The Colorado Health Foundation has renamed its Nonprofit Sabbatical Program in honor of President and CEO Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller, announced at the 2026 Colorado Health Symposium. The program is now known as the Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller Restorative Sabbatical Program.
Since 2019, under McNeil-Miller’s guidance, the Foundation has awarded sabbatical grants to long-term, respected nonprofit executives. The program supports Colorado’s nonprofit sector by giving its leaders time and space to rest, rejuvenate, and return to their work with renewed energy to serve their communities.
“Going forward, this program will carry Karen’s name as a living expression of her belief in courageous leadership, deep renewal, and the power of caring for the people who carry the work,” says Monique Johnson, senior program officer.
The sabbatical program consists of three months off for participants, plus a one-month executive-in-residence at The Colorado Health Foundation’s office in Denver. During their sabbaticals, grantees are encouraged to plan activities that fill their cups and honor their emotional needs. During the executive-in-residence period, grantees join and schedule meetings with Foundation staff and share their sabbatical goals and experiences.
“This program has changed lives. It has given leaders the time and space to rest, reflect, renew, and return to their work with clarity and purpose. That is a powerful statement about what leadership requires — and about what our sector needs more of,” Johnson adds.
While nonprofit executives step away from their organizations, The Colorado Health Foundation continues to work with the nonprofit organizations on skill and capacity building.
“Karen recognized the need to build the leadership bench in nonprofit organizations, which indirectly strengthens the sector,” says Dr. Carolyn Love of Kebaya Consulting, who provides technical assistance to sabbatical applicants and grantees. “This resulted in funding for an interim leader so the executive can comfortably step away, and capacity-building funds to further strengthen the organization.”
Applications for the Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller Restorative Sabbatical Program open September 1, 2026.