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Dear Friends and Supporters,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’m writing to share some important and exciting news. Melinda Cabrera has been elected the new CEO of the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, effective March 16.
Melinda has spent her entire professional career in Santa Barbara County and has deep roots in the nonprofit world and our tight-knit community.
Most recently, she was the president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, the venerable college access nonprofit organization.
Under her leadership, the Scholarship Foundation was one of only six organizations nationwide selected by the U.S. Department of Education to conduct initial testing of the latest Free Application for Federal Student Aid in 2024. She also led initiatives to expand and implement innovative partnerships to provide career development opportunities to law school and graduate students, and gain valuable insights from UCSB students. In 2025, the Foundation received more than $14 million in public support last year, the largest annual funding total in the organization’s history, and expanded to open a new office in Santa Maria.
Before that, Melinda served in senior management roles at the United Way of Santa Barbara County, where she led programming in financial empowerment, education, and crisis response and recovery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led emergency response programs that provided more than $54 million in housing assistance and academic support to families in critical need.
Over the past year, the Board has been deeply engaged in listening, learning, and evaluating what this organization needs in its next chapter of leadership. With her unwavering commitment to giving back to the community, experience, and clear alignment with our mission and values, we are confident she is the right leader to guide the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County.
We want to express our gratitude for your ongoing, active engagement and support during the search process. Through your generosity, the clubs remained open and impactful, and our focus on providing safe, supportive environments where young people can thrive has remained constant.
Finally, we appreciate the exceptional candidates who participated in our search process. Meeting and developing relationships with a group of outstanding leaders gives us great optimism about how we will continue to serve kids and teens in Santa Barbara County and beyond.
Melinda’s last day at the Scholarship Foundation will be March 11. Please join us in congratulating her as she soon begins a new chapter with the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
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