Planning for Program Sustainability

Declining state and federal financial support means literacy programs are looking for other sources of revenue to sustain their program services. This article outlines seven building blocks that programs can use in planning for sustainability.

For more in-depth information about program sustainability, you may want to enroll in the following related Verizon Literacy Campus (VLC) Courses:

• Take Action For Family Literacy
• Valuing Volunteers: Effective Methods of Retaining Today's Volunteers
• Volunteers are Vital: Incorporating Volunteers Into Your Program's Future

1. Begin with your Mission and Goals

Does your program have a mission statement? A mission statement is a written, easy-to-remember statement defining a program's goals and purpose. It should be designed to guide you and your staff in making critical decisions that affect the direction of your program (How-To Network, 2001).

Did your staff help create the program mission statement? Do they subscribe to it? Do your participants know what the program mission is? Does the public know what it is? If your answer is "I don’t know," follow the link below to learn more about creating a mission statement.

Click here to download and print a worksheet designed to help you in creating a mission statement.

Use your mission statement as your primary marketing tool. For example, include your mission statement on stationery, postcards, newsletters, brochures, programs, posters, media releases, and advertisements.

Next, you will need to define program goals. Develop program goals from your program's mission statement and what you hope to accomplish for families. Be sure program goals are understandable and can be communicated clearly to potential funders. Funders want to know the specific outcomes anticipated from a program, what will be achieved, and what their funding will accomplish. Goals show the funder that a program is planning for the future. Don't shape program goals to fit what you think potential funders want to hear and don't promise something that the program can't deliver—this isn’t fair to funders or families.

2. Build a Strong Internal System

Staff. Prepare staff to tell others about the program and its effectiveness. Develop elevator messages that take one sentence and one minute to relay to interested individuals. Share local evaluation data to support your case. Encourage staff to take photos of participants during program activities to use for promotional materials.

Volunteers. Set up a system for recruiting, training, and rewarding volunteers using VLC courses for orientation and professional development. Encourage program volunteers to share information about the program with others. Through their involvement in local organizations, volunteers have an opportunity to report on program goals and successes.

Participants. Provide leadership training for program participants. Encourage them to take leadership positions in their children's schools, their community, and at work. Involve participants when planning special events for the program. Provide opportunities for participants to share their success stories with community members.

Board Members. Keep your board members actively involved by inviting them to your program so that they can see for themselves how your program affects the families you serve. Report success stories and accomplishments, as well as program needs to them. They are in a position to approach other stakeholders in your community for support.

Collaborators. Your partners can help carry the burden by providing staff development, staff, facilities, and supplies. They also can advocate for your program. Learn more in Section 4.

3. Maintain High Visibility in Your Community

Be prepared to answer questions about your program. You will want to tell your community about the program, what it does and how to become involved.

Click here and print out a template on which you can enter information about your program.

Use special events to publicize your program in the newspaper, on television and on the radio. For example, invite the press, legislators and other stakeholders to an Open House, special program honor events, field trips and student graduations. Special events are a good way to recruit new students, create awareness for the program and honor funders.

You may want to create marketing tools to advertise your program in your community. Some examples are brochures, flyers, posters, billboards, bus signs, bumper stickers, videotape/ CD/DVD messages, photographs, a program web site, bulletins, newsletters and community presentations. Remember to customize the message to the audience. A brochure aimed at potential students will look dramatically different from a brochure aimed at a professional organization (Payne, 2002).

4. Involve the Public through Collaborations

Build working relationships in your community through collaborations. Click here to download and print a Potential Collaborators graphic that provides some suggestions for community agencies, organizations, and businesses with whom you might collaborate. Use it to think of some specific groups in your community. Then, click here to enter your ideas in the Potential Contacts worksheet. An example is provided for you. Remember, your work with your collaborators needs to be a win-win relationship. Think not only about what they can do for you, but also think about what you can do for them. Consider both money and in-kind contributions. In-kind contributions can include advertising, photocopying, classroom space, publicity, transportation services, prize donations, office services, and supplies (Payne, 2002). Click here to read about the hallmarks of successful collaborations. Think about which items apply to your program and which items you might want to work on for your program.

5. Maximize your Fundraising Efforts

Keep track of changing conditions that will affect the funding of your program. Identify potential giving sources and monitor opportunities for funding. Here are some sources of funding information:

• Corporate annual reports
• Public relations/public affairs staff members
• The business section of your local paper
• Chamber of Commerce directories
• Magazines such as Fortune, Forbes, and Business Week
• Directory of Corporate Affiliations
• The Federal Register
• The Internet

Click here to download and print out a list of online resources for grants and funding opportunities.

Know what you are asking for and think of new ways to frame your work to interest different funders. To be a successful fundraiser, you must convince people to support your program. Here are some things to consider:

• Never ask a stranger for money. People who do not know you or the program you represent probably will not give money. Write a letter of inquiry, keeping it as short as possible. Give a brief description of the program, its mission and purpose. Indicate why you are applying to this particular funder (is there a connection between their mission and yours?) Request the funder’s proposal guidelines and an annual report.
• Get to know a donor before asking for money. Go out into your community. Attend community special events, receptions, openings where you can talk to others about your program. Ask for donations only after you have taken the opportunity to inform donors about your program.
• Think about the needs of the donor. Learn as much as possible about what the donor needs and how the donor will benefit by giving to your program. Does the donor need goodwill in the community? Does the donor need an educated workforce?
• Personalize your fundraising materials. The more you personalize your approach, the more likely you are to receive a donation. A face-to-face visit raises more money than a phone call, and a phone call raises more money than a mailing.

Make the case larger than the program. Show donors that their gift is an investment in the future that will benefit the community. (Adapted from: Ohio Arts Council, 2005; Payne, 2002)

Writing proposals is a major part of a program's fundraising efforts and requires some technical writing skills. Proposals can be rejected for a variety of reasons. Click here to download and print a list of proposal criticisms. The list contains some common reasons why proposals are rejected, and some suggestions for improvement. Use it as a guide when you write proposals.

6. Become a Good Steward

The process of communicating with a funder after a solicitation is called stewardship (Payne, 2002). Make sure that you acknowledge the receipt of a contribution as soon as possible (within two to three days is best). Write a thank you letter to the funding director, project officer, or other funding supervisor. Even if formal reports are not required, make a schedule of reports anyway and send the contributor informal updates and news of your organization. Occasionally, send your donors invitations for special events, news articles on your organization, and photographs from the program or events. Create opportunities to recognize your supporters. For example, list their names in your annual report, include stories in your organization's publications about the donor and project, and mention donors in your press releases when appropriate (Ohio Arts Council, 2005; Payne, 2002).

7. Learn from Successful Programs

Learn how some literacy programs have successfully maintained services and grown in stature in their community. Click on the links below to read their story and view a graphic model.

• Christian County Literacy Council, Inc., Hopkinsville, KY. Bev Thompson, Director
• Pima College Adult Education Family Literacy AmeriCorps Program. Tucson, AZ. Gerie Espinoza, Coordinator
• The Learning Source for Adults and Families, Denver, CO. Susan Lythgoe, Executive Director
• Bringing it all Together: A Funding Model. This is a graphic that describes the funding partners of The Learning Source for Adults and Families

Conclusion

Sustaining your program is an ongoing process that involves engaging community support and maintaining strong internal systems. You must be able to define your program—state and explain its mission and goals, who is served, and how your program’s success affects the entire community. Don’t try to raise funds by yourself. Involve your staff, volunteers, board of directors, and collaborative partners. Keep your program in the public's eye. Take every opportunity to publicize your program. Staying organized is half the battle. Maximize your fundraising efforts by keeping records, including phone call summaries, so that you are not repeating efforts. You will need to keep yourself informed. Search the internet, read the newspaper, attend conferences where you can network. Finally, learn from other literacy programs. Ask what works for them. Some cities have local fundraising groups that meet regularly to share information and talk with local grant makers.

As you plunge into the realm of fundraising, don't forget what brought you to adult and family literacy in the first place. Share your passion for your work in your fundraising efforts.

References

e-business plan Tutorial. (2005). Mission statement. Retrieved May 20, 2005, from http://myphliputil.pearsoncmg.com/student/bp_turban_introec_1/MissStmt.html

How-To Network. (2001). Mission statement: How to create a mission statement. Retrieved May 20, 2005, from http://www.how-to.com/Operations/mission-statement.htm

Lodl, K., & Stevens, G. (2002, February). Coalition sustainability: Long-term successes & lessons learned.Journal of Extension, 40,1. Retrieved May 19, 2005, from http://www.joe.org/joe/2002february/a2.html

Ohio Arts Council. (2005).Basic Principles of Fundraising. Retrieved May 15, 2005, from http://www.oac.state.oh.us/grantsprogs/BuildingCommunitiesEnglish/BasicsFundraising.doc

Ohio Arts Council. (2005). Potential Collaborator/Partner Contact Worksheet. Retrieved May 15, 2005, from http://www.oac.state.oh.us/grantsprogs/BuildingCommunitiesEnglish/PotentialCollaboratorWorksheet.doc

Payne, C. M. (2002). Fundamentals of fundraising for family literacy programs. Louisville, KY: National Center for Family Literacy.

Public Education Network. (2005, April 22). PEN Weekly NewsBlast. To subscribe, go to http://www.publiceducation.org/

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Copyright © 2005 by the National Center for Family Literacy. Produced by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) (325 W. Main Street, Suite 300, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-4237).