partners from 66 organizations across the nonprofit, government, funding and business sectors have contributed to developing the concept and content for the dashboard.
Partners shared data, expertise, and ideas at workshops and collaborative sessions, shaping the dashboard through a participatory process.
The initiative is facilitated by LegacyWorks, which supports partners, drives the process, and helps ensure community priorities are clearly reflected in the dashboard. Content, direction and decisions are guided by the partners themselves, ensuring the dashboard reflects real community experience.
LegacyWorks is a nonprofit consultancy based in Santa Barbara that helps communities and organizations work together to create lasting social and environmental impact.
“This dashboard is more than data; it reflects the collective effort, care and accountability of people who are deeply invested in Santa Barbara County,” said Steve DeLira, director, Family Youth Services at CommUnify.
“As a lifelong resident and a public servant for nearly four decades, I see this as a tool that honors our diversity, shared values and commitment to ensuring every family and young person is seen and supported,” he said.
The Community Wellbeing Dashboard is designed to connect existing tools, elevating shared priorities and helping partners and residents make sense of what the data reveals.
The project website strives to feature a comprehensive catalogue of local data sources, providing a clear entry point into the county’s wealth of information.
Partners on the dashboard project spend months aligning around shared goals, engaging in honest dialogue, and shaping a framework for collective impact to realize the long-term vision for the dashboard: a community where data is understood, shared, and used collectively to improve well-being.
“The real value of this work lies in the process that brings people together to decide, collectively, what well-being looks like for Santa Barbara County,” said Michelle Heaton, LegacyWorks vice president of consulting.
“Together, we’re building something much deeper than a data tool; we’re building the relationships and shared understanding that make community-led actions to improve community wellbeing possible,” she said.
Beyond serving as a shared data resource, the dashboard has established an ongoing network of partners committed to learning together and coordinating action.
Community members, agencies and organizations are invited to participate in upcoming dashboard development phases.
Interested parties may learn more or inquire about engagement opportunities by contacting Ellen Kwiatkowski, regional director at LegacyWorks Central Coast, at ellen@legacyworksgroup.com.
Founded in 1928, the Santa Barbara Foundation connects donors, nonprofits, government, businesses, and Santa Barbara County residents to take on the most challenging needs facing local communities.
Recognizing that its work depends on the strength of the social sector, the foundation is committed to the health and vitality of local nonprofits.
The foundation mobilizes charitable giving and connects its expertise to that of donors, nonprofits and residents to create meaningful impact on the communities of the county.
For more, visit SBFoundation.org.
