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Homepage >The QSA Tool: Get Started with Your Self-Assessment! >Program Sustainability/Growth
Program Sustainability/Growth
A quality program has a coherent vision/mission and a plan for increasing capacity that supports continuing growth.
MORE ON PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH
A quality program has a clear vision and goals, and makes time for long-term planning involving all major stakeholders. Sustainable programs use diverse strategies to support their work, including utilizing volunteers, partnerships and in-kind donations, as well as funding from public and private sources. Sustainable programs understand their current strengths, weaknesses, and growth potential, and are deeply engaged in their communities. Sustainable programs monitor changing trends in programming, funding, and other issues in the wider environment and tailor their development strategies accordingly.
Click here to fill out the Program Sustainability/Growth section of the QSA Tool electronically.
Zooming In
For definitions of what each quality indicator might look like at performance levels 1-4, click here.
Taking Action
Program Element |
Quality Indicator |
Perf.
Level |
Timeline for Improvement and Improvement Steps |
Person(s) Responsible |
Res. Needed |
Program Sustainability/ Growth |
#3 Involves participants, families, staff, and board members in long-term decision-making and planning efforts. |
1 |
Right Now |
1. Establish a planning committee made up of staff, participants, families, and board members.
2. Assign a point person to monitor progress and keep the committee on task.
3. Revise program documents to include program goals. |
1. Site Director: Anne Johnson
2. Local Principals/ School Administrators: Pete Jones Susan Silver John Kim Carlos Rivera
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None
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This Year |
1. Find an experienced facilitator to guide and coach the organization through a strategic planning session.
2. Schedule leadership trainings for Site Director and other program leaders.
3. Committee identifies realistic benchmarks for achieving goals and ways to measure them.
4. Schedule ongoing staff meetings to share lessons learned and to revisit the plan.
5. Provide decision-making, leadership, and communication trainings to stakeholders in preparation for strategic planning conversations. |
Next Year |
1. Hold formal orientation to revisit program plans and to accommodate the changing needs of participants, families, and the organization.
2. Develop formal mechanisms to encourage feedback from all stakeholders including staff.
3. Identify a designated check-in time as a vehicle to empower stakeholders and staff to inform the process, share concerns, and make revisions to the program plan as needed. |
 Tips for Success
Sustaining your program is not simply about generating new dollars. It requires taking several approaches to cultivating relationships, finding a niche, diversifying funding sources, and being adaptable to changing trends. Sustainability planning should be a team effort. It requires a constituency and a common vision and strategy. Here are some steps to help your program achieve long-term sustainability.
Steps towards Sustainability
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Increase program visibility through unique marketing and outreach efforts in your community and with key stakeholders, such as school administrators, local elected officials, and other community leaders.
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Build ongoing support among your constituents – don’t wait to contact them only when you need them!
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Diversify funding and in-kind support by having a large pool of donors and volunteers.
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Be willing to invest in systematic changes, such as a new data management system or a strategic planning consultation.
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 Try This!
A great program should not be a well kept secret. Use your successes as an opportunity to reach out to stakeholders, who include families, funders, community partners, local politicians and businesses, to tell them about your program. Use some of the time you invest in sustainability planning to develop an effective marketing strategy and revisit that strategy at least once each year. Consider using multiple mechanisms for getting the word out about the program, such as:
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Develop a brochure that describes your program and its goals.
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Translate the brochure into the languages spoken by your community.
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Send out a press release when something exciting is happening at your site.
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Create a newsletter and distribute it to all your stakeholders.
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Create a website for your program and highlight upcoming events, awards, and news.
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Research, Tools and Templates, and Resources
Research
Financing and Sustaining Out-of-School Time Programs in Rural Communities, The Finance Project
Thinking Broadly: Financing Strategies for Youth Programs, The Finance Project
Tools and Templates
Out-of-School Time Cost Calculator, The Wallace Foundation
This online calculator lets you determine the costs of a variety of options for high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs.
Resources
Afterschool Alliance Website on Funding and Sustainability
Resources and tips on funding afterschool programs
Afterschool.gov, United States Government
Website with helpful information about program funding, forming collaborations, and other topics
Connect for Kids Website
Links to funding opportunities for a wide variety of programs
The Foundation Center Website
Resources on building relationships with funders, prospect research, and grant writing
Proposal Development and Writing, New York State Center for School Safety
Tips for developing and writing successful responses to government requests for proposals.
TASC Funding Opportunities Database, The After-School Corporation (TASC)
Searchable listing of funding opportunities
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