Blog

A colorful collage with hearts made of succulents and dried flowers, figures drawn by hand, and black silhouettes of people. Text includes “wellness,” “Offering support,” “awareness,” “come together,” and three phrases about love’s potential, strength, and protection. Large block letters at the bottom spell “NOW.”
Building an Infrastructure of Care

By: Yvonne Macias, Program Manager During a recent check-in with a nonprofit partner, I asked how she feels about Durfee’s focus on wellbeing funding. With our fifth cycle of the Lark Award approaching, it felt like the moment to sit with the question. She quickly answered that Durfee needs to focus on and continue funding wellness, especially at this moment, as the nonprofit sector is facing increasing demands and challenges.

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What Happens When Nonprofits Are Resourced to Rest: Learnings from the Third Lark Awards Cohort
By: Elmer Vivas Portillo In the nonprofit sector, the people doing the most essential community work are often the least resourced to sustain it. Staff carry enormous weight, often without dedicated support for their own well-being. The Lark Awards program was created to help change that, providing one-time $30,000 grants to small, community-rooted Los Angeles organizations specifically for collective care and staff renewal. As our third cohort of Lark Award
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Sunny afternoon surrounded by palmtrees in Venice Beach California
Lessons from the Second Lark Awards Cohort
By: Elmer Vivas Portillo In the nonprofit sector, burnout isn’t just an individual challenge – it’s a systemic issue threatening the sustainability of vital community work. The Lark Awards program was created to address this reality head-on, providing one-time $30,000 grants to small, community-centered Los Angeles organizations specifically for collective care and staff renewal. As our second cohort of Lark Awards grantee partners (“partners”) completes their grant cycle, we share
Read More »
Illustration of two people sitting on a purple couch with a orange landscape and horizon behind them.
Trust, Rest, and Joy
This is an excerpt from an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review Spring 2024 edition. For the complete article, you can go here. Written by: Carrie Avery, Stella Chung & Sarah Walczyk There is an admonition floating around: “Work smarter, not harder.” But what if the smartest approach is to stop working and truly rest? It may seem counterintuitive, but the Durfee Foundation has adopted this approach since 1997,
Read More »
A colorful collage with hearts made of succulents and dried flowers, figures drawn by hand, and black silhouettes of people. Text includes “wellness,” “Offering support,” “awareness,” “come together,” and three phrases about love’s potential, strength, and protection. Large block letters at the bottom spell “NOW.”
Building an Infrastructure of Care

By: Yvonne Macias, Program Manager During a recent check-in with a nonprofit partner, I asked how she feels about Durfee’s focus on wellbeing funding. With our fifth cycle of the Lark Award approaching, it felt like the moment to sit with the question. She quickly answered that Durfee needs to focus on and continue funding wellness, especially at this moment, as the nonprofit sector is facing increasing demands and challenges.

Read More »
What Happens When Nonprofits Are Resourced to Rest: Learnings from the Third Lark Awards Cohort
By: Elmer Vivas Portillo In the nonprofit sector, the people doing the most essential community work are often the least resourced to sustain it. Staff carry enormous weight, often without dedicated support for their own well-being. The Lark Awards program was created to help change that, providing one-time $30,000 grants to small, community-rooted Los Angeles organizations specifically for collective care and staff renewal. As our third cohort of Lark Award
Read More »
Sunny afternoon surrounded by palmtrees in Venice Beach California
Lessons from the Second Lark Awards Cohort
By: Elmer Vivas Portillo In the nonprofit sector, burnout isn’t just an individual challenge – it’s a systemic issue threatening the sustainability of vital community work. The Lark Awards program was created to address this reality head-on, providing one-time $30,000 grants to small, community-centered Los Angeles organizations specifically for collective care and staff renewal. As our second cohort of Lark Awards grantee partners (“partners”) completes their grant cycle, we share
Read More »
Illustration of two people sitting on a purple couch with a orange landscape and horizon behind them.
Trust, Rest, and Joy
This is an excerpt from an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review Spring 2024 edition. For the complete article, you can go here. Written by: Carrie Avery, Stella Chung & Sarah Walczyk There is an admonition floating around: “Work smarter, not harder.” But what if the smartest approach is to stop working and truly rest? It may seem counterintuitive, but the Durfee Foundation has adopted this approach since 1997,
Read More »