About Us

Our goal is to truly make a difference

From the Chair

In January 2023, I announced the appointment of Yvette Birch Giller to President of the Mosher Foundation while I retained my responsibilities as CEO and Board Chair.

The timing is now right to further expand Yvette’s role, and I am pleased to announce that she has been named CEO in addition to her activities as President. With this transition, I am fully stepping aside from the Foundation’s day-to-day operations to focus on my oversight duties as Board Chair.

Yvette is now the Mosher Foundation’s primary point of contact with our community, including all inquiries about grant funding. For those who have had the opportunity to work with her, you know that she is exceptionally qualified to take the helm, given her extensive professional experience, years of increasingly responsible roles at the Foundation, and significant involvement with our local nonprofits.

Thank you for your interest in the Mosher Foundation. Under Yvette’s leadership, supported by CFO Jennifer Engmyr, I am confident that the nonprofit support we have delivered for the past 72 years will continue to evolve with changing community need and remain focused on those unique funding opportunities that truly make a positive difference in the health and vibrancy of Santa Barbara.

Sincerely,

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Edward E. Birch
Board Chair

Mission Statement

The Mosher Foundation supports compelling, effective programs in Education, Healthcare, and Performing Arts programs in the Santa Barbara area, with a focus on forging partnerships where Foundation support will make a significant positive difference for our community within a relatively short period of time.

Our History

The Mosher Foundation was established by Samuel B. Mosher, founder of Signal Oil and Gas, the largest independent oil company on the West Coast in the 1950s. A successful businessman and corporate executive, Mr. Mosher’s personal passion was growing prize-winning orchids and other exotic flowers. Dos Pueblos, his 45,000-acre ranch north of Santa Barbara, included Dos Pueblos Orchid Company, a standalone 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. It was her wish that Dr. Edward E. Birch, Vice President of the Foundation and longtime advisor and friend to the Mosher family, serve as President & CEO of the Mosher Foundation upon her passing. For over two decades, he and other members of the Birch family have led the activities of the Foundation, ensuring that it continually evolves to align with the changing needs of the Santa Barbara Community.