2013-14 Grantee Training: Contemplation, Collaboration and Change
Contemplation, Collaboration and Change was a nine-month training program produced specifically for the Lenz Foundation by senior fellows of the Presencing Institute. The purpose of the program was to help Foundation grantees gain experience and expertise in launching and sustaining collaborations with each other and with partner institutions in other sectors. The program consisted of two weekend workshop retreats, four webinars, group coaching and some organizational consulting.
The Presencing Institute, founded by Otto Scharmer, has deep roots in Buddhism and has also been influenced by the work of Rudolph Steiner and other Western philosophers and practitioners. Learn more about the Presencing Institute
The first weekend retreat was held September 27-30, 2013 at the Garrison Institute outside of New York City. Over 80 people representing 50 American Buddhist organizations attended this productive and successful event; you can read the full program agenda.
The second workshop retreat took place June 5-8, 2014 at Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado, and was open to Foundation grantees and partner organizations. An article on the Garrison conference by Fleet Maull was published in the Shambhala Times.
As a core element of the program, the Foundation created a fund of $250,000 to jumpstart promising collaboration project proposals developed during the course of the program, and the Foundation has committed to putting the full weight of its future grant-making capacity toward supporting the most successful of these projects. These projects will continue to receive coaching and consulting, with additional grant-making support at least through 2016.
An FAQ regarding the program is available, as well as descriptions of the collaborations that ensued from this highly successful program as well as the PowerPoint presentation developed for the program.
