Summary5

Step 7: Developing sustainability strategies & Chapter 12: Continuation plan

The purpose of the sustainability component is to help you consider how the program
will be funded past its immediate future. The sustainability component needs to reflect
whether the proposal is seeking program, capital or equipment or capacity building funding.
In capital or equipment proposals, grant makers need to know what the associated costs are
for operating the new equipment, for maintaining the new building or for increasing services
if building expansion results in program expansion. In the case of capacity-building grant,
funders want to know how the nonprofit will support the capacity it has grown. Hence, there
are several sources for future funding to take into consideration which include continuation
grants from foundations and corporations, annual campaigns, fees for service, and sales of
items or activities.
Continuation plan is used because grant makers are interested in good investments.
They do not want to fund a project that runs for a year and then disappears into the sunset. If
were making an investment of your proposal funds, you would want to invest in something
lasting. Grant funders are no different. They want to be able to point to an ongoing project
and proudly state that they help get it started. Grant makers truly want to solve the problem at
the core to their purpose. They are sincere in their focus. Prospective grantees are carefully
selected, both because the grant maker believes they have at least a partial solution to the
problem in which they are interested and because the grant maker believes the grantee will
make a lasting impact. The keys to continuation is to avoid staff trap, be creative in thinking
about your project, and think about partners from other organizations that you can join to get
part of the tasks done. Moreover, to prove that your project will continue, first of all, get your
manager on board. Second, you should develop a plan to continue the project after grant
funding runs out. Third, your project should be important enough for it to be institutionalized.
However, proving may not be enough so you may need evidence of continuation includes
showing a clear line of oversight by a top manager, have the manager write a letter of support
stating how important the project is to the organization, describe your plan for continuation,
get any partners to write letters of support specifically stating their investment in the project,
show how the project fits with the mission of your organization, and state how you have
continued those projects if you have initiated other grant projects.