Annual Nonprofit Retreat Week Provides Working Retreat Grants – Online Application Deadline January 30, 2017
RHINEBECK, NY – Established in 2005 as Omega Service Week, Nonprofit Retreat Week supports nonprofits by offering 3-day/2-night self-led working retreat grants on Omega’s campus in Rhinebeck, New York. This year’s Strengthening Communities Summit will bring together nonprofits that prioritize a range of social, economic, or environmental issues in the Mid-Hudson Valley and beyond. Grant recipients can bring their staff, board, and constituents to Omega free of charge, to enjoy full use of the grounds, and a private meeting space to facilitate their work. The application is now available on Omega’s website with a deadline of January 30, 2017.
“Omega is proud to support our nonprofit peers, and touched to see the ripple effect created by Nonprofit Retreat Week over the past 12 years. In that time we have seen more than 300 nonprofits and 4,000 dedicated people come through our doors to work and rest so that they can return to their efforts replenished and invigorated,” said Carla Goldstein, chief external affairs officer at Omega.
Retreat time may be used in a variety of ways, from developing strategic plans for the future, cultivating relationships among board members, and re-engaging with their mission, to deepening staff commitments, generating ideas, and identifying solutions.
For example, 2016 was the third working retreat for Literacy Connections at Omega. As in the past, their staff and board reconnected and planned together. This time they also used the opportunity to convene the board members of four member organizations of a regional literacy consortium.
Marisol Rodriguez, executive director of Literacy Connections, commented on the consortium’s working retreat: “The retreat afforded us the opportunity for great cooperation and to explore our mutual interest in partnering and collaborating. When the statewide network ended, it was a change we had to accept. But now, after gathering, we can see the impact we can have across the Mid-Hudson Valley by supporting one another’s efforts to promote literacy and provide English as a Second Language classes to growing immigrant communities. We are learning that change has been the best thing for all of us.”
The self-led working retreat grant includes simple accommodations, meals, meeting space, access to campus amenities, and building relationships with other participating organizations. Organizations can schedule a free 1-hour consultation with the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) for support in any aspect of nonprofit health—from financial to managerial, motivational to administrative.
For more information visit eOmega.org/nprw, and follow Omega on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+.
About Omega Institute for Holistic Studies
Founded in 1977, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies is the nation’s most trusted source for wellness and personal growth. As a nonprofit organization, Omega offers diverse and innovative educational experiences that inspire an integrated approach to personal and social change. Located on 250 acres in the beautiful Hudson Valley, Omega welcomes more than 23,000 people to its workshops, conferences, and retreats in Rhinebeck, New York, and at exceptional locations around the world. eOmega.org
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