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Program Sustainability

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Sustainability%20Toolkit%20Excerpt%20-%20Step%203. Program Sustainability Assessment Tool- beta. Understanding sustainability – systems as a framework, thermodynamics as a metaphor | Surprises in Programs and their Evaluations. I have been thinking about the research I have been reading on sustainability, and musing about the possibility of a simple framework to help explain it all.

Here is what I came up with. Please beat up on it as you deem fit and proper. I begin with the age old question: Why is it easier to break something than to build it? The answer is rooted in system behavior. Systems have multiple parts, and in order for the system to function (or more fundamentally, in order for the system to be a system), dependencies among those parts need to be maintained. This is true whether we are talking about jet engines, worms, schools, governments, or whatever. I know that not all parts are equally important and that some relationships have much looser tolerances than others. Looked at this way, more has to be maintained than broken for the system to work. Another way of saying that dependencies need to be maintained is to say that energy needs to be expended to keep the system functioning. Like this: Evolve or Die: Why and how nonprofits are thinking differently about our organizations. Editor's Note: This is the second article in a multi-part content series that explores the shifting landscape and the move towards greater collaboration and shared services in the nonprofit sector.

The first article, Thinking about sharing services? Don't assume it will save you money! , was published on July 29, 2012. Paid CharityVillage Members also have access to a special report on the topic entilted Friendship, Courtship, Partnership: Why Canadian Nonprofits need to think about working together differently. There are powerful winds of change blowing for the nonprofit sector in this country. Donor and funder expectations are changing, as they look for more engagement, involvement and accountability, and for more meaningful ways to measure outcomes and demonstrate impact.

As nonprofits seek out new sources of revenue and diversify their revenue streams, the ways in which nonprofits structure and resource themselves is shifting. First, what is the impetus driving the change? CPHSS - Sustainability Project. Funder: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and HealthStaff Contact: Annaliese CalhounProject Duration: 2010-present Since 2010, CPHSS has developed, refined, and is now disseminating a tool designed to measure program capacity for sustainability. This work was initially funded by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and is currently funded by the CDC, Office on Smoking and Health.

Recognizing that sustainability is a major challenge for all kinds of programs, CPHSS wanted to create a tool that staff, managers, funders, and evaluators could use to measure their program’s sustainability. To develop the tool, CPHSS conducted a comprehensive literature review and used expert-informed Concept Mapping. CPHSS is now entering the dissemination phase of this project. A New Tool for Measuring Capacity for Sustainability. 2012.

Assessing and Building Sustainability. 2012, Annaliese Calhoun, AEA/CDC Summer Evaluation Institute. Center for Tobacco Policy Research || George Warren Brown School of Social Work|| Washington University in St. Louis. What is Program/Organization Sustainability and How Can You Achieve It? We've all heard the story: an innovative program was successful but had to stop because major or seed funding was discontinued. However, research in the area of program sustainability has shown that there are concrete steps you can take to increase the longevity of your programs. Learn what factors can increase the sustainability odds of your program or organization and how to develop a formal sustainability plan. You Will Learn what is program sustainability and why it's importantthe characteristics of programs that are sustained versus those that become inactivethe factors that can increase the sustainability odds of your programhow to develop a formal sustainability plan to increase the longevity potential of your programhow to address funders' concerns regarding sustainability in grant applications Who Should Take this Webinar What Past Participants Have Said "Thank you for your very informative webinar.

Think about. The time went by very quickly. Next week. " Webinar Cancellation Policy.