Reports and Articles on the Power of Sabbaticals
Why More Professionals Are Taking Sabbaticals—And How It’s Transforming Work And Well-Being, 2025
O2 Initiatives was cited as an example in this Forbes article about the growing popularity of sabbaticals in the social and corporate sectors.
Sabbaticals for BIPOC Leaders, 2022
Ile Kimoyo’s (formerly BIPOC ED Coalition of Washington State) first black and brown paper makes the case for sabbaticals as a means of disrupting systems and prioritizing rest for BIPOC communities who have been harmed by multi-generational racism.
When Being Unproductive Saves a Career, 2018
From The New York Times, highlighting the pioneering work of the Durfee Foundation and featuring O2 Initiatives.
From Creative Disruption to Systems Change, 2017
A 20-year retrospective study of the Durfee Foundation’s Sabbatical Program showing the short and long-term benefits of a well-planned sabbatical for individuals, organizations, and the nonprofit sector.
A five-year retrospective study of five sabbatical programs.
O2 Sabbatical Award Alumni Blog Posts
Reflections from our alumni on the meaning of their sabbatical experiences. Read their stories:
- Stuart Cohen, as Executive Director of TransForm
- Regina Jackson, as President & CEO of East Oakland Youth Development Center
- Julia Wilson, as Chief Executive Officer of OneJustice
Sabbatical Guides
O2 Initiatives: Making the Most of Your Sabbatical Experience
An overview of our program and core principles, advice for making the most of the sabbatical experience, and what to think about when budgeting for sabbatical.
Durfee Foundation: How-To Guide for Organizations
Advice about how to implement a sabbatical policy for the entire organization.
Durfee Foundation: How-To Guide for Funders
Guide for funders on how to develop sabbatical programs for nonprofits.
The Healing Trust: Sabbatical Planning Guide
A practical and approachable sabbatical planning guide from the Healing Trust.
Other Sabbatical Programs for Nonprofit Leaders
At O2 Initiatives, we’re often asked who else is funding sabbaticals. Here are the programs we’re aware of around the U.S.:
- Barr Foundation – for Boston, MA nonprofit and public sector leaders
- Ile Kimoyo (formerly BIPOC ED Coalition of Washington State) – for executive directors who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Washington State
- The California Wellness Foundation – for healthcare leaders across California
- Chinedu Valentine Okobi Sabbatical Program – for leaders of Black power-building and racial justice organizations.
- Clare Rose Sabbatical Program – for Orange County and San Diego, CA nonprofit leaders
- Colorado Health Foundation’s Sabbatical Program – For healthcare leaders in Colorado
- Durfee Foundation – for Los Angeles, CA nonprofit leaders
- The Healing Trust – for healthcare leaders in middle Tennessee
- Latino Community Foundation – for Latino leaders in California
- Meyer Foundation – for Washington, DC nonprofit leaders
- Rasmuson Foundation – for Alaska nonprofit leaders and tribal executives
- R&R, The Rest of our Lives – for Jewish nonprofit leaders nationally
- The Seattle Foundation’s Black-Led Joy and Wellness Fund – for Black nonprofit leaders in Seattle, WA
- Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust – for Phoenix, AZ nonprofit leaders
- Windcall Institute – for community organizers, particularly people of color and women, nationally
- Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation – for North Carolina nonprofit leaders