Sustainability Plan Template
Funders ask what happens when the money runs out, and the standard answer, that you will apply for more grants, tells them nothing. A sustainability plan is a realistic account of which parts of the work continue, how they are paid for, and what genuinely ends. Saying that plainly is more persuasive than an optimistic plan nobody believes.
See the coursesEverything on this page is yours to copy and adapt. The courses cover the decisions behind it: what to charge, what to promise, and what to put in writing.
What yours needs to cover
- ✓ What continues after the grant period, separated from what is time-limited by design
- ✓ The financial plan: earned income, other funders, contributions, or absorbed costs
- ✓ Capacity that outlives the funding, such as trained staff, systems or partnerships
- ✓ Partnerships and commitments, with a note on which are documented
- ✓ The risks to continuation, and what you would do about each
How to use it
- Decide honestly which components are meant to be permanent and which are not.
- Attach a funding route to each continuing component, and say where it stands today.
- Name any partner commitment you can evidence, and leave out any you cannot.
- State the main risk to continuation, because a plan with no risks in it reads as a plan nobody stress-tested.
Sustainability Plan Template FAQs
What if the project genuinely ends with the grant?
Say so, and explain what remains: the people trained, the evidence gathered, the system installed. A pilot that produced a usable answer is a legitimate outcome, and pretending it will run forever is the weaker position.
Does "we will seek further funding" count as a plan?
On its own, no. It is the answer every applicant gives. Naming specific prospects, an earned income route, or a commitment already in place is what makes the section worth reading.
Is sustainability the same as an exit plan?
They overlap. Sustainability asks what continues and how it is paid for, while an exit plan sets out how the funded party withdraws without harm. Some funders ask for one and mean the other, so read the prompt carefully.
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