The Durfee Foundation announced today its 2025-2026 class of Sabbatical Fellows.
In an effort to replenish the stores of energy and inspiration for our community’s most treasured leaders, the Sabbatical program offers awardees’ organizations a total of $75,000 each. This includes $60,000 for awardees to travel, reflect or otherwise recharge in whatever manner they propose, for a minimum of three consecutive months; and $15,000 to advance the skills and well-being of the organization’s staff, and also to reward those who carry extra responsibility during the sabbatical.
Los Angeles is in a season of profound challenge and change, in which there are strains on our communities and the nonprofit leaders who hold them together. At a time when so many are carrying more than ever, the Durfee Sabbatical program offers a deliberate pause. It is an investment in replenishing the stores of energy, creativity, and resilience that leaders need to sustain themselves and their organizations for the long haul.
“Philanthropy has an opportunity to support nonprofit leaders as they navigate an ever-shifting landscape by investing in their rest and renewal,” said Durfee CEO Maria Cabildo. “This is the first cohort of my tenure as CEO. I am grateful to the community panel that deliberated over every applicant. This year’s cohort captured our hearts and imagination with the bold moves and thinking that drive their work.”
“The Durfee Sabbatical is an important investment in the nonprofit sector in Los Angeles,” said Cynthia Strathmann, former Sabbatical Fellow and panelist. “It is a period of time for leaders to reflect and rest, but also for their staff to stretch and grow in ways that would not be possible without the foundation’s structured support, and which add capacity to the organization in ways that last for years.”
There are six fellows in the 2025-2026 cohort. They are:
Cristian Ahumada is the Executive Director of Holos Communities, a nonprofit dedicated to creating spaces for all people. With the goal of providing opportunities for a fuller life, they approach the creation of spaces through a holistic lens as they work to end homelessness, combat global warming, and reverse racial inequity.
Chancela Al-Mansour is the Executive Director of Housing Rights Center, the nation’s largest non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to securing and promoting Fair Housing. The Housing Rights Center serves residents of the city and county of Los Angeles, and the city and County of Ventura. As the fair housing council for these geographic areas, HRC serves all residents seeking homelessness prevention and anti-housing discrimination services.
Tara Barauskas is the Executive Director of Community Corporation of Santa Monica, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives and neighborhoods by providing affordable housing in high resource communities on the Westside of Los Angeles County. They serve families and seniors of modest means, and have built and are operating over 2,000 affordable homes.
Rudy Espinoza is the President and CEO of Inclusive Action, a nonprofit on a mission to serve underinvested communities and build thriving local economies by improving access to transformative capital, and advancing policy through collaborative research and community-driven advocacy.
Leslie Ito is the Executive Director and President of the Armory Center for the Arts, a nonprofit that nurtures our community and its young people by creating, learning, and presenting art to advance equity and social justice. The Armory envisions joyful, healthy, and equitable communities shaped by imagination, creativity, and diverse voices.
Marissa Nuncio is the Executive Director of the Garment Worker Center, a worker rights organization leading an anti-sweatshop movement to improve conditions for tens of thousands of Los Angeles garment workers. Through direct organizing, GWC develops leaders who demand enforcement of strong labor laws and accountability from factory owners, manufacturers, and fashion brands. We center immigrant workers, women of color, and their families who are impacted by exploitation in the fashion industry.
The Durfee Foundation’s focus is on extraordinary people who are making a better Los Angeles.
Additional information about the program is available at https://durfee.org/our-programs/sabbatical/. Contact Stella Chung, stella@durfee.org, 310-899-5120.