SAN ANTONIO – When Mel Zarb-Cousin began thinking about the next phase of growth for The Magik Theatre earlier this year, one priority quickly rose to the top: board development.
As Managing Director of the beloved San Antonio children’s theater, she knew strengthening board governance would require training, resources and expertise — things that can be difficult for nonprofit organizations to access while operating on tight budgets.
That’s what led her to join the San Antonio Area Foundation’s revamped membership program in 2026.
“Just knowing how many resources there are at our disposal,” Zarb-Cousin said last month at a gathering for current and prospective members at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. “Having resources like BoardEffect and trainings available for board members is just a huge win for me.”
Zarb-Cousin’s experience reflects a broader shift in how the Area Foundation is supporting nonprofits across the region.
While the Area Foundation has long provided grants, scholarships and other philanthropic resources, leaders began asking what additional support nonprofit organizations needed to thrive.
“While we already provide grants to the community and scholarships to students, we were looking for other ways we could truly meet the needs of the nonprofit community,” said Jessica Lombard, Director of Learning and Development at the Area Foundation.
The answer was an expanded membership program designed to help organizations grow their teams, strengthen leadership and connect with resources that support long-term success.
The membership program was launched in 2014 to provide nonprofits with practical support – including meeting space, professional development opportunities and access to grant research tools.
Starting in 2026, the program is being strengthened to ensure it reflects the evolving needs of the local nonprofit sector.
“It’s always been about trying to close opportunity gaps and meet organizations where they’re at,” Lombard noted.
Recent feedback from nonprofit leaders revealed a growing need for not only organizational resources, but also stronger community connections and support for the people doing the work.
As nonprofit leaders shared concerns about burnout and compassion fatigue, the Area Foundation began looking for ways to better care for nonprofit professionals as individuals while continuing to strengthen their organizations, Lombard said.
That feedback helped shape a broader suite of membership benefits that now includes discounted high-quality training classes and certificate programs, access to BoardEffect board management software, complimentary use of the ICAT and Catchafire platforms, meeting space reservations, executive coaching office hours, wellness resources and member-exclusive networking and learning events..
Jessika Goad, Executive Director of Hill Country Mission for Health, said she was initially drawn to the Area Foundation’s membership after discovering it offered early access to popular training courses and discounts on professional development opportunities. Since joining, she has found value not only in the educational offerings, but also in having a trusted partner invested in her organization’s growth.
“You’re basically gaining a partner that cares about you,” Goad said. “They want you to grow, and they want to provide the resources and tools to help you grow.”
The opportunity to build connections across the nonprofit sector was especially appealing to Natalie Buster, Executive Director of ABODE, who was convinced upon learning all the membership benefits at the Botanical Garden event that she signed up as a new member right then and there.
Buster said she looks forward to meeting other nonprofit professionals, exchanging ideas and learning from peers working in different areas of the community.
“A lot of times you feel like you’re on an island doing this work all by yourself in a vacuum,” Buster said. “Partnering with the Area Foundation opens up opportunities to really network with people who might be able to fill in the gaps that we don’t know we have.”
Buster added that the resources she is most excited to be able to utilize now that she’s a member are the classes, since she is always trying to learn new skill sets for how to manage a nonprofit.
“What an amazing resource the Area Foundation is, because we’re all on shoestring budgets,” she said. “It’s nice for someone to take care of us.”
A sense of connection is exactly what Area Foundation leaders hoped to foster through the program’s expansion. By combining practical resources with networking opportunities and wellness-focused support, the objective is to strengthen both nonprofit organizations and their leadership.
“You will see that there’s a lot of fruit in this soil,” Lombard said.
Interested in joining the Area Foundation’s nonprofit membership program?
