HOW TO SUSTAIN YOUR BACKPACK

PROGRAM

LOCAL RESOURCES•STAFF•VOLUNTEERS •FOOD•CARRIERS

•TRANSPORTATION•FUNDING•MEDIA

FUNDINGIn order for your program to continue long-term

YOUR PROGRAM MUST DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE FOOD & FUNDING SOURCES

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS• HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU WANT TO SERVE? (OR HOW MANY DO YOU

PLAN TO SERVE?)• HOW MANY WEEKS WILL YOU OPERATE? • HOW MANY BAGS OF FOOD WILL BE NEEDED? (EX. 50 STUDENTS X 36

WEEKS= 1,800 BAGS)• HOW MUCH FUNDING WILL BE NEEDED FOR YOUR PROGRAM? (EX. 1,800

BAGS X $2.50 = $4,500)

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS• COST OF EACH BAG IS DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH FOOD IS PUT IN EACH

BAG. HOW MUCH FOOD DO YOU PUT IN EACH BAG? HOW MUCH FOOD CAN YOU AFFORD TO PUT IN EACH BAG?• ARE YOU GOING TO DISTRIBUTE ADDITIONAL FOOD OR RESOURCES FOR

EXTENDED BREAKS?• ANSWERS WILL ALLOW YOU TO CREATE A BUDGET FOR THE WORK YOU WANT

TO DO

BUYING FOOD

• PURCHASE FOOD FROM THE FOOD BANK-PURCHASE PROGRAM• PURCHASE FOOD IN BULK• TALK WITH YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORES ABOUT SPECIALS OR WORKING

WITH YOUR PROGRAM

THE EIGHT ELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY• VISION• RESULTS ORIENTATION• STRATEGIC FINANCING ORIENTATION• ADAPTABILITY• COMMUNITY SUPPORT• KEY CHAMPIONS• STRONG INTERNAL SYSTEMS• SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

VISION• WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?• BE SPECIFIC- SPECIFIC GOALS LEAD

TO SPECIFIC RESULTS• DO YOU WANT TO SERVE 50

STUDENTS…75…100• YOUR GOALS MAY REMAIN FLUID

AND CHANGE BUT THAT’S OK. • SET SHORT-TERM AND LONG TERM

GOALS

• MEASURE YOUR RESULTS AND KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS• SET PERFORMANCE MEASURES

(SUCH AS WE WANT TO SERVE 52 STUDENTS FOR $X,XXX IN 2014)• KEEP TRACK OF SUCCESS STORIES• EVALUATE YOUR PROGRAM AT THE

END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

RESULTS

STRATEGIC FINANCING ORIENTATION

• STARTUP GRANTS• LOCAL FOUNDATIONS-

WWW.FOUNDATIONCENTER.ORG• WV PASS- WWW.WVPASS.ORG• RURAL ASSISTANCE CENTER-

WWW.RACONLINE.ORG• MOUNTAINEER FOOD BANK PASS

THROUGH GRANTS

• LONG-TERM FUNDING• FUNDRAISERS• SPONSORSHIPS• INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS• CHURCH & ORGANIZATION

SUPPORT

ADAPTABILITY• IF NEEDED, CAN YOU IMMEDIATELY

SERVE MORE STUDENTS? CAN YOU PROVIDE OTHER SERVICES FOR YOUTH IN NEED?• KEEP UP WITH CURRENT

OPPORTUNITIES

• KEEP THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED!• SOCIAL NETWORKS• WEBSITES• EMAIL BLASTS• NEWSPAPERS

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

• BUSINESS MEMBERS• FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS• HIGHER EDUCATION STAFF• POLICY MAKERS• COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

• YOUTH• PARENTS• TEACHERS/

ADMINISTRATORS• LOCAL RESIDENTS• PUBLIC OFFICIALS

KEY CHAMPIONS• RECRUIT KEY CHAMPIONS

STRATEGICALLY. • FIND PEOPLE THAT HAVE

SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH YOUR CAUSE. • CAN BRING MORE THAN JUST

MONETARY BENEFITS.

STRONG INTERNAL SYSTEMS• SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR

STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS• STRONG ACCOUNTING/AUDIT

SYSTEMS• HONEST ASSESSMENTS OF

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE ORGANIZATION• 100% DOCUMENTATION

SUSTAINABILITY PLAN• WHAT DOES THE ORGANIZATION WANT TO SUSTAIN, INCLUDING ITS VISION,

RESULTS AND CORE STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES?• WHAT FINANCIAL RESOURCES, KEY CHAMPIONS, COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND

STRONG INTERNAL SYSTEMS ARE REQUIRED TO SUSTAIN THIS WORK?• WHAT ARE THE TASKS, ROLES, PRIORITIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND TIMELINES

FOR GENERATING THESE RESOURCES?

SUSTAINABILITY PLAN• THE ANSWERS MUST BE DOCUMENTED IN WRITING• A WRITTEN PLAN PROVIDES A RECORD OF DECISIONS. • YOUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN WILL BE AN ON-GOING DOCUMENT WITH SHORT

AND LONG TERM GOALS