Models of Sustainability
Programs around the country have developed models or resources to enhance sustainability. Here, we introduce five that offer valuable lessons and ideas for all of our programs.
The Finance Project is a 10-year-old nonprofit located in Washington , D.C. , that aims to support decision making that produces good results for children, families and communities. Their model for sustainability features eight topic areas critical to securing a stable base of fiscal and non-fiscal resources: vision, results orientation, strategic financing, adaptability, broad-based community support, key champions, strong internal systems, and a sustainability plan. READ MORE
The University of Kansas Community Toolbox is an on-line collection of over 200 tools on topics relevant to promoting community health and development. It focuses on creating change and developing competency in six broad areas: understanding community context; collaborative planning, developing leadership and enhancing participation; community action and intervention; evaluating community initiatives; and promoting and sustaining the initiative. READ MORE
Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor of the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA have developed a model of sustainability for initiatives that aim to increase mental health services in school settings. Their model can also be applied to many other kinds of community initiatives. The model focuses on sustaining specific 'valued functions' and collaborations established through a program by achieving systemic change in an organization. Their action model consists of steps to argue for and achieve sustainability of program elements. READ MORE
The Action Center is a technical assistance center for Safe Schools/Healthy Students grantees from 1999 and 2000. Working from the Adelman/Taylor model the Action Center created a Toolkit with exercises to help grantees think through areas and concepts of sustainability with their staff or advisory board members. Tools address vision, financing, evaluation, capacity building, communications and marketing, partnerships/collaboration, and strategic planning. READ MORE
The Center for Civic Partnerships is part of the Public Health Institute that focuses on community-based health improvement, leadership, policy development and public health. The Center's services emphasize participatory governance and a systems approach to healthier communities. Their product, The Sustainability Toolkit: 10 Steps to Maintaining Your Community Improvements outlines this approach to sustaining community initiatives: create a shared understanding of sustainability; position your efforts to increase sustainability; create a plan to work through the process; look at the current picture and pending items; develop criteria to help determine what to continue; decide what to continue and prioritize; create options for maintaining your priority plans; develop and implement a sustainability plan; evaluate your outcomes and revise as needed. READ MORE
