The O2 Sabbatical Award honors dedicated nonprofit executive directors in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties with a three-month break for essential rest and renewal.
Please join us in congratulating our 2026 awardees who are driving transformative change in their communities:
- Omar Butler, Chief Executive Officer, New Door Ventures
- Eduardo Caballero, Executive Director, EDMO
- Laura Slade Chiera, Executive Director and Managing Attorney, Legal Assistance to the Elderly
- Sejal Choksi-Chugh, Executive Director, San Francisco Baykeeper
- Narges Dillon, Executive Director, Crisis Support Services of Alameda County
- Sean Dorsey, Executive/Artistic Director, Fresh Meat Productions
- Liz Jackson-Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, Success Centers
- Stephanie Linder, Chief Executive Officer, Gardens of Golden Gate Park
- Deanne Pearn, Chief Executive Officer, Hope Solutions
- Gavin Raders, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Planting Justice
Since 2015, O2 Initiatives has awarded 56 executive directors and the organizations they lead with sabbatical opportunities. Sabbaticals recharge executive directors and empower leadership throughout an organization. The result is stronger and more resilient teams better prepared to partner with their communities to create positive change.
In these deeply uncertain times, nonprofits face greater pressure than ever. As always—and especially now—O2 is committed to investing in the sustainability of Bay Area leaders and organizations that enrich our communities and advance innovative solutions to our toughest challenges.
We want to extend our deepest gratitude for the alumni who served on this year’s selection committee: Regina Jackson, Rebecca Rolfe, Lance Toma, and Diane Wong. O2 Sabbatical Alumni serve as trusted partners in awardee selection, mentorship, peer-to-peer engagement, and the strategic direction of the program.
If you know a nonprofit executive director who would benefit from a sabbatical, please share this announcement with them. Our next call for applications will be in Summer 2027.