We have a great program! How do we sustain it?

How many of us have found ourselves in this position: Your organization received a demonstration grant for an innovative approach to address a community need. The evaluation results are promising. But the funds are time-limited. Now your organization is in the position of having to find resources to continue the initiative in a short period …

Sustainability Planning ~ Realities and Strategies

The great recession and subsequent belt tightening of our funders— from local and federal government to foundations, corporations and individual donors— have created a challenging funding environment for many community based organizations. Yet sustainability, the word de jour of our funders, is inarguably a necessity. How many times have you applied for funding from a …

We’re all in this together: Why partnership makes advocacy work better

We recently wrapped up an evaluation of a national advocacy campaign, where advocacy organizations were funded in states throughout the country to push forward a common agenda. The evaluation findings highlighted how different advocacy organizations bring different capacities to the table. While technical assistance can expand that capacity, it can’t change the reality that no …

This is going to take us 10 years! What do we tell our funders now?

Many things worth doing cannot be done quickly. Changing public policy systems, building communities, tackling complex social issues, and advocating for meaningful change are not things one undertakes and completes in a single year, three years, or sometimes even in ten years. Yet, at the same time, we all have funders and our funders need …

Braiding Your Funds: Tips and Tools

Braided funding is when you use multiple funding streams utilized to pay for all of the services needed by a given population, with careful accounting of how every dollar from each funding stream is spent. This blog will introduce you to a “Coordinated Finance Plan” – a tool for designing a braided funding approach that …

Blend or Braid

The terms blending and braiding are used frequently, often together, and generally with little definition.  However, they refer to two very different approaches to fiscal coordination.   Rather than lump them together, let’s pull them apart and identify the settings where each is most useful.  Next week, we’ll explore some tips on how to develop your …

Introducing Spark Policy

At Spark Policy Institute, we are dedicated to helping communities and policymakers solve complex problems.  The Spark blog will focus on concrete strategies and actions you can take as you seek to make a meaningful difference on issues that are challenging, complicated, and critically important to you and your community.   What are complex problems? …

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