Sabbatical Award

Sabbatical Award is sponsored by The Durfee Foundation. The Durfee Sabbatical program offers grants to six Los Angeles County nonprofit organizations to enable their principal leaders to take an extended leave for personal rejuvenation.

Sabbatical Award | The Durfee Foundation “The sabbatical helped me understand that while my work is central to my purpose, I need to find and maintain a sense of balance so that I can keep doing the work I love. ” – Va Lecia Adams Kellum, St.

Joseph Center In an effort to replenish the stores of energy and inspiration for our community’s most treasured leaders, the Durfee Sabbatical program offers up to six organizations a total of $75,000 each. Many leaders in the Los Angeles nonprofit sector work under conditions of unrelenting stress, often leading to burnout.

The enormous demands of their jobs, combined with financial pressure, can prevent them from taking time off for much needed rejuvenation and reflection. Through the sabbatical, leaders recharge themselves while empowering leadership and strengthening leadership throughout the organization. Since its founding in 1997, the Durfee Sabbatical program has awarded more than 100 sabbaticals to outstanding nonprofit leaders in Los Angeles.

Sabbatical alumni also meet twice a year to engage in cross-disciplinary dialogue, and every two years for an overnight retreat. Each leader works with our consultant to prepare themselves and their organizations for the leave. Furthermore, the award encourages leaders to share leadership and build the bench at their organizations.

In the executive leader’s absence, interim leaders take on new responsibilities and as a result, the second tier of leadership is enhanced. *$60,000 for the awardees to travel, reflect or otherwise renew in whatever manner they propose, for a minimum of three consecutive months; $15,000 to support interim leaders and staff.

To recognize and reward accomplished nonprofit leaders with an extended break from their work for personal rejuvenation To advance the skills and capacity of staff at sabbatical organizations to create more sustainable leadership structures To encourage shared leadership across the staff To advocate for the investment in people as the sector’s most valuable asset to fulfill its mission To foster community and cross-disciplinary dialogue among nonprofit leaders in Los Angeles The application cycle is currently closed.

For any inquiries, please reach out to admin@durfee. org. Retreat Venues – LA Region From Creative Disruption to Systems Change Creative Disruption Study Funders’ Guide to Creating a Sabbatical Program Do-It-Yourself Sabbatical Guide For Nonprofits, with Sample Policies