from Creative Disruption to Systems Change- a 20-Year Retrospective on the Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Programming

Author: Linnell & Associates, Deborah Linnell, Liz Russell, Kim Dam
Publisher: Durfee Foundation
Resource Type: Report
Leading Forward Principle: Create Cultures of Belonging and Wholeness

This report reflects on two decades of the Durfee Foundation’s sabbatical programs, offering insights into how structured rest can strengthen leadership, foster organizational resilience, and catalyze long-term systems change. It highlights the role funders can play in supporting nonprofit sustainability through intentional investment in leader well-being.

Funders can use this resource to:

• Understand the long-term impact of sabbatical funding on nonprofit effectiveness and leader retention.

• Explore how rest and renewal can serve as a strategy for organizational resilience and sustainability.

• Identify ways to integrate sabbatical support into broader leadership development and capacity-building initiatives.