Individuals in paid, full-time leadership positions who have served their North Carolina nonprofit organizations for at least three years (2 of which in a leadership role) are eligible to apply for a sabbatical.  Preference is given to individuals with at least five years of experience with their organization.  This program is not intended for career public school, college, university, or government employees.

If the organization serves the people of North Carolina (even if it also serves people of other states), and is based in this state, you are eligible for a sabbatical.

Though the Foundation has designated five specific focus areas for its general grant making, leaders of any nonprofit field (other than public school, higher education, and government employees) may apply for a sabbatical.

Applicants who are not selected for a sabbatical are invited and encouraged to reapply in subsequent years.

Budgets submitted with sabbatical applications are not binding, but should represent your planned sabbatical activities as accurately as possible. 

Please estimate the costs of individual budget items as well as you can.

We ask that recommendation letters please be emailed from the recommender to Larita Bell (larita@zsr.org).  Recommendation letters can also be mailed to the Foundation: Attn. Larita Bell, 147 S. Cherry St. Suite 200 Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

By January, initial applications are reviewed by a Selection Committee composed of representatives of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Board of Trustees, staff, Advisory Panel and former sabbatical recipients.  Ten finalists are selected to meet with the Committee in February.  Five sabbatical award recipients are announced in February. In any given selection year, the Foundation may decide to confer greater or fewer than five sabbatical awards.

Please refer to the Technical Issues page.  If after reviewing the information there you are still experiencing technical difficulty, please contact Barbara Mabe.

All sabbatical recipients receive $25,000 before taxes.

The entire award amount ($25,000, granted shortly before the sabbatical begins) is considered taxable income, and therefore is subject to federal and state income taxes.

Sabbatical funds may be spent in any way that leads to the rejuvenation and self-revitalization of the nonprofit leaders who participate in the program.

Recipient organizations decide whether to continue to keep sabbatical recipients on their payroll during the sabbatical.  Regardless of this decision, the entire award amount will be paid to the recipient.

Once awarded a sabbatical, a recipient must begin his/her sabbatical before April of the following year.  The sabbatical must last for one continuous period of three to six months.  Recipients are expected to be released completely from their organizational obligations during their sabbatical and to return to their organizations when their sabbatical is complete.  Recipients must attend one and one-half day pre-sabbatical and post-sabbatical retreats.  For maximum benefit to the recipient, it is recommended that one not take his/her sabbatical until after the pre-sabbatical retreat.  Recipients are expected to submit an 800-1200 word typed report within a month of completing their sabbaticals and provide a short statement for the Foundation’s annual report.