Developing a Sustainability Plan in a Project Proposal

Sustainability has become a buzzword in the field of philanthropy. More and more donors and organizations put a lot of emphasis on this topic. When talking about sustainability in general, most people only think of environmental sustainability. This concept deals with environmental issues like climate change, depletion of soils, air pollution, etc. In most calls for proposals, the donor asks for a sustainability plan though that entails much more and is focused on the sustainability of the project itself. Many NGOs see this more as an afterthought than a prime concern, but the sustainability plan is actually very important.

Learn everything you need to know about it in this article and use it to your advantage in your next project proposal.

What is the sustainability plan?

The sustainability plan is basically a document, that describes how your project will be sustained in the long term. This document focuses on community sustainability, financial sustainability, and organizational sustainability. The sustainability plan has become more and more important because donors would like to fund projects that have the potential to survive and thrive in the long term. The sustainability plan describes the different aspects in which the project has to be sustained in the long run to still function.

The sustainability plan spells out how your project will survive in the long term. It makes sure that resources spent on the project are not lost. It gives you and the donor reassurance that the grant is well spent and will have a long-lasting impact, even once the support runs out.



Why do I need a sustainability plan?

Most donors require at least a paragraph in your proposal to be about the sustainability of your project. Some want you to write a full sustainability plan. But why do they want you to focus a lot of time on spelling out the sustainability of your project? Actually, when a donor decides to fund you, they invest in your project. Like with every investment, the donors want the money they spend to go a long way – and to have a lasting impact. They do not want your project to end after their support but want to spark sustainable change which has a long-term effect.

When you develop a thorough sustainability plan that makes sense and has all the important information, you show the donor that you think about the success of your project in the long term. It can convince the donor, that you are the absolute expert in the field you are working on and that you know what you are doing. It also shows the donor, that you truly have the best for the beneficiaries in mind, as you think about how the project will be sustained after the short-term financial support runs out.

But even if it is not required, it makes a lot of sense to think about the sustainability of the project and your organization and write a plan for this. This way, it becomes much clearer for everybody, what the long-term perspective for the project is and where you want to go with your project. Writing down a plan for the sustainability of your project will help you to become clearer on what you have to do and what the timeline for actions would be.

Many NGOs don’t put enough attention to writing the sustainability plan, as it is often the last part of a proposal. This leaves this section with a lot of potentials for you to stand out. When your sustainability plan is great, it can be the section that distinguishes your proposal from your competition and convinces the donor to actually fund your project.

What are the parts of a sustainability plan?

The sustainability plan normally has three parts. Like mentioned earlier, the sustainability plan does not necessarily refer to the environmental sustainability of the project – even though it is very important that you address this issue somewhere in your proposal. In the sustainability plan, you should focus only on the sustainability of your project itself. The three parts that you should address are the community sustainability, financial sustainability, and organizational sustainability of your project.

When describing project sustainability, many NGOs focus mostly on financial sustainability. Of course, this is an important part of the project sustainability, but it is not necessarily the most important part. While it is important to know how the project will be financed in the long term, the other parts of the sustainability plan are also very important. Without community and organizational sustainability, financial sustainability will not directly result in project sustainability.

What is community sustainability?

Community sustainability addresses the issue of how well the project is rooted in the community. It also describes how the community will continue with the project, once there is no more financial support from the donor. This part has been recognized as very important in the last decades, as it became more and more clear that without the support of the community, many projects have no chance of survival. If the community does not feel ownership of the project, even with a well-thought-out financing strategy, the project will probably fail.

A good way to ensure community sustainability is to include beneficiaries from the get-go in planning and implementation. Participatory methods can be very helpful for this. Consult with all stakeholders whenever possible to make sure that the community feels ownership for the project and that their preferences are implemented with your project.



What is financial sustainability?

Financial sustainability describes the ability of your project to survive financially. Here, you have to state what kind of funding sources you have for the future to make sure, the project can sustain its financial needs. Basically, you have two options to do this: rely on external sources or internal sources.

External sources of financing mean that the money comes from outside of the organization and is not raised by project activities. This could be more grants, government funding, donations, etc. When this is your plan, make sure to be as precise as possible, because if you only tell the donor that you will apply for more grants after the project finishes, you do not actually give them a lot of information.

Internal sources of financing mean that you have a plan to raise the money within the organization or through revenue-creating activities. This could be business ventures, membership fees, and other income-generating activities. It is important that you nevertheless have a good strategy in place from the first stages, as i.e. a social enterprise component needs to be smartly embedded in your project and cannot be added by the end.

Of course, your section about financial sustainability will look very different depending on the kind of project you want to implement. If you apply for a one-off project that will likely have almost no follow-up cost, you need to put much less thought into it than if you have a project that will have reoccurring costs that need to be covered in the long run.

What is organizational sustainability?

Organizational sustainability describes the ability of your organization as a whole to survive. The donors want to establish a long-lasting partnership, so they want to know if your organization will still be there in 10 years. This can also be achieved through external sources like grants and long-term funding or through internal sources like income-generating activities or membership fees. This section of the sustainability plan should not be neglected, as it is important to show the donor that you are a great partner that they can reckon with in the future.

The Sustainability Plan – How to Score with Donors (Webinar)

How to develop a sustainability plan?

Like we said above, normally the sustainability plan is one of the last sections in the proposal. Many fundraisers make the mistake of only thinking of it in these last stages of the proposal writing process. But if you have paid close attention earlier when we described the different kinds of sustainability, you will already have noticed that the sustainability plan does not only influence this section but the entire proposal. If you want to have strong community sustainability, you will need to design your approach in a way that fosters participation. If you want to ensure financial sustainability through the establishment of a social enterprise, your activities need to reflect that. Therefore, the sustainability plan is something that should be on your mind throughout the entire proposal writing process and something that you should have determined right in the beginning.

Make sure that your entire team is on board when you discuss your vision of a sustainability plan. It will influence many areas of your organization and your project, and everybody needs to know what the long-term strategy is to be able to implement it in a strategic way. Try to approach every aspect of your project planning with the question of how this is going to run in the long term and write these ideas down to develop your sustainability plan.




 

What makes for a successful sustainability plan?

So now you know what a sustainability plan is, why you need one, and how you can develop one.

But what makes for a successful sustainability plan? What should you look out for to write a good one?

There is actually quite some research out there, and according to studies, these are the most important factors that can influence project sustainability:

  • Having a coherent mission/theory of change for the organization
  • A good monitoring and evaluation system
  • The adaptability of the approach
  • Staff training in administrative tasks
  • Having multiple sources of funding
  • The organizational stability
  • Integration into existing systems and political support
  • Community support

Knowing this, you should try to keep these factors in mind and address them as detailed as possible in your sustainability plan. As many NGOs still neglect this section of the proposal, you have a great chance to shine here and make your proposal the special one that will ultimately win the grant!

Also Read: Common Mistakes When Developing the Sustainability Plan


About the author

Eva Wieners

Eva is based in Germany and has worked for nearly a decade with NGOs on the grassroots level in Nepal in the field of capacity development and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. Before that, she worked in South America and Europe with different organizations. She holds a Ph.D. in geography and her field of research was sustainability and inclusion in development projects.

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Mhuru Tatenda W
Mhuru Tatenda W
4 years ago

Thank you for the article I want to learn more about this

Priti Thapa
Admin
4 years ago

Dear Mhuru:We are planning to publish a full webinar next month. Please subscribe for updates!

Kayode Oguntoye
4 years ago

Thanks for this

Klemens Siamukwele
Klemens Siamukwele
4 years ago

With gratitude, I thank you very much for the Article.
Indeed, it is so helpful for me to learn

I am joining the group to learn more.

Rex Arrone Mandevo
Rex Arrone Mandevo
4 years ago

Hi Eva;
Thank you very much for the article, I really enjoyed it and hope to join your sessions in order to improve the capacity for projects design and management, as well as fundraising.

Isyaka Shittu Dayo
4 years ago

Nice one very educations

Nelson
Nelson
4 years ago

Thanks for sharing

Mohammed Kamal Uddin
Mohammed Kamal Uddin
4 years ago

Simply Excellen.

Bbaale George Bush
Bbaale George Bush
4 years ago

Very interesting and important, may like to join the discussion

Gloria Oludele
Gloria Oludele
4 years ago

Very insightful Content and quite timely. Thank you so much for adding value and helping me understand what Sustainability really is.

Cremelda Parkinson Pratt

This is very informative!
Thank you for clarity!

David Onyango
David Onyango
3 years ago

Thank you so much. Your article is rich and beneficial to me as an upcoming consultant. Would like to be attached to your work.

Proposals forNGOs
Proposals forNGOs
3 years ago
Reply to  David Onyango

Hello David: For more information- please email us at info@proposalsforngos.com
Thank you!

Anabelle Villaceran
Anabelle Villaceran
3 years ago

Ma’am , can I have a sample sustainability template which you made so that I can have a clear idea on what it is..

kmoses langa
kmoses langa
3 years ago

this is wonderful, its something that me and my team has not been paying keen attention to.

Proposals forNGOs
Proposals forNGOs
3 years ago
Reply to  kmoses langa

Dear Kmoses: I am glad that the article is helpful to you.

Nzwaki Qeqe
Nzwaki Qeqe
2 years ago

The concept of sustainability is helpful when you have a chance of a collaborative team in the organization…multi gifted and deployed according to strengths at various posts…all should have a fair say in what needs to be done… How it will be done. By who will it be done. When done…how will the project remain as interesting as as attractive… What should change… What should stay the same and what should stop. . Exciting learnings you shared… Thank you.

Proposals forNGOs
Proposals forNGOs
2 years ago
Reply to  Nzwaki Qeqe

Dear Nzwaki:
I am glad that the article is helpful to you.

Wafa Adam
Wafa Adam
2 years ago

Very good document

Proposals forNGOs
Proposals forNGOs
2 years ago
Reply to  Wafa Adam

Dear Wafa: I am glad that the article is helpful to you.

John K Kamasua
2 years ago

Hi Eva ..this is very helpful and I am sure readers and NGO leaders will appreciate this article

Jonathan Mutonyi
Jonathan Mutonyi
2 years ago

I found this information useful while development my project proosal

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
2 years ago

Hello Jonathan: I’m glad you found this article helpful!
We would love it if you shared this review on our office Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/proposalsforngos. Seeing positive reviews from existing readers makes others more comfortable knowing they’ll get the support they need on the topics related to fundraising and proposal writing. Thank you!

M.Aamir
M.Aamir
2 years ago

may you email me any sample.

Thank you
aamirmalik2007@gmail.com

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  M.Aamir

Hello M. Aamir:
All our samples and templates are uploaded here.

Joseph Chipimpha Mughogho
Joseph Chipimpha Mughogho
2 years ago

very interesting presentation.

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
2 years ago

Dear Joseph;
I am glad that the article is helpful to you.

Benson Chakaya
Benson Chakaya
2 years ago

Very useful

Priti Thapa
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Benson Chakaya

Hello Benson:
I am glad you found this article helpful!

MOURINE ACHIENG
2 years ago

Thank you Eva for putting this together.Quite helpful

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
1 year ago

Dear Mourine: I am glad you found this article helpful!

Noah Chongo
Noah Chongo
1 year ago

Well explained, thanks

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
1 year ago
Reply to  Noah Chongo

Dear Noah: Glad you found the article helpful.

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
1 year ago
Reply to  Noah Chongo

Dear Noah: Glad you found the article helpful.

Mohammad L Hassan
Mohammad L Hassan
1 year ago

Thanks a lot for this very nice presentation. Very simple way for conveying the idea very deeply.

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
1 year ago

Dear Mohammad: Glad you found the article helpful.

Sayed Nazeem Khadarkhil
Sayed Nazeem Khadarkhil
1 year ago

Hi, good morning, we have need for funds

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
1 year ago

Dear Sayed: Unfortunately, We are not a funding organization and do not provide grants. We are a social enterprise that provides a platform to connect you with expert advice on proposal writing to get your amazing projects funded.

Please check out the many resources available on our site to help you on creating a fundraising strategy.

Thank you!

BAKARI HAMISI BIA
1 year ago

Thank you very much for the article, I really enjoyed it and hope to join your sessions in order to improve the capacity for projects design and management, as well as fundraising.

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
1 year ago

Dear Bakari:
Glad you found the article helpful.

Ruwan Gamage
1 year ago

Great insight into project sustainability!!!

Nabin Chandra Sadhu
1 year ago

Respected and dear Eva, Good morning and thank you so much for this very very useful guidance to me on developing sustainability plan for our projects and also for our Organisation.Please keep me updated with your future programmes. Thank you and regards.
Sincerely,
NabinChandra Sadhu
Founder-CEO,Dynamical Operation for Social Transformation(DOST)
Nabarangpur-764059,Odisha,India

Yohannes
Yohannes
1 year ago

Lecturer in physiotherapy, eductor, clinician and researcher

Nabin Chandra Sadhu
11 months ago

Good morning Eva. Many thanks for this very important article on sustainability plan.This will a lifelong lesson learning for me.Regards.

Thabo Mndaweni
11 months ago
  • Hi, what is actually required when you elaborate on Integration into existing systems and political support
BERNADETH ALCANTARA GARING
BERNADETH ALCANTARA GARING
10 months ago

Hello, when was this published?

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
9 months ago

The article was updated on February of 2023.

Taschawet Salilihj
Taschawet Salilihj
10 months ago

It is very supportive article
thank you so much for sharing this important information
With kind regards
Sr Tachawet Salilih

Habtamu Debasu
Habtamu Debasu
10 months ago

hello, everyone. I am habtamu debasu from Ethiopia, I am a project designer in Ethiopia plus a university lecturer. so if any NGOs went me don’t hesitate to get in touch with me via email:debasuhabtamu@gmail.com or phone at +251938272133

Azie Talisesius
8 months ago

Dear Alonzo, Can’t appreciate you less for the wonderful works you do for humanity. I have learned tremendously from you and l pray that God should bless you with more wisdom and strength to sail through the Humanitarian world. I am Azie, a Cameroonian Refugee taking refuge in Nigeria. I created a CBO known as Save The Woman And Protect The Girl Child(Satwo Foundation). For 4 years now we have been very active in filling the gaps and vacuums left by UNHCR and her partners. We provide free early childhood education to refugees (2 to 5years), Agricultural assistance to Refugee… Read more »

Proposals forNGOs
Admin
7 months ago

Dear Azie:
Wishing you the best of luck with your projetcs! Explore our website for a variety of proposal samples and templates, designed to help you kickstart your own proposals. Stay tuned, as we’ll be adding more resources regularly.

Don’t miss out on our bimonthly webinars – subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed and join the engaging sessions!

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