Announcing the 2024 Clare Rose Sabbaticals: Nurturing Leaders and Building Capacity
Nonprofit leaders face immense pressures, often with minimal opportunities for rest, rejuvenation and investment in their professional skills. Acknowledging the vital need for leaders to recharge and be continuous learners, the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego and the Clare Rose Foundation are delighted to unveil the recipients of the 2024 Clare Rose Sabbatical Program.
Congratulations to the 2024 Grantees
This year’s grantees, Solana Center and Karen Organization of San Diego, exemplify unwavering commitment to their communities and missions. Led by Jessica Toth, Solana Center champions innovative solutions to climate change through education and community engagement. Noa Kabashima, Executive Director of Karen Organization of San Diego, is dedicated to the educational and social enhancement of ethnic minority groups from Burma residing in San Diego.
Karen Organization of San Diego is committed to the educational and social enhancement of various ethnic minority groups from Burma who reside in San Diego. Established in 2009, KOSD help refugees navigate social service systems, access leadership and employment opportunities, and stay connected to their community and culture.
Nao Kabashima, is the co-founder and Executive Director. She is originally from Japan and first came to the U.S. as a graduate student. After she earned her Master’s degree in Political Science at California State University, Chico, in 2008, she began volunteering for the Refugee Resettlement Program at Jewish Family Service of San Diego and started to meet with many Karen and Karenni refugee families. In 2009, she co-founded KOSD with Karen community leaders to meet the urgent needs of refugees from Burma in San Diego. She served as the Secretary and Chair of the San Diego Refugee Forum in 2012-2013 and is currently serving the Partnership for Advancement of New Americans (PANA) as a Board Vice Chair. She currently sits at various community advisory boards including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s AAPI Advisor Board and San Diego State University’s School of Social Work Community Advisory Board.
Lead by Jessica Toth, Solana Center’s mission is is to empower innovative solutions to climate change through education, community engagement, and research. Founded as Solana Recyclers in 1983, they are proud to have pioneered the first comprehensive curbside recycling program in San Diego – and one of the first such programs in the State of California.
Jessica started her career on Wall Street during the 1980s. Since then, she has held positions in corporate research, marketing, IT consulting, and business process improvement at various companies, including HP, Texas Instruments, the World Bank, Kyocera, SDG&E, and the San Diego Zoo. She also co-founded and ran Curious Company, an educational software company. More recently, she established the environmental education programs at Rob Machado Foundation and served on a San Diego Coastkeeper committee. She was recently honored by Senator Catherine Blakespear as the 2024 San Diego Woman Who Inspires for remarkable contributions to environmental sustainability and her tireless advocacy for meaningful change in our community. Jessica holds a Master’s degree from MIT in Business and a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell in Engineering. She also completed UCSD Extension’s certificate program in Sustainable Business Practices.
A Dual Purpose: Rest and Capacity Building
The Clare Rose Sabbatical Program serves a dual purpose: providing leaders with essential time for reflection and renewal while also investing in the capacity of next-level leaders. We understand that effective organizations require both energized, imaginative leaders and a pipeline of capable successors.
Through individual stipends of up to $40,000, leaders are empowered to cover salary, benefits, and travel expenses, enabling them to pursue rejuvenating activities. Additionally, up to $3,500 is allocated for professional staff development, nurturing the growth of emerging leaders within the organization. To ensure continuity during the sabbatical period, a fund of $4,000 is designated to compensate or reward the team that assumes leadership responsibilities in the absence of the Executive Director.
Selection Process and Community Engagement
Grantees are meticulously selected through a rigorous process involving written applications, site visits, and committee interviews. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to past Clare Rose Sabbatical Takers who served on the selection committee this year – Kristianne Kurner, New Village Arts, John Malashock, Malashock Dance, and Deborah Martin, ElderHelp. To date, 32 sabbatical grants totaling over $1.6 million have been awarded, thanks to the unwavering support of the Clare Rose Foundation.
Celebrating Together
The announcements of the 2024 Clare Rose Sabbaticals were made on May 15th. Joining Janine Mason and Anne Vincent, were past CRS grantees anxious to welcome new members into the sabbatical family. After presenting the awards, the Clare Rose community continued the celebration at a hosted happy hour in Del Mar as part of Fieldstone’s ongoing commitment to sabbatical keeping, nurturing relationships within the CRS community and giving thanks for those who continue to give back to the program in the spirit of reciprocity.
The Clare Rose Gang huddling in the parking lot before our first surprise.
The Clare Rose Sabbatical Program is an investment in the sustainability and success of nonprofit leaders and their organizations. Studied since its inception, we eagerly anticipate the positive impact these sabbaticals will have on both individuals and the communities they serve.
For more information, visit the Program page on our website.