Carolyn Phillips - Pass It On Center

Rob Groenendaal - RSA

www.passitoncenter.org

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Agenda

• Introduction to Sustainability

• Building on Discussions

• A Closer Look at:

• Vision

• Results Orientation

• Strategic Financing

• Questions and Answers

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Goals – Sustainability Planning

The goals of this Webinar include:

• • Increasing your knowledge and skills of sustainability planning,

  • Developing more structure to Your Sustainability Plan,

  • Provide tools to further develop Your Sustainability Plan,

  • Networking and learning from each other to build more effective programs, &

  • Assisting you in developing a stronger network of AT Reuse Program to serve folks with disAbilities.

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Introduction to
Sustainability Planning

– Planning to Plan

• • During this webinar, we will explore four of the eight elements of sustainability and provide guidance on how to use this framework during our planning process.

• • The elements of sustainability include:

• Vision

• Results Orientation

• Strategic Financing

• Key Champions

• Community Support

• Adaptability to Changing Conditions

• Strong Internal Systems

• Clear Sustainability Plan

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Introduction to
Sustainability Planning

• Why are we doing Sustainability Planning?

• We are Interdependent and share success & struggles

• A framework for us to build our AT Reuse programs

Planning to Plan

• Sustainability Planning Helps us:

• Clarify where we are and where we want to go;

• Develop strategies for long-term success;

• Provide benchmarks to measure progress, and;

• Demonstrate to partners & others the value of our work.

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Introduction to
Sustainability Planning

Getting Started:

• Define the program, project or initiative;

• Clarify planning parameters – how much time & resources can you put toward the process?

• Decide whose input we want/need;

• Decide how you will structure the process;

• Decide how we will manage the process;

• Collect the needed information; and

• Develop a work plan.

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Introduction to
Sustainability Planning

• Focus on

  • Diversifying Funding,

  • Building Organizational Capacity &

  • Building Community Support

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Why Sustainability Planning
Is Important

• Because many funding sources are short-term in nature

• Because we operate in a rapidly changing environment (political, economic, and demographic changes)

• Because we can’t afford to lose quality programs and important innovations

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Uses of a Sustainability Plan

• Clarify where you are and where you want to go

A written plan can provide overarching

guidance for your initiative over time

(C) 2006 Finance Project

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Module I: Building a Sustainable Initiative

• Goals:

  • To introduce the sustainability framework and planning process

  • To benchmark progress by identifying strengths and weaknesses

• Tools: Sustainability Self-Assessment

(C) 2006 Finance Project

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Self-Assessment Tool

• Diagnostic tool to help you:

  • assess progress

  • identify strengths and weaknesses

  • determine where to target scarce resources

• Organized by elements; rank your progress toward a desired state

• First step in developing a sustainability plan

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Next Steps

• Prepare a summary of the assessment results

• Share with your Advisory Council and Program Staff

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Module II: Creating a Vision and Results Orientation

• Goals:

  • To clarify “what do you want to sustain?” “what do you mean by sustainability” and how you will measure progress toward those goals

• Tool: Logic Model

(C) 2006 Finance Project

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A logic model helps you to answer. . .

. . .”Will the strategies and activities I’m implementing get me to the results I want to achieve?”

It’s simply a graphical representation of your theory of how your work will help improve results for persons with disabilities

(C) 2006 Finance Project

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(C) 2006 Finance Project

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(C) 2006 Finance Project

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Elements of the Logic Model

(C) 2006 Finance Project

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Steps for Completing Module II

1. Clarify vision and desired results

2. Identify conditions and causes

3. Identify and prioritize strategies and activities

4. Define scale and scope

5. Identify measures of progress

(C) 2006 Finance Project

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(C) 2006 Finance Project

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Step 1.

Vision and Results are your answer to the question, “How would people with disabilities and the community that we are trying to benefit be changed if we are successful in our work?”

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Step 2.

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Step 3.

Strategies: Broad practice approaches

Activities: The specific services you implement

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Step 5.

Indicators and

Performance Measures

Indicators: % of persons with disabilities who have access to AT

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Module III: Creating a Strategic Financing Plan

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Developing a Strategic Financing Plan

1. Clarify “Financing for What?”

2. Estimate Fiscal Needs

3. Map Current Funding

4. Assess Gaps

5. Identify Funding Sources and Financing Strategies

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1. Clarifying “Financing for What?”

Information Needed

• Scope of supports and services (e.g. population, geographic area, type of service, when it’s offered, where it’s located, what standard of quality)

• Scale of supports and services (number of clients served)

• Ramp-up Assumptions (if you are expanding, over what period of time? With what benchmarks?)

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2. Estimating Fiscal Needs

Information Needed

• Program costs: both start-up and operating

• Infrastructure costs

• Ramp-up assumptions: how are costs distributed

• By strategy/activity

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3. Mapping Current Spending

Information Needed

• What are current sources of funding (both cash and in-kind)?

• How are these funds used?

• Are they restricted?

• Over what timeframe are they available?

• How stable and reliable are these sources?

• By strategy/activity

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4. Assessing the Spending Gap

Information Needed

What’s the gap between current spending and projected fiscal needs?

• • By strategy/activity

  • By fiscal year

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5. Identify Funding Sources

Suggested Process

• Clarify what you need and when

• Review current funding mix

• Get more information about funding sources

• Determine what funding sources are most appropriate

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Clarify What You Need; When

• Based on gap analysis, review short-term and long-term needs

• Differentiate between one-time fiscal needs (start-up, capital investments) and on-going operating needs

• Match short-term needs to short-term strategies; long-term needs to longer-term strategies

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Review Current Funding Mix

• How many funding sources?

• Public vs. Private: Percentage from public sector? Percentage from private sector?

• Stability: Percentage of support that’s time-limited (1 to 3 years)

• Reliability: Do you have funding sources at risk of being cut or reduced?

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Potential Funding Sources

• Environmental Groups

• Community Development

• Social Services

• Workforce Development

• Education

• Private

• Other Funding Options

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Exploring Potential Funding Opportunities – Environmental

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Community Development

• United States Department of Agriculture

• Community Development Block Grant Funds

• Economic Development / Microenterprise – state and local level

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Social Services

• Medicaid

• State DD Councils

• State Centers for Excellence on Disabilities

• State Department of Elder Affairs / Aging

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Workforce Development

• U.S. Department of Labor

• Workforce Investment Board – state and local level

• State level funding

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Education

• Rehabilitative Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education

• Vocational Rehabilitative Services – various state agencies

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Brainstorm

• Are there other funding sources that you know of that might provide support for your organization?

• Who are the decision makers who administer these dollars in your community?

• How can you engage them in supporting your program?

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Exploring Funding Opportunities – Setting up a Store

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Exploring Potential Funding Opportunities – Scrap Can = $$

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A Closer Look At:

• Recycling Cell Phones & Printer Cartridges for Fundraising

• The following organizations will convert recycled printer cartridges and cell phones into a cash value to fund the school or charity of your choice. Each organization provides a pre-paid box for you to mail the collected items to them.

• 
  phone: 1-800-700-5655

• 
  phone: 1-888-286-7188

• 
  phone: 1-888-883-8237

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Brainstorm

• Consider the private resource and other funding options discussed and identify those that you think hold the most potential for supporting your organization

• Who would you need to engage to access these sources?

• How can you engage them in supporting your organization?

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Determine What Funding Sources are Most Appropriate

• Mission: Does the funding source fit with your mission?

• Matching funding source with funding need: Is the source appropriate and does it have the right timeframe?

• Added value: Do benefits outweigh administrative costs?

• Diversified portfolio: Does source expand/create balance in your portfolio?

• Politics: Is accessing the funding source politically feasible?

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What Questions do You have?

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead

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