Central New York Community Foundation Accepting Applications for Sabbatical

May 24, 2012 – The Central New York Community Foundation invites executive directors and senior management staff of nonprofit organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties to apply for the 2012 John F. Marsellus Sabbatical. The deadline for submitting applications is October 31, 2012.

Last year, the Community Foundation enhanced the offerings available to those who apply for the John F. Marsellus Sabbatical. The program, which traditionally awarded grants exclusively toward four-week sabbaticals for nonprofit executive directors and senior management staff in Onondaga and Madison Counties, now offers an abridged two-week program as well.

The four-week program is designed to create the conditions and the environment that will enable a nonprofit executive to engage in professional and personal development as a life-long endeavor of learning. The four week sabbatical experience is intended to stimulate the process of enrichment, refreshment and renewal. The goals of the two week sabbatical are similar to that of the four week sabbatical, but in a condensed timeframe. Allowing for periods of personal and professional development remain key and are the focus of this option.

The Community Foundation invites executive directors and senior management staff of nonprofit organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties to apply for either a four- or two-week sabbatical by October 31, 2012. Applicants must have served in a senior management position of a nonprofit organization in Onondaga or Madison counties for at least five consecutive years and have the approval of the board of directors of their agency. The application guidelines can be viewed on the Community Foundation’s web site at www.cnycf.org/grants or may be obtained by calling the Community Foundation at (315) 422-9538.

This annual grant was established in 2000 in memory of John F. Marsellus, who wished to enhance the leadership capacity of nonprofit executives in Central New York by underwriting a month-long opportunity for personal and professional reflection and development.

Patty Weisse, Executive Director of Center for Nature Education Baltimore Woods came away from her sabbatical with a renewed understanding of her leadership position. "My professional development week at the Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center (UEC) was simply amazing,” she said. “To see firsthand how their presence and programs at Riverside Park had turned a crime-ridden neighborhood into one of the more desirable neighborhoods was like witnessing a miracle.” As a result of her experience, the nature center developed the Nature in the City program, which brings authentic natural science learning to K-6 graders in the Syracuse City School District.

Established in 1927, the Central New York Community Foundation encourages local philanthropy by supporting the growth of a permanent charitable endowment for the betterment of the region.  The Community Foundation is the largest charitable foundation in the region with assets of more than $128 million. It awards close to $5.6 million in grants to nonprofit organizations annually and has invested more than $100 million in the community since its inception. The Community Foundation serves as the steward of charitable legacies for individuals, families and corporations through the administration of nearly 600 funds. The organization also serves as a civic leader, convener and sponsor of special initiatives designed to strengthen nonprofits that address the region’s most pressing challenges. For more information, visit www.cnycf.org.