Peri Harcourt

A California native, Perri Harcourt left her hometown of Sacramento, Cali-fornia in the late sixty’s to pursue the study of Psychology as an entering freshman at the University of California Santa Barbara. She finished her undergraduate work in Psychology and then continued with graduate studies in Counseling Psychology and Educational Psychology. Her first job as a School Psychologist was for the Santa Barbara County Schools.

During that time she had fallen in love with Santa Barbara and Donald Harcourt, a long time Santa Barbara resident and local busi-nessman. They married and had two sons, Scott Harcourt and Brad Harcourt. Scott is currently living in Santa Barbara and Brad is living in San Diego while attending USD.

As a couple, Perri and Don were passionate in their desire to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate and to give back to the Santa Barbara Community. They believed in the power of education to change lives for the better. Don passed away 10 years ago from cancer and Perri has continued along the same path supporting their many charitable organizations with her time, talent, and treasure.

Perri has carried on Don’s commitment to Cate School as a major do-nor, with supplemented gifts to provide for the salary of an outstand-ing faculty member selected annually. She has been a board trustee since his death, building the DHH Fitness Center and Harcourt Fami-ly Faculty Residence for the Centennial Campaign recently launched. She has been a trustee and past president of the SBCC Foundation Board for over twenty years. She has been actively involved with Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara for over 25 years; as past president of the board of Girls Inc., formed the popular Girls Inc. 100 Committee, co-chaired endowment and capital campaigns that have resulted in a gymnasium at the downtown center and a new Goleta facility. She helped form the Woman’s Fund of Santa Barbara, served on the board of CADA, the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, chairing and working on the Amethyst Ball for over 13 years. Perri remains an advisor trustee to Laguna Blanca School where she and Don were honored for their significant contributions to the school. Perri has also been a member of the Cottage Hospital Foundation. She established the Donald H. Harcourt Memorial Scholarship at the SB Schol-arship Foundation for deserving high school students. Perri continues to believe that every individual can make a difference in other people’s lives.