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$95,000 Grant Program for Professional Development

Grants of up to $95,000 to Colorado nonprofit health organizations to provide sabbaticals for their executive leaders. Directors, tribal administrators, and CEOs of selected nonprofits will participate in personal or professional development activities while receiving subsidies for salary and benefits. At the same time, the nonprofit grantees will receive funding for interim leadership needs and staff capacity building. The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for nonprofit leaders to rejuvenate, thereby strengthening the organizations for which they work and improving health and health equity throughout the state.

Successfully leading a nonprofit in today’s world takes endless dedication and time. Yet, nonprofit leaders are often so committed to their missions that spending time away to re-energize can be an afterthought. This Nonprofit Sabbatical Program aims to recognize and reward long-term and respected nonprofit leaders in Colorado and strengthen the organizations they lead. The program offers nonprofit executives the opportunity to step away from professional responsibilities and take time for themselves for rejuvenation. Ideally, the executive returns to their professional life with new ideas and a fresh sense of commitment to their work, the nonprofit sector as well as the health and health equity of all Coloradans.

Key Program Features:

  • Grantee executive to take three-to-four month hiatus for activities of their choice to reflect, rest and rejuvenate:
    • Funding for sabbatical activities (e.g., personal activities such as travel or professional development)
    • Subsidy for salary and benefits (dependent on current salary)
  • Grantee interim leadership needs (individual or a team):
    • Funding to support interim leadership needs while grantee is away on sabbatical
  • Grantee staff capacity building needs:
    • Funding  to help strengthen staff capacity within the grantee organization to be used during the sabbatical period or up to two years after receipt of the award
    • Organizations will need to demonstrate how staff have been involved in determining the use of these funds to ensure that they are used for employee-directed needs

Key program activities:

  • Pre-Sabbatical Orientation: The Foundation will provide orientation support with program grantees.
  • Executive-in-Residence: In addition to providing funding for the sabbatical activities, the program also includes a one-month executive-in-residence at the Foundation that creates the opportunity for a co-learning experience among the sabbatical grantee, Foundation executives and staff. The Foundation will work exclusively with program grantees to determine an approach for the executive-in-residence, which is a mutually beneficial program to both the grantee and the Foundation. It is expected that the grantee will reside in Denver during this time period. Housing, food and transit expenses are covered by the Foundation for those who need to relocate (whether the grantees lives in or outside of the Denver metro area) for the executive-in-residence.
  • Post-Sabbatical: After six weeks, the Foundation requires a short, informal report or debrief meeting about the grantee’s sabbatical experience.