Sustainability

December 30, 2010 by Stacy Carruth

Sustainability seems to be on the agenda for many local coalitions.  In fact, funders have long been asking for groups to include sustainability plans when they apply for funding.

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines sustainable as: 1: capable of being sustained 2 a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.

People have lots of different definitions of what sustainability means to them.  The Webster definition of sustainable is interesting because it speaks to “using a resource so that the resource is not depleted.”  In fact, for many people, when they think of sustainability they think solely of funding, which DOES get depleted.  Unless you’re very lucky, you can count on your funding ending at some point in time.  Which brings us to a definition of sustainability from the Sustainability Toolkit, put out by the Center for Civic Partnerships (by the way, we have this available in our library):

“The continuation of community health and quality of life benefits over time.”

We like this definition because it puts the emphasis on the ultimate goal – community health and quality of life benefits.  Using the principles from the Sustainability Toolkit, we have worked with groups in creating sustainability plans.  There are several key steps:

1. Create a shared understanding of sustainability.

It’s critical to articulate this from the beginning because people may approach the process with very different definitions.  If the entire group defines sustainability solely as funding, your process is going look very different from the steps we have listed below.

2. Explore the current work of your group (create a list).

3. Choose criteria for determining what to continue.

For example, criteria might include: there has been a measureable impact in community health because of this work, we have the resources to do this, etc.

4. Decide what to continue

Here you apply the criteria that you’ve selected in step 3, and actually rate each activity based on it (you can use a simple 1-5 scale, with 1 being doesn’t meet the criteria at all, and 5 being meets the criteria).  Rating all your activities this way doesn’t necessarily determine what you will continue but it certainly gives you a sense of what your priorities might be.

5. Apply PEARS activity for things you want to continue

PEARS stands for: P – pass it on, E – Earn, A – Ask (e.g. fundraising), R – redevelop, S – share.

P: Pass it on – Find a “happy home” for your program elsewhere

E: Earn – Generate revenue through selling products or services; combine with job training

A: Ask – Request funds from institutional donors or from individuals

R: Redevelop – Reconfigure program elements internally; redistributes costs and leverage new support with updated services

S: Share – Share costs/responsibilities with other organizational partners.

We encourage you to check out the Sustainability Toolkit if you are interested in learning more about this process, or applying the tools and ideas to work with your group. Also, the Metrowest Regional Center will be hosting a state-wide conference call on the topic of sustainability on January 20th, 2010 from 11:00-noon, with a brown bag lunch follow-up discussion at our office in Central Sq. Cambridge for those who will be in the area. See the Calendar Section of our website for details and registration information.

Happy planning!

Finding Foundations that Fit Training (and the Foundation Directory)

December 2, 2010 by Stacy Carruth

About a year ago, we hosted a training by Cynthia Bargar of Development Consulting Services, called “Finding Foundations that Fit and Engaging them in Lasting Relationships.” It was well received, and the following are some notes from the training that might be of interest to those of you looking to build relationships with foundations that might support your work.

Identifying foundations to fund your work:

• When identifying foundations, look at annual reports and organizations similar to yours to see who is funding them.

• Go to meet the grant-makers events, meetings at your local community foundation; look at your board of directors and everyone you know to see who they know on a board of a foundation; look at directories, and websites of foundations.

• When researching foundations, look at their funding guidelines; follow their website and see what they’ll fund.

Answering the question “Do we qualify?” Does the foundation:

• Make grants in our geographic area?

• Make grants that are approximately the size we need?

• Fund the type of support that we need: capital, operating, program/project, matching/challenge, capacity building?

• Have a program area that addresses the issues we address?

Think like a detective, and find out everything you can before you approach them. Develop and keep in relationship with them. You need to have someone you can trust to maintain this relationship – ideally a mid to senior level person. Find opportunities to call with smart questions. Try to get in with a smaller grant and then work your way in from there.

And if they fund you, thank them on your website!

Below is a list of resources. The Foundation Center is a great resource, as is the Associated Grantsmakers of Massachusetts. Some functions on the website are free, others require a subscription. Let us know if you’d like to hear more about these resources (the RCHC has a subscription to both).

Foundation Center

Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts

Council on Foundations

Guidestar

Association of Fundraising Professionals

Chronicle of Philanthropy

Grants Management Associates

Massachusetts Improves Prescription Monitoring Program

November 9, 2010 by Stacy Carruth

Last August a law was passed that strengthens the Massachusetts state-wide prescription monitoring program; the changes will go into effect on January 1, 2011 and are being piloted now. Massachusetts has one of the highest drug overdose death rates in the country and the rates have been on the rise in recent years. The Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is one of many efforts to stem this epidemic which has touched communities across the state. The PMP will collect prescribing and dispensing information on Schedule II-V drugs and will be used to identify prescribing and dispensing trends. This will help to address “doctor shopping” which is when individuals see multiple providers and pharmacies to access medications. Providers who enroll in the PMP will be able to review the prescription histories of patients on line, and receive unsolicited reports from the PMP on patients who meet established program criteria. Only authorized providers will be able to request and receive program reports and reports will include only the information the provider is authorized to receive. There are severe penalties for misuse of the program. The changes in the program include: change of information collected from schedule II only to Schedules II-V; requires customer ID for all schedules (II-V) (pharmacists will need to ask every customer for identification); requires reporting of out of state mail order pharmacies; increases reporting from pharmacies from monthly to weekly (in an effort to make the information more up-to-date and useful); clarifies requirements for solicited provider reports, and other changes. Learn more at: www.mass.gov/dph/dcp