BREAKWEEK, powered by R&R: The Rest of our Lives, is an opportunity for US-based Jewish nonprofit organizations to experiment with a powerful talent intervention - a 1-week org break - in a structured format, paired with implementation guides, coaching support, customized evaluation tools, peer-to-peer engagement and a $5,000 grant.

Organizational-wide closures are a proven practice that have been utilized across sectors to promote habits of wellbeing, retention and productivity, and combat burn-out, attrition and exhaustion. Rest-based interventions, such as this, are a critical part of equity work, defining organizational culture and giving all team members agency to help make their day-to-day feel sustainable.

We know there is a cost to shutting your organization down for one week. The grant funds, together with the holistic support and guidance, aim to make this opportunity more feasible and meaningful for your organization.

THE DETAILS

Up to 10 applicants will receive a $5,000 grant and support to provide their entire team with one-week (5 consecutive work days) of paid time-off, taking place at the same time for all employees, and implemented between the months of August ‘24 - February ’25.

ELIGIBILITY

Be a Jewish nonprofit organization (501c3 or fiscally sponsored)

Have at least five (5) full-time paid staff
Demonstrate organizational readiness and commitment to implement this intervention within grant timeframe
Ensure your one-week break (5 consecutive work days) is available to all staff at the same time during the months of Aug ‘24-Feb ‘25 and will not take place during Jewish holidays or the week between Christmas and New Years.

TIMELINE

April 1 - May 6: Applications open
May: Submissions read by review panel
Early June: Applicants notified
July 10, 2024: 1st Grantee Cohort Meeting
August ‘24 - February ‘25: Grant implementation period

REVIEW CRITERIA

BREAKWEEK applications will be reviewed by three (3) external readers. The names of the readers will be shared publicly later on in the application process. R&R operates through a set of guiding values that will inform the way in which our external readers evaluates applications. They will consider each application in light of these questions:

Organizational readiness
Culture of org demonstrated by existing policies and practices
Expressed level of need for support and investment in piloting this experiment

Apply for BREAKWEEK

Click here for a PDF copy of the brief application questions for review in advance of submission

Proof this is worth trying for your team

The Rise of the Company-Wide Vacation // Condè Nast

Why company-wide vacations are the key to a happy and productive workforce // Small Improvements Blog

How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being // Harvard Business Review

The disconnect disconnect: Aligning culture and policy to mend the rift between needing time off and taking it // Deloitte Insights

Employee Burnout Report // Indeed

Why You Should Take More Time Off from Work // Greater Good Magazine

Most of Us Aren’t Saving Lives. Company-Wide Time Off Would Allow Employees to Reset Theirs // Triple Pundit

Company-wide leave time - Why every business should do it // The J Molner Company

Employee Retention Strategies for Nonprofits: Complete Guide // Graham Pelton

FAQs

As a pilot experiment, we’re learning along with you! If you have any questions that are not listed on this FAQ, please feel free to reach out to rachel@restofourlives.org. And, if applicable, we’ll also add the question/answer to this list for others after we share it with you!

Yes! Providing a week-off to all of your employees does not need to be a new model for your organization in order to be eligible for BREAKWEEK.
Yes! The funds can be used to support /reimburse your organization in implementing the experiment in whatever way you see fit. The grant funds will be sent to your organization following the completion of your time-off experiment and organization’s submission of pilot evaluation (within 45 days).
Yes! BREAKWEEK should be provided on-top of any existing/regular personal vacation time that an employee is eligible for in their role.
BREAKWEEK is one-week of paid time-off, taking place at the same time for all employees, and implemented between the months of August ‘24 - February ’25. The week cannot be scheduled during Jewish holidays or the week between Christmas and New Years.
We completely understand that there are a number of nonprofits that have a critical need to operate with working staff 365 days a year, such as nursing homes. first responders, etc.

In our pilot phase, BREAKWEEK is built for organizations that have the ability to close for all employees at the same time. If that is not possible for your organization, we encourage you to still explore the concept and consider implementing the idea on your own terms - maybe even in a rotation-style implementation (ie: teams switch off weeks).
This experiment is geared toward organizations that have at least 5 full-time employees as we believe implementing or piloting a practice (ie: a week-off) can be more complicated to achieve as easily with more employees. However, for example, if you have 4 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees, you are still eligible to apply for BREAKWEEK. We are open to creative structures as long as the employee count equals 5 full-time in some way. We encourage any organizations with less than 5 full-time employees to still pilot this experiment and create healthy organizational habits such as this one, and reach out to us if you have questions!
R&R supports organizations who utilize the Jewish holidays and the week between Christmas and New Years as time to disconnect for their teams. The BREAKWEEK experiment is attempting to ‘break’ with any current norms and encouraging organizations who are ready to disconnect and pause to do so during times of the year that are not necessarily as pressurized for the Jewish community and/or for its staff members. The goal is to democratize access to rest and level the playing field. Meaning, some staff members who have Jewish communal responsibilities may have a difficult time disconnecting during the holidays. In the same vein, staff members with children may also have a difficult time resting during peak secular holiday season/end of year with kids out of school. We provided a long window of Aug-Feb to help organizations think as creatively as possible for their own teams’ needs.