How to Write a Sustainability Plan for Grant Proposals

What Is a Sustainability Plan and Why Do Funders Require It?

A sustainability plan describes how your project will continue to operate and produce results after the grant funding period ends. Funders require this section because they do not want to invest in programs that collapse the moment external funding disappears. A strong sustainability plan demonstrates that you have thought beyond the grant period and have a realistic strategy for maintaining the program's impact over time.

From the funder's perspective, sustainability is a return-on-investment calculation. If a three-year grant produces outcomes that last only three years, the investment is far less valuable than one that creates lasting institutional change or generates a self-sustaining revenue model. Your sustainability plan must convince reviewers that their dollars will produce enduring results.

The Three Pillars of Grant Sustainability

Effective sustainability plans address three interconnected areas: financial sustainability, organizational sustainability, and programmatic sustainability. Each pillar requires a distinct strategy, and the strongest proposals address all three.

Financial Sustainability

Financial sustainability means having a plan to fund the project after the grant ends. This does not mean finding another grant to replace the current one, although diversified grant funding can be part of the strategy. Reviewers want to see multiple revenue pathways that reduce dependence on any single source.

Common financial sustainability strategies include:

• Revenue diversification: Pursuing funding from multiple grant sources across federal, state, and private sectors.
• Fee-for-service models: Charging fees for program services where appropriate and equitable.
• Earned income: Generating revenue through products, training, or consulting that grows out of the project's expertise.
• Institutional absorption: Securing commitments from the host organization to absorb key program positions or costs into operating budgets.
• Third-party billing: Establishing Medicaid, insurance, or other payer relationships for eligible services.

For guidance on building budgets that anticipate sustainability from the start, see our guide on grant budget fundamentals and federal cost principles.

Organizational Sustainability

Organizational sustainability focuses on building the internal capacity to maintain the program. This includes training existing staff to deliver program services, creating manuals and protocols that document program processes, integrating program activities into the organization's strategic plan, and developing leadership succession plans for key project roles.

The goal is to ensure that the knowledge, skills, and systems developed during the grant period become permanent organizational assets rather than disappearing when grant-funded staff leave. For strategies on demonstrating organizational readiness, see our guide on organizational capacity and partnerships.

Programmatic Sustainability

Programmatic sustainability means embedding the project's model, curriculum, or practices into the systems and institutions that serve the target population. This might include integrating a school-based intervention into the district's standard curriculum, incorporating a clinical protocol into a hospital's standard operating procedures, or training community organizations to replicate your model independently.

Writing the Sustainability Plan: Section by Section

A well-structured sustainability plan typically includes the following components:

Current Sustainability Assets

Begin by describing the resources and relationships your organization already has that support long-term viability. This might include existing revenue streams, institutional partnerships, physical infrastructure, or a track record of sustaining previously grant-funded programs. Concrete examples of past sustainability successes are highly persuasive.

Sustainability Timeline

Map out specific sustainability activities across the grant period. Sustainability planning should begin in Year 1, not in the final months of the project. A phased timeline might look like this:

• Year 1: Establish the program model, collect baseline data, begin developing sustainability partnerships.
• Year 2: Document outcomes, pursue additional funding sources, initiate fee-for-service planning.
• Year 3: Transition key positions to institutional funding, formalize partnership agreements, complete program documentation for replication.

Revenue Projections

Where possible, include specific financial projections for post-grant revenue. If your organization has committed to absorbing a percentage of program costs, state the amount and the authorization behind the commitment. If you are pursuing alternative funding, name the specific grant programs or revenue sources you plan to target. Vague commitments like "we will seek additional funding" carry far less weight than "we have submitted a Letter of Intent to the XYZ Foundation for $150,000 to continue program operations in Year 4." For strategies on identifying future funding sources, see our guide on strategic grant research and prospecting methods.

Partnership Commitments

Include signed letters of commitment from partners who will contribute to sustainability. A school district agreeing to incorporate your curriculum, a healthcare system pledging continued referrals, or a local government committing in-kind resources all demonstrate that the project has institutional support beyond your organization.

Common Mistakes in Sustainability Plans

The most frequent mistake is treating sustainability as an afterthought and writing vague, aspirational statements without concrete strategies. Other common errors include relying entirely on future grant funding as a sustainability strategy, failing to start sustainability planning early in the project, not involving organizational leadership in sustainability commitments, and omitting financial projections or specific revenue targets. Reviewers can distinguish between applicants who have genuinely planned for sustainability and those who have simply filled in a required section.

Learn more about grant writing strategies at Subthesis.

Want to learn how to build sustainability into every phase of your grant strategy? Enroll in The Complete Grant Architect course for comprehensive training on writing proposals that demonstrate long-term viability and win funding.