Application Process

The applicant will be required to fill an online form expressing their interest. Please fill up the application after confirming that you meet the criteria.

Applicants will be invited for a discussion post submission of the form. Applicants need to plan their sabbatical dates atleast 3-4 months from their application date.

Post finalising the support, the required funds will be transferred to the organisation after all due-diligence formalities have been completed between the organisation and Dasra.

Once selected, we will work with the leader to guide them through the following :

Ideas around their sabbatical. We aim to build a curated list of opportunities that might support the sabbatical.
Sharing experiences and insights from other leaders who have taken a sabbatical.
Support with planning / prioritising key initiatives within their organisation that they need to hand over to the next line of leadership.
Engagement with the Board so they can support the leader taking the sabbatical.

Criteria for Selection

Persons wishing to apply for this support need to fulfil the following criteria :

Should have been part of an organisation and/or development sector for a minimum of 10 years.

Should be in a leadership position in their current role (Entrepreneur, Founder, CEO, CXO).

Should be based and working in India in the development sector.

The organisation will need to have a valid FCRA licence to receive this support.

The applicant needs to plan for a minimum of a 3-month sabbatical and a maximum of 1-year.

Only those will be eligible whose organisations cannot provide them financial support during their sabbatical or do not have policies in place for sabbatical support.

An individual cannot get sabbatical support from their organisation and also through this initiative.

The sabbatical is not a time to work on other jobs to earn an extra income or use this time to get busy with other assignments/projects. In the true spirit of the sabbatical, it’s time to take a step back, rest, rejuvenate and to invest in one’s well being and care.

The organisation should be on a strong footing with an identified second leader/s and Board stepping up during the sabbatical process.

The Individual should be able to completely cut-off from the organisation during the time of the sabbatical.

Eligibility criteria for applications exclude organizations with religious, political affiliations, social enterprises, and intermediary organizations.

Planning for the Sabbatical

The Individual is encouraged to prepare and plan for the following before they take a sabbatical :

Sufficient time to prepare and ensure that the knowledge exchange is transferred from the Leader taking the sabbatical to the other staff members stepping up.

Guidance on contingency planning and on managing the message to all stakeholders.

Processes to support the leader to take a break from the organisation.

Messaging to all stakeholders to ensure the opportunity is properly understood and not exploited or wasted.

Sufficient support / processes in place to ensure all stakeholders are supported throughout the entire process to make the program a success.

Assistance in setting the expectations for staff who step-up — before, during and after the sabbatical.

Support throughout the process for the board and the staff stepping-up — sounding-boards, mentors, coaches, etc.

Support in transitioning the leader back into their position.