Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade was created to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and community crises through volunteer training, coordination and deployment.
- Income
- $697,127
- Spending
- $836,728
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 0.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 91%
- Employees
- 17
- Volunteers
- 1,075
- Highest pay
- $165,674, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 15% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.1 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 20% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 20% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 78% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $671,514 spent. The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade mobilized 1,487 volunteers who contributed 7,315 hours of community service in 2025. The Bucket Brigade also continued to build its programs that develop volunteer deployment and leadership capacity through climate-adaptive community restoration projects in Santa Barbara County. At the Bucket Brigade Academy, 43 student leaders completed 2,334 hours of training and 72 ASHI/SOLO first-aid certifications were awarded. The top program graduates were hired as "Volunteer Coordinators" to lead weekly volunteer projects in Santa Barbara County.Continued on Schedule O The Humanitarian Garden Project: Student Volunteer Coordinators led 275 volunteers through 1,101 hours of community service, restoring one acre of a large watershed ecosystem. The Walk Montecito Project 0.75 miles of new safe-routes-to-school trails were built to restore pedestrian access and improve community safety in the area affected by the 2018 debris flow. The Humanitarian Farm Project: Student Volunteer Coordinators led 601 volunteers contributed 2,103 who grew 17,392 pounds of organic produce and donated it all to local food-aid in Santa Barbara County. Volunteer Leadership Services for the City of Goleta at the Ellwood Mesa Restoration Project where student Volunteer Coordinators led 234 volunteers contributed 1,777 hours to restore a major winter nesting site for Monarch butterflies planting 2,300 trees and native plant seedlings.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 2018.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.