Staying Power: Sustaining Effective Community Service

Programs

Michael RheinDirector of Programs & Resource DevelopmentNational AIDS Fund AC National Best Practices ConferenceMay 6, 2009

• Define program sustainability

• Describe a case example of AC program sustainability

• Identify at least five strategies for increasing sustainability of national AC programs

What We Want to Achieve

What is Sustainability?

The ability of an organization or program to continue and thrive.

Before Asking How. . . .

ask . . .

If?

What?

Why?

When?

How?[aka, What is Sustainability,

Part 2?]Financial strength

Funding diversitySource stability: Short-term vs. long-termFunder relationshipsCost-sharing/local investmentIn-kind support

The NAF case example

What is Sustainability, Part 2?

Programmatic and community integration

The NAF case example

CapacityNational systemsLocal capacityDepth of training; cross-training

The NAF case example

Additional Contributing Factors

Culture of excellence

Formative, process and outcomes evaluation

Visibility

Small Group Discussion

1. What factors have made your organization and program sustainable, or not?

2. What will it take for existing national AC programs to survive and thrive with the opportunities that may come from the Serve America Act?

Contact Information

Michael RheinDirector of Programs & Resource Development

National AIDS Fund202-408-4848, ext. 218mrhein@aidsfund.org

www.aidsfund.org