S A B B A T I C A L S T O B U I L D N O N P R O F I T L E A D E R S H I P A N D O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L

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1 P I P E R F E L L O W S P R O G R A M S A B B A T I C A L S T O B U I L D N O N P R O F I T L E A D E R S H I P A N D O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E

2 Keith Thompson (2006 Fellow) The Phoenix Shanti Group P I P E R F E L L O W S P R O G R A M The pressures of jobs in the nonprofit world are not different from stresses of other key leadership roles in the private and public sectors. The Piper Fellows program acknowledges the never-ceasing demands of nonprofit leadership and provides opportunities for Valley leaders to retool, refresh and renew their skills. Sabbatical. Piper Fellowships give nonprofit professionals expenses for study and travel. A sabbatical allows up to one month to two months of work-release time from their organizations and can be taken all at once or divided into several smaller projects or programs. Fellow candidates are encouraged to explore educational and professional programs and best practice sites across the country. Five Fellowships. Each year the program offers a maximum of five awards up to $30,000 each to support the professional development of outstanding senior executives of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Maricopa County. These leaders represent human services, health, education, arts and culture, and religion. Awards are made to an organization in recognition of an executive who has demonstrated both leadership and potential for a significant role in the organization s future. Staff Development. Recognizing the need to stimulate learning and exploration among the rest of the staff and board, the Trust provides $10,000 to each organization for professional staff and board development. Organizational Award. Piper Fellows also are eligible to apply for up to $50,000 for a Piper Organizational Enhancement Award to support a project to address one of the major opportunities or challenges facing the organization. Fellows may apply for the award at any time during their fellowship year and up to six months following the completion of their fellowships. Fellows must indicate how their fellowship connects to the requests for organizational funding. The application process does not disqualify an organization from applying for a typical competitive grant during the year in which an Organizational Enhancement Award is funded. Cover: Michelle Dionisio (2005 Fellow) Benevilla, fomerly Interfaith Community Care

3 Dr. Pamela Martin (2003 Fellow) Homeward Bound THE FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE The value of a Piper Fellowship relies first of all on a well-planned sabbatical. The challenge of the work-release program is to identify courses, programs and projects to achieve identified leadership objectives. Fellows as well as organized experiences with former Piper Fellows. The shared advice and support are invaluable. Piper Trust works to enhance this relationship-building: Field Work. The sabbatical experiences have ranged from seminars at the leading business schools to leadership development programs, best practice sites and personal coaching. One Fellow studied organizational leadership with Dr. Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline and founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning. Another took an eight-week Spanish immersion program in Cuernavaca, Mexico, to gain cultural knowledge and language ability. Yet another completed an improvisational theater program with the Second City troupe in Chicago to gain greater facility in speaking extemporaneously in front of groups. All Piper Fellows appreciate their sabbatical coursework and travel, site visits and reflection time. More than anything though, they value the new relationships some of these are outside the Valley but most are relationships among the class of Piper Retreat. Each new class of Piper Fellows has a one-day retreat early in the fellowship year. This retreat establishes relationships and further strengthens networking within the new class. Fellow Meetings. From the beginning, Piper Fellows decided they didn t want to limit their experience to a single year; they wanted to continue the ongoing support and shared experiences. To that end, there are informal breakfast meetings as well as several meetings with community leaders and visiting thought leaders. Learning Circles. Piper Fellows also can participate in monthly facilitated learning circles where they can share both personal and professional issues common to the nonprofit leaders. These circles focus on the concept of building community among nonprofit leaders.

4 Luz Sarmina (2004 Fellow) Valle del Sol, Inc. ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS Qualified Organizations. The candidate s employing organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has provided services primarily within Maricopa County for at least 10 years* in human services, health, education, arts and culture, or religion. The employing organization should: Fully support the candidate s request for leave to participate in the Fellows program and submit a work plan for organizational management during the candidate s absence and upon the candidate s return. Guarantee all salary and benefits and continue full-time employee status of the candidate during the period of leave. Be able to sustain regular operations during the candidate s absence. Candidates. Executives with significant responsibilities for a nonprofit organization serving Maricopa County in the area of human services, health, education, arts and culture, or religion may apply. Employees of organizations classified as private foundations under Section 509(a) are not eligible. Candidates for the Piper Fellows program should: Be an outstanding executive who has a demonstrated track record of leadership within the organization and service to the community. Be responsible for a significant level of management of the organization s programmatic or operational activities. Have worked a minimum of 10 years in the nonprofit sector, though not necessarily for a single organization, without previous significant leave for professional development. Be a full-time employee of the applicant organization. Other Requirements. The release time must begin within 12 months of the award notification date. Candidates completing the Piper Fellows program are required to send a written report to the Piper Trust within three months of completion of the award period. Reports should include a detailed account of the experiences and activities during the release period and how those experiences and activities will help them better serve the mission of their organizations. Piper Fellows agree to participate in periodic activities during the fellowship year and in subsequent years as alumni to build on their experiences, to foster continued professional development and to stimulate potential collaboration and cooperation among the Piper Fellow organizations. * Each year, the selection committee may choose to award one fellowship to an Emerging Leader whose organization has operated for five or more years. For consideration, the nonprofit leader must meet all candidate-specific requirements.

5 Dr. Paul Mittman (2009 Fellow) Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine T H E A P P L I C A T I O N P R O C E S S Letter. Please prepare a letter of no more than three pages responding to the following questions: Why are you working in your field? What significant lessons have you learned in your work? What do you see yourself doing in five years? How would you use the award resources and release time for personal development of your capacity to enhance leadership, client service and operational effectiveness within your organization? Be specific about proposed activities or course of study and length of time. How would your experience as a Piper Fellow benefit your organization? Support Materials. In addition to the application letter, please submit the following information on standard 8½ x 11 paper: One-page description of your organization, its mission and services. Résumé that covers, at minimum, the past 10 years of your career. Proposed budget for the sabbatical expenditures. List of three Maricopa County-area references with complete contact information. Brief letter of endorsement, signed by your organization s board chair or other appropriate person, including: 1) plan for organizational management during your absence and upon your return; 2) guarantee of maintenance of your regular salary and health and other benefits during the award period; and 3) agreement that you will not go to the place of work or be distracted by work issues during your leave. Deadline. Mailed applications must be postmarked by September 15. Please do not or fax applications. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Submit to: Piper Fellows Program Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust 1202 East Missouri Avenue Phoenix, Arizona Selection. Each year, the Fellow selection process is conducted by an independent committee of distinguished Valley citizens knowledgeable about the importance of the nonprofit sector and its contributions to the region. The selection committee operates independently and makes its recommendations directly to the Piper Trust Board of Trustees for its consideration. Finalist interviews are in October, and announcement of Piper Fellows is in November.

6 Mary Peterson (2009 Fellow) Maggie's Place V I R G I N I A G. P I P E R C H A R I T A B L E T R U S T A private, independent foundation, the Piper Trust is dedicated to honoring Virginia Galvin Piper s philanthropic commitment to changing lives and strengthening community in Maricopa County (Arizona). By investing in nonprofits and encouraging strategic planning for the future, Piper Trust strives to make Maricopa County a stronger, more nurturing and vibrant community. Piper Trust focuses grantmaking on healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, education, arts and culture, and religious organizations. As a place-based philanthropy concentrating on one geographic area, Piper Trust works to be more than a grantmaker. The Trust convenes groups to address community issues, brings national leaders to meet with nonprofit executives and fosters collaboration in the philanthropic sector. Piper Trust introduced the Piper Fellows Program in 2001 to enable nonprofit leaders to take sabbaticals for renewal and professional development. PIPER FELLOWSHIP DATES Early June Public information session September 15 Postmark deadline for completed applications October Finalist interviews at Piper Trust Offices Early November Announcement of Piper Fellow awards For more information, contact: Judy Jolley Mohraz, Ph.D. Piper Trust President and CEO or jmohraz@pipertrust.org Chris Tompkins Piper Fellows Coordinator (home office) (cell) or ctompkins@pipertrust.org E A S T M I S S O U R I A V E N U E P H O E N I X, A R I Z O N A W W W. P I P E R T R U S T. O R G