Nonprofit Sabbatical Program 2023 Grantees
2023 Nonprofit Sabbatical Program Grantees
The Colorado Health Foundation today announced the selection of four long-term and respected nonprofit leaders for its Nonprofit Sabbatical Program. Starting in 2019, the program awards Colorado nonprofit executives with a three-to-four-month sabbatical while offering charitable funding to help strengthen the organizations they lead.
“It's a very wearying job to be a nonprofit executive. So we want to reward those who have been doing it for so long at much great personal sacrifice,” explained Karen McNeil-Miller, president and CEO of The Colorado Health Foundation. “We started the Nonprofit Sabbatical Program to recognize, honor and reward nonprofit executives who have been soldiering in the field bringing hope, reconciliation, opportunity and voice to the communities they serve.”
The Foundation is thrilled to recognize the work of the following nonprofit executives:
Meg Caley – Sprout City Farm
Meg Caley has a passion for bringing people together in the field and around the table, growing food and community simultaneously. She has been working on a variety of farms since graduating college in 2005, and has experience as a classroom and outdoor educator. She started Sprout City Farms in 2010. As founder and farmer-in-chief of Sprout City Farms, Caley managed the Denver Green School Community Farm from 2010-2018, and now oversees strategic development, finances, fundraising, operations, programs and staff for all of SCF’s farm sites. Known as "Farmer Meg" to the children at Denver Green School, she loves helping children and adults alike discover their new favorite vegetable. Caley is thrilled to be developing Sprout City Farms to work towards a thriving local food system in the Denver metro area: sprouting city farms, rooting city farmers, and reconnecting folks to the land and food that sustain them.
“Self-care should be foundational to the transformational work that many nonprofits do day in and day out. Unfortunately, many of us are so caught up in our work that we lose sight of the importance of rest. I am grateful for this opportunity to recharge and then return to my work revitalized and with a renewed sense of mission.”
Haley Chapin – Tri-Lakes Cares
Haley Chapin began her career in the nonprofit sector in 2005 and has served as Tri-Lakes Care’s (TLC) Executive Director since March of 2010. She works towards TLC’s greater success through active engagement with the community, growing programs and improving organizational structure to allow staff and volunteers to deliver services in a more effective way. Under Chapin’s leadership, TLC has achieved the Tri-Lakes region’s nonprofit of the year in 2010, 2012 and 2018. Chapin has been recognized as the Colorado Springs Business Journal’s Rising Star (2016) and received the Colorado Leadership Institute’s Cathy O. Robbins Nonprofit in Excellence award (2022). Aside from her work with TLC, Chapin serves as a member of the Colorado Community Action Association board and the FEMA allocations board for El Paso and Teller counties.
“I am honored to be selected for the sabbatical program. In addition to taking time to decompress, I hope to engage in personal enrichment activities, reflect on my accomplishments and further my commitment to developing a healthier work-life balance to benefit both me and the organization I am proud to lead.”
Olga González - Cultivando
Olga Gonzalez has been a nonprofit professional and community organizer for the past 29 years. She is the executive director of Cultivando, a Latinx-serving organization that focuses on developing the leadership, advocacy and capacity of the Spanish-speaking community. González has expanded the organization’s reach to support Latinx communities and organizations statewide and is currently leading the first community-led independent air monitoring effort in Colorado's history and in the most polluted zip code in the US. She has been recognized with the Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Denver Citizen Committed to Fighting Against Hate, the Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Health Equity from the Public Health in the Rockies Conference, and the Soul of Leadership (SOL) Award by the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado. She was also named one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
“Through my experiences, I have learned that to be called a leader by my community is a huge honor. To continue working with the people and issues that I deeply care about I must rest and make time to heal. I welcome this sabbatical as a tremendous blessing and opportunity to do just that—rest, heal and recharge after nearly 30 consecutive years in the nonprofit space.”
Larry Martinez – Denver Inner City Parish
Larry Martinez is a proud native-born Coloradan, raised in the inner city of Denver. He has been an active community member all his life. In his youth, Martinez performed anti-drug theater with the West Side Drug-Free Youth Team and worked with several community groups on cultural awareness and professional development. Martinez has worked with Denver Inner City Parish for over 20 years and currently serves as its executive director. During his time with DICP, he directed youth out-of-school time programs, food pantries, programs for older adults, community dinners, gift distributions and sober living facilities. Martinez also serves on the board of NEWSED CDC.
“Each of us at Denver Inner City Parish strive to equip the communities we serve with the skills, resources and connections they need to live healthy, stable lives. This sabbatical will not only provide me with an opportunity to rejuvenate, it will also help strengthen the organization so we may all continue to focus on the areas of critical need in Denver”