The Fellowship Experience

The Barr Fellowship begins with a three-month sabbatical. Grounded in our belief that leadership is relational, and that it develops best in groups, Fellows spend the first two weeks of their sabbatical on a trip to the global south (for example, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Haiti). Structured to immerse Fellows as a group in entirely different learning contexts, this trip creates freedom to think differently. It also deepens Fellows’ perspectives about Boston's immigrant populations.

After this collective journey, Fellows have the opportunity to broaden their networks still further by connecting with NGO leaders they meet on the journey. These leaders, who work in the contexts of scarce resources and great challenge, provide living examples that stir the imagination, inspire and confirm big aspirations, and bolster confidence for Fellows to achieve what they may never have considered possible before.

Following the sabbatical, the Foundation gathers Fellows on semi-annual overnight retreats for three years. These gatherings continue to deepen the peer network of learning, support, and accountability as Fellows seek to manifest their dreams at home.

To support their development, each Fellow also has the option of working with a personal coach.

While the class of twelve are formally together for three years, once an Executive Director is chosen as a Fellow they have the option of becoming part of the larger Fellowship network. Gatherings of Fellows are held each year for the entire network and these may include travel as well.

Support for Fellows’ Organizations

Barr provides each Fellow's organization with a $40,000 grant to help minimize the disruption caused by their absence. This is flexible funding, and organizations use it in a variety of ways, including organizational and/or professional development. The Program also convenes interim leaders twice during the sabbatical for peer learning.

Selection Process

There is no application process for a Barr Fellowship. Every two years, eligible candidates are nominated by previous Barr Fellows, by Barr Foundation staff, and by other funders who have strong knowledge of the diverse mix of Executive Directors working in Greater Boston. All nominees are carefully vetted for eligibility and then reviewed by all the nominators against a set of criteria. A five-member Selection Committee then identifies the finalists. Candidates selected by the Committee who are willing to make the three-year commitment, and who wish to pursue the opportunity move to the final stage of the process. They complete a statement of intent and meet with the Foundation's Executive Director to confirm that their intentions and the goals of the Fellowship are aligned.

Measures of Success

Success is measured in three ways. Tenure and contribution is the first. The program is intended to rejuvenate great leaders so that they continue to make significant contributions.  Renewed and invigorated, many Fellows remain in their organizations long after their Fellowship ends. In other cases, Fellows may be inspired to start new organizations, to take the helm of different ones, or to contribute in other previously unimagined ways. Whatever paths they choose, Barr expects Fellows to bring experience and innovations to bear on persistent social and environmental challenges.

The program is also intended to build a network of boundary-crossing leaders. The diversity of the network in race, ethnicity, discipline, age and gender is intended to help build a more inclusive civic table in Boston. The second measure of success is the degree to which the network is active in knitting the City together through collaborative actions.

Finally, the effect of sabbaticals on nonprofits has been shown to be a positive one for organizational development. Fellows create more distributed leadership during and after their sabbaticals, and their organizations are strengthened as a result. The third measure of success is an increase in overall leadership capacity in Fellows’ organizations.