Kara Hornbuckle, a former school counselor who went on to enjoy success heading up philanthropic outreach on behalf of the region’s premier diabetes research, education, and clinical care institute, has been appointed chief development officer at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. Her appointment will be effective November 4.
A former Scholarship Foundation recipient, Ms. Hornbuckle completed her undergraduate studies at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, before earning a master’s degree in guidance and counseling at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Serving first as a student program advisor at Santa Barbara City College and later as a guidance counselor at Bishop Garcia Diego High School, she helped numerous local students and families navigate the intricacies of applying to college and securing financial aid. Ms. Hornbuckle’s career in philanthropy began in May 2015, when she accepted the position of development manager at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, since rebranded Breakthrough T1D. Two years later, she joined the staff at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI), serving first as director of development.
In her current role as vice president of development and public affairs at SDRI, Ms. Hornbuckle oversees special events, communications, and external relations, in addition to donor engagement, major and principal giving, planned giving, and philanthropic grants. Starting in 2023, she spearheaded SDRI’s $10 million capital campaign and renovation project to create a state-of-the-art precision metabolism and diabetes research center at the institute’s Santa Barbara facility.
Ms. Hornbuckle has participated in several leadership development programs, including through Harvard University and Leading from Within’s 10-month Emerging Leaders program, which develops nonprofit and social sector leaders throughout Santa Barbara County.
“Building meaningful relationships has been central to Kara’s work throughout her career,” said Foundation President and CEO Calen Ouellette. “At SDRI, she cultivated new supporters, expanded volunteer and board engagement, and reimagined the organization’s fundraising event model, creating new opportunities for donor engagement and philanthropic support. In addition, her experience as a school counselor sparked a lifelong commitment to educational access and opportunity that continues to inform her approach to leadership and philanthropy to this day. I am absolutely convinced that she is the ideal person to lead our fundraising efforts at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.”
Ms. Hornbuckle’s appointment caps a nationwide search conducted by Blair Search Partners.