We took an integration sabbatical in 2023
From 2020 to 2023, Threshold Philanthropy was in its startup phase, one where we were rapidly moving, growing, doing, learning, and unlearning. Naturally, as we evolved, Threshold Philanthropy moved past its startup phase and into moment of pause, which kicked off with a team-wide sabbatical that ran from July 1 through early 2024. During this process, we ceased operations, and all team members had time to reflect, recharge, heal, and renew. At the beginning of 2024, we came back together to reassess Threshold’s Philanthropy’s future with fresh eyes, open hearts, and grounded spirits.
The importance of taking a break
We’re proud of the relationships we’ve forged, lessons we’ve learned, and individuals, organizations, and communities we’ve resourced — and, we’ve realized that how we’ve been operating our first two years wasn’t sustainable or healthy for us or our partners. We realized that, despite our best intentions of doing things differently — working to create a new culture rooted in holistic community care, authentic relationships, and healing — we ended up engaging in the same ol’ dynamics and habits that have plagued all Black and Native women and women of color in their careers. We burned the candle at both ends being a grantmaker, an employer, an economic entity, and a civic actor, and also as individual people because of our passion for this work and our deep belief in our mission. We’ve been socialized to accept and perpetuate our own exploitation and, without having real time and space while launching Threshold Philanthropy, we unwittingly brought this mindset into our work.
With this mindset and permeable boundaries, belief in a mission is not enough to sustain our energy for this work.
That’s why it was important for us, as an organization, to make an intentional shift, to not proliferate old habits where organizations just keep going, even when they have drifted away from their original values. Our integration sabbatical was a period of physical, intellectual, and emotional rest for the entire organization.
A discussion with: Threshold Philanthropy
What we did during this sabbatical
Traditional sabbaticals can reinforce extractive, racialized capitalism, and typically, people in leadership positions are the ones who are afforded paid sabbaticals. We wanted to break that model because we know that every team member deserves the time to reflect and renew.
When we all get space, we can actually make a better organization, we can break bigger patterns, and we can support our individual and collective healing. This is an embodied commitment to our liberation and our values.
During the sabbatical, we were caregiving in our communities.
We were still be building a new culture.
We had space to explore who we are beyond our labor.
The end of Threshold Philanthropy
After coming back together from our sabbatical, our team came to some revelations, personal and professional. A liberated future includes the power to say “no” to some choices and “yes” to others. For more details on where we landed, please visit our blog.
Also, over these past two years, Threshold Philanthropy has had the gift of partnering with some phenomenal partners. We highly encourage you to get to know them, to learn more about their work, and to give them some love and support in their missions through resources or sharing connections you can make for them.
Wanna learn more about what we’ve done?
Read more other Threshold Philanthropy learnings on our stories page.