A nascent effort in Santa Barbara County could change the landscape for corporate giving.

After a couple of fits and starts, the Santa Barbara Community Foundation and local businesses are launching a Corporate Philanthropy Roundtable that’s designed to connect employers and community organizations in new and exciting ways.

At an organizing meeting on Nov. 15, Towbes Group Chair Michael Towbes, Venoco founder Tim Marquez and Santa Barbara Foundation President Ron Gallo made eloquent appeals for membership.

But the powers behind the effort are a couple of smart women who are tireless networkers: Holly Cole from Verizon and Venoco’s Marybeth Carty. Having an engaged corporate community could be extremely helpful in addressing region-wide issues as diverse as the homeless problem and arts funding for schools.

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