Nonprofit executive sabbaticals improve organizational capacity
January 20, 2010


Sabbaticals for nonprofit leaders can be a relatively inexpensive but highly productive capacity-building tool that yields measurable results. Creative Disruption: Sabbaticals for Capacity Building and Leadership Development in the Nonprofit Sector provides emerging evidence of the benefits to nonprofit organizations, leaders, funders, and the sector.

This study exposes the myth that an executive sabbatical will be a chaotic disruption, finding instead that the creative disruption of a well-planned sabbatical can be productive for the entire leadership of an organization.

Organizational capacity is increased as the second tier of leadership takes on new responsibilities. Governance is strengthened as a result of the planning and learning that goes with a sabbatical process. Executive directors come back rejuvenated, with a fresh vision and innovative ideas, and tend to extend their tenure with the organization. And funders gain a deeper perspective on community needs from the feedback, networking, and innovative ideas that sabbatical alumni bring.

This study recommends funding sabbaticals as a best practice in philanthropy for leadership development, succession planning, and organizational capacity building. Sabbaticals can be an investment in the long-term health of nonprofit organizations—and the sector.

-------------------------------

To download the PDF of the study, click here: Creative Disruption

Copyright © 2009 Third Sector New England and CompassPoint Nonprofit Services. All Rights Reserved

< List of news items