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O2 Application

O2 Initiatives is currently inviting applications for the O2 Sabbatical Award. The deadline for application submission is 5:00 pm PDT on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. 

The application sections, instructions for submission, and application process timeline are described below. 

Please note that registration is required to download some application components. You can register by clicking here or at the bottom of this page. 

The O2 Sabbatical Award has an open application process. We appreciate the time and effort required to apply for the award, and we strongly recommend reviewing the eligibility and selection criteria before beginning your application. 

You can find additional information on our FAQ page. If you have specific questions about your eligibility and fit for the program, we encourage you to contact O2 Program Officer, Allison Domicone at program@o2initiatives.org. We’ll be happy to talk through it with you.  

O2 is committed to advancing race equity and strives to create a diverse network of sabbatical awardees and alumni that is representative of the rich identities and communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. We strongly encourage executive directors who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to apply.  

I. Application Sections

1. Application Questionnaire
   Download and complete the Application Questionnaire. (Registration required)
2. Organization Overview
   Provide a one-page overview of your mission and programs with enough detail so that the selection committee can understand the reach and impact of your organization (e.g., describe the community(ies) you serve, number of participants, how you measure/define impact, etc.).
3. Narrative
   • Please respond to each of the following questions, not to exceed six pages total:
     1. Why are you engaged in your current field of work?
     2. What significant lessons have you learned along the way?
     3. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
     4. What three things would make your job more manageable and less stressful, and why?
     5. Why do you want to take a sabbatical now? Why is this the right time for you and your organization?
     6. How would you like to use your time on sabbatical?
     7. If awarded a sabbatical, how will your responsibilities be covered during your absence?
     8. How do you currently budget funds for professional development? How would you propose to utilize the $15,000 offered as part of the O2 Sabbatical Award for staff professional development and leadership stipends? (for more information about the grant award components, please visit our FAQ page)
4. Preliminary Sabbatical Budget
   Download and complete the Preliminary Sabbatical Budget Form (Registration required). Sample budgets are available for your reference (Registration required).
5. Supporting Documents
   1. Financial information for your organization:
      • Board-approved budget for your current fiscal year
      • Current balance sheet
      • Income statement for your last fiscal year
      • Most recently completed audited financial statements (if available)
   2. Organizational chart and list of your organization’s leadership team
   3. List of your organization’s board members with affiliations
      • If you are a fiscally sponsored organization, please include a list of your organization’s advisory board members, as well as your fiscal sponsor’s board list
   4. Your resume that covers, at minimum, the past 10 years (feel free to use your LinkedIn profile if you do not have an updated resume)
   5. A brief letter of endorsement signed by your organization’s board chair. In addition to their endorsement of your sabbatical, the letter should also include a general plan for organizational management during your absence, as well as a guarantee that your existing health and other benefits will be maintained during the sabbatical period.
      • If you are a fiscally sponsored organization, please have the letter signed by both your organization’s advisory board chair and an authorized representative of your fiscal sponsor
   6. A list of three professional references in the Bay Area; download and complete the Reference Form. O2 will check references of applicants who proceed to the finalist round. (Registration required)

II. How to Submit Your Application

• Applications must be received by 5:00 pm PDT on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 
• Please submit your application materials electronically in pdf format to admin@o2initiatives.org with “[Your Last Name]-Sabbatical” in the subject line. 
• We prefer that you submit all application materials as one pdf document by merging the Application Questionnaire, Organization Overview, Narrative, Preliminary Sabbatical Budget, and Supporting Documents (in the order listed above) into a single pdf document. Please name the document “[Your Last Name]-Sabbatical.”  
• Please send your audited financial statements as a separate pdf document. 
• We will send you an email confirming receipt of your application. If you have not received this confirmation by August 19, 2025 please contact us at admin@O2Initiatives.org.

III. Next Steps in the application process

• The O2 Selection Committee will review all applications and invite a short list of finalists to continue forward in the process.   
• O2 Initiatives will contact you the week of November 17-21, 2025 to let you know whether or not you have been selected as a finalist.   
• If you are selected as a finalist, next steps will include: 
  • A one-hour site visit with you and your team on January 6, 7, or 8, 2026 
  • A separate, one-hour individual interview with the O2 Sabbatical Award selection committee January 19 or 20, 2026 
• Candidates will be informed of the selection committee’s decision by the end of January, and a public announcement of the awardees will be made in February.