About
Our Mission
Dharma Collaborative equips participants with tools to build resilience, combat burnout, and create sustainable wellbeing for themselves, their teams, and thereby, the work most critical to our communities
Dharma (n.):
A Hindu, Buddhist, and yogic concept that there is a right or true way for each person to carry out their life in order to serve both themselves and others.
Collaborative (adj.):
To work jointly with others or together on an endeavor.
A group of people committed to a life of service, supporting each other and being supported with resilience to serve.
Nonprofit Burnout:
A Call To Action
Burnout has long been a challenge in the nonprofit sector; however, recent current events such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, racial reckoning and political unrest have led to a nonprofit burnout crisis.
50%
of nonprofit employees experience burnout
Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review
75%
of nonprofits indicate that burnout among staff is impeding the organization's ability to achieve its mission
Source: State of Nonprofits 2024, What Funders Need to Know, The Center for Effective Philanthropy
1%
of foundation dollars awarded to nonprofits is allocated to support staff development
Source: Fund the People
Our Solutions
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Our Solution:
Customized Programs
Our programs are customized to meet the unique challenges of your organization and can be tailored to staff in a variety of positions. Participants engage in evidence-based healing practices through a distinctive blend of experiential learning and skill-building, strengthening their ability to heal and sustain themselves in their work.
Retreats
3 or 4 night offerings
Planning and facilitation of single or multi-day retreats hosted at our retreat center partner in Western Michigan, or at a location of your choice.
Training
Half or full day
Stand alone or series of workshops facilitated by our team of experts; can take place in person, virtual, or hybrid.
Coaching
Individual and/or Group
Structured setting to learn and practice skills that support individual and organizational goals.
Customizable Program Content
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Introduction to mindfulness
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Understanding the stress cycle
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Yoga
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Meditation
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Breathwork
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Journaling
Mindfulness, Rest and Restoration
Sustainable Work Habits
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Understanding our Dharma/Purpose
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Values clarification
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Prioritization and decision making
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Giving and receiving peer support
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Boundary setting
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Environmental influence
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Through education and experiential learning, participants engage in evidence based mindfulness interventions, practices which foster reflection and emotional balance, neuroscience approaches to stress management, and rest which encompasses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions.
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Body awareness
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Gratitude practices
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Cognitive behavior practices
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Self-compassion
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The seven types of rest
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Self-awareness and regulation
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Science and culture of burnout
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The history of collective care
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Redefining self-care
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(Com)passion Fatigue
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Energy optimization techniques
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Time management
Through knowledge building and hands on practice, participants examine the structural and root causes of burnout, learn the history of collective care and the power of peer support as antidotes to isolation, and learn strategies for sustainably managing intense and urgent workloads.
Our Solution:
The Dharma Collaborative Fellowship
This Fellowship experience not only provides respite and support to Fellows during their Fellowship year; but catalyzes community, skills, and habits that participants can draw on to navigate future vulnerability to burnout. We recognize that burnout will not be eliminated without a fundamental transformation of employment and funding structures in the social impact sector. In the meantime, Dharma Collaborative seeks to deliver care for those who care for our communities. Drawing on a rapidly growing body of sociological and scientific research, The Dharma Collaborative Fellowship offers a low-cost, high-impact solution to retain leadership. This six-month experience, grounded in evidence-based practices, provides support, skill-building, and rejuvenation for critical community leaders. After completing the Fellowship, participants have access to an Alumni network which offers social connectedness and continuous learning and wellness practices.
Reflect
Individual & Group Coaching
A safe space to explore one's current and desired future state. Support is provided both individually to participants via a certified coach as well as via peer support in group coaching sessions with Fellows in their cohort.
Rest
Retreat
A five day, four night retreat experience with others in their Fellowship cohort. Allows participants to rest, immerse in nature, connect with peers, practice wellness habits, heal and spend time with their coach and Fellowship peers.
Resilience
Network of Support
After completing the Dharma Collaborative Fellowship, participants will have access to a virtual community for their cohort to continue to provide support and guidance to one another. Participants will also have access to Dharma Collaborative Fellowship events, continuous learning, and network opportunities.
Fellowship Content
Dharma Collaborative's core concepts are taught concurrently throughout the six-month Fellowship, enabling Fellows to reinforce and deepen their understanding and application over time. This approach fosters long-term retention and habit-building through deepening the connections between the concepts.
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