Clarise Blanchard, the former San Mateo County "Woman of the Year" who embezzled more than $813,000 from a Burlingame-based mental health nonprofit over 13 years, will spend six months in county jail.

San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Kevin Dunleavy handed down the sentence Thursday, Aug. 13, landing between the probation Blanchard's defense attorney requested and the three-year, four-month prison term prosecutors sought, according to Bay City News, citing the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

Blanchard, 79, of Foster City, must report to jail by Oct. 17. The six months will be served as a condition of two years' probation. She was also ordered to complete 250 hours of community service, pay restitution to StarVista and state and federal tax authorities, and is barred from working or volunteering in any financial position.

As we reported July 24, Blanchard pleaded no contest to felony identity theft, felony tax fraud and felony money laundering involving more than $150,000. Two additional counts of obtaining property worth more than $500,000 and forgery were dismissed under the plea agreement.

How the scheme worked

Blanchard served as StarVista's clinical director from 2002 until she retired in May 2022. According to prosecutors, she created a fraudulent Chase Bank account and diverted donor contributions into it beginning in 2009. She also forged the signature of StarVista's chief officer on thank-you letters sent to donors, concealing the theft for more than a decade.

The scheme unraveled after StarVista discovered a $500,000 charitable donation never reached its bank account. A subsequent audit revealed the full scope of the missing funds.

At the July 24 pre-sentencing hearing, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe put the total at roughly $700,000. The figure confirmed at sentencing was $813,372.90, though prosecutors said that amount is subject to change.

Restitution still unresolved

A restitution hearing is set for Nov. 20, when a judge will determine the final amount and who is legally entitled to receive it. That question is complicated: StarVista, once one of San Mateo County's leading mental health contractors, closed in August 2025 due to financial struggles unrelated to Blanchard's crimes.

At the July 24 hearing, Wagstaffe said he was unsure whether any restitution could go to StarVista's creditors.

Blanchard told the court she was "sorry."

She received the county's Woman of the Year award in 2008 from the Commission on the Status of Women for her work helping women with substance abuse and mental health issues. She used the stolen funds to pay for lavish trips, according to the DA's office.

Blanchard's defense attorney was not immediately available for comment, SFGate reported.

The next court date is the Nov. 20 restitution hearing at San Mateo County Superior Court.