Sustaining the Work
Sustaining the work is an ongoing concern for many coalitions and organizations doing community work, and Making Connections is no exception. While grant opportunities and funding cycles come and go, figuring out how to sustain the work regardless will allow you to maintain and evolve your work. The work may look the same over time, or it may transform, but, at the end of the day, it is about improving conditions that affect the wellbeing of men, boys, and their families. Sustainability is partly about funding but also includes leveraging available non-financial resources and assets. The concept of sustainability aligns with the environmental movement and reminders to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The following can help you on your journey. It includes a webinar series that spotlights what you need to know about sustainability and additional resources.
Sustainability Webinar #1: Strategies for Long-Term Sustainability
This webinar provided an exploration of the aspects of long-term sustainability, including examples, and included a discussion of sustainability efforts and lessons learned to date among the sites. PowerPoint and webinar recording included. Listen to the webinar recording.
Sustainability Webinar #2: Making an Effective Pitch
This webinar, featuring PI’s communications director, provided an overview of strategies for making a pitch to philanthropic partners, developing communications and messages, outreach tips, etc. Interactive discussion also allowed an opportunity for sites to practice their pitch and get feedback from the learning community (continued as part of the September 2019 convening). PowerPoint and webinar recording included. Listen to the webinar recording.
Sustainability Webinar #3: Understanding the National Landscape for Funding
This webinar, featuring PI’s policy director and Susan Todd from Movember, provided an overview of the national funding landscape, including federal and state agency opportunities, as well as philanthropic partners. PowerPoint and webinar recording included. Listen to the webinar recording.
Sustainability Webinar #4: Innovative Sustainability Practices from Your Peers
This webinar will highlight some of the innovative practices your peers are using to sustain their work. Representatives from Oklahoma, San Diego, and Boston will speak about their experiences, and we will also provide an opportunity for questions and discussion. Listen to the webinar recording.
Report of Findings from Making Connections Sustainability Calls
This brief memo provides an overview of the major themes from the Fall 2019 sustainability calls with sites, including some innovative practice suggestions and examples.
Aspects of Sustainability Handout
This handout provides a definition of sustainability, broad categories for consideration, a SWOT analysis template, and a sustainability planning worksheet.
PowerPoint on Sustainability from the BUILD Health Challenge 2.0
This PowerPoint presentation includes tools from external organizations that can help sites with sustainability planning and discussion.
Policy & Advocacy to Advance Mental Health and Wellbeing
In this webinar recording and powerpoint presentation, Prevention Institute’s Sana Chehimi and Ruben Cantu talk about advocacy, different types of policy (organizational, regulatory, fiscal, legislative, and legal), and key elements to developing successful policy solutions to advance mental health and wellbeing. This recording is ideal for those who want to learn the basics of policy making, and for advocates interested in making change through the policy process.
