FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2003

Contact:
Cecilia Laiché, TCWF
(818) 702-1900

Ken Kurtzig, CompassPoint
(415) 541-9000

HEALTH-SECTOR NONPROFIT EXECUTIVES RECEIVE 2003 TCWF SABBATICAL PROGRAM AWARDS

Foundation Funding Supports Six Nonprofit Health Organizations With $30,000 Each For Their Leaders’ Well-Deserved Sabbaticals

Los Angeles — Six nonprofit health-sector executives were recognized by The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) Sabbatical Program in a ceremony held yesterday. The new leadership support program, developed and managed by Foundation grantee CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, provides $30,000 grants to organizations to cover their leaders’ salaries and expenses during the sabbaticals, which last a minimum of three months. The six executives who received the sabbatical recognition are: Ann Britt of Valley Community Clinic in North Hollywood; boona cheema* of Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency in Berkeley; Dave Jones of Mountain Valleys Health Centers, Inc. in Bieber; Stephen Schilling of Clinica Sierra Vista in Bakersfield; Diane Takvorian of Environmental Health Coalition in San Diego; and Karin Wandrei of Mendocino Family and Youth Services in Ukiah.

“Even the most successful nonprofit health executives are susceptible to the stress and fatigue that can result from overwork, which, in the long run, can hurt an organization’s productivity,” said Gary L. Yates, TCWF president and CEO. “We are pleased to provide these six individuals — all of whom lead important nonprofit health organizations — with well-deserved sabbaticals.”

TThe program was funded by the Foundation to support nonprofit leaders and seeks to improve the long-term effectiveness of health service nonprofits by providing their executives with the rest they need to continue to direct their organizations missions. In addition to the $30,000 sabbatical grant, each organization receives up to $5,000 for the professional development of the managers who will take on extra responsibilities in the absence of the sabbatical recipient.

"TCWF's Sabbatical Program is a refreshing, cool spring to leaders of California's health safety net," said Jan Masaoka, CompassPoint's executive director. "This program helps retain current executives - especially important, as many longtime leaders from the baby boom consider leaving high-stress positions."

All of the sabbatical honorees have served in the nonprofit sector for many years. Most have worked in their current roles as lead executives of health service organizations for more than 20 years — without a significant break. When asked how they intended to spend their sabbaticals, the honorees described a wide range of activities, including spending quality time with family and friends, traveling, pursuing artistic interests and volunteering.

“It is a pleasure to recognize these dedicated executives who have worked selflessly for so many years in the nonprofit health sector,” said Cristina Regalado, TCWF’s vice president of programs. “We were inspired by The Durfee Foundation’s successful Los Angeles County sabbatical program and wanted to take it statewide. CompassPoint’s extensive knowledge and expertise in nonprofit management were key to making it happen.”

For more than 27 years, CompassPoint has provided nonprofit organizations with a broad range of services including management consulting, executive leadership support, and board development. CompassPoint has also conducted several research studies on the nonprofit sector, including a national study on the career paths of nonprofit executives. Visit www.compasspoint.org or call CompassPoint at (415) 541-9000 to learn more about the sabbatical program or to access CompassPoint’s reports on executive leadership in the nonprofit sector.

The California Wellness Foundation is an independent, private foundation created in 1992, with a mission to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention. The Foundation prioritizes eight issues for funding: diversity in the health professions, environmental health, healthy aging, mental health, teenage pregnancy prevention, violence prevention, women’s health, and work and health. It also responds to timely issues or special projects outside the funding priorities.

Since its first year of operation, TCWF has awarded 3,313 grants totaling more than $400 million. It is one of the state’s largest private foundations, providing an average of $40 million in grants each year in pursuit of its mission.

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Note to reporters & editors: "The" in The California Wellness Foundation name is part of the Foundation's legal name. Please do not drop or lowercase the "T."