Program Sustainability Assessment Tool

In 2012, The Center for Public Health Systems Science, George Warren Brown School of Social Work at the University of Washington in St. Louis developed the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool.  This is online resource walks non-profit organizations through a four-step process for building programs that last!

It begins with understanding the factors that influence a program's capacity.  Next, programs can use an assessment tool to recognize their current capacity for sustainability.  Then, reviewing the results will identify opportunities for development.  Finally, the tool allows programs to develop action plans to address those opportunities and increase their capacity for sustainability.

If you are interested in finding out more about the center, click here for their main website: https://cphss.wustl.edu/

Bullying Resources

• The Family and Youth Services Bureau would like to highlight the following three websites as resources for RHY grantees to utilize in their programs and with the young people they serve. Stopbullying.Gov
• The Affordable Colleges Online (AOC) website is overseen by the StopBullying.gov Editorial Board from three main governmental departments: Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Justice. The content provided on the website covers topics such as defining bullying, defining cyber-bullying, who is at risk, how to prevent and respond to bullying along with other resources. Affordable Colleges Online (ACO)
• From their website: "ACO creates in-depth resources that address topics, questions and concerns related to higher education with an eye on affordability and accreditation. Resources include comprehensive guidebooks, student interviews, user-friendly search tools, federal datasets and other materials created and vetted by experts in their fields. Speaking of experts, our extended team includes six PhDs and more than twenty journalists, editors and subject-matter specialists with master’s degrees or related educational credentials."
• This resource has created an in-depth tools for understanding cyberbullying in college and provides tips for students, young people, and staff. Check out The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) "Help for Parents and Caregivers" website. 
• ACF has created a webpage for caregivers and parents on various topics ranging from adoption to health and nutrition. Each topic has drop down options to select from for more information.

Right On The Money: NCFY Sustainability Toolkit

In November 2010, the National Clearinghouse for Family and Youth along with the Family and Youth Services Bureau published this toolkit. "Right On the Money: How to keep the doors of your nonprofit organization open in good times and bad". Originally compiled in November 2009, the toolkit was updated in November 2010. The toolkit provides information in key areas such as:

• Financial Management
• Fundraising 101
• Finding Grants and Writing Proposals
• Beyond Grant Writing: Other Fundraising Strategies

Learn more and download the toolkit here: 
https://yoc.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/Resources/resources%20-%20right%20on%20the%20money.pdf

Built to Last: Planning Programmatic Sustainability

This tip sheet was created jointly by the Office of Adolescent Health and Family and Youth Services Bureau gives guidance to grantees on building a program to sustain. This resource focuses pragmatic sustainability.

What is Sustainability? Sustainability is the process of perpetuating your programming by integrating the important aspects into your organizational operations so that your stakeholders can continue to benefit from your work. Building a program that incorporates best practices for meeting the needs of the youth and community while developing internal capacity to deliver programming will make your program more attractive to your stakeholders and funders. It is useful to approach sustainability as the overall process of developing a highly effective program.  

Learn more and download the resource here: 
https://yoc.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/Resources/resources%20-%20built%20to%20last.pdf

HUD Resource: Determining Homeless Status of Youth

Released from HUD in October 2015. "This guide uses hypothetical scenarios to help providers understand how youth meet HUD’s definition of homelessness and what documentation is needed to establish homeless status for youth. The definition of homelessness is not specific to youth or any age group (with the exception of Category 3 for families and youth defined as homeless under other federal statutes); yet, many communities have had difficulty determining how youth meet HUD’s definition of homelessness and what is required in terms of documenting homeless status. This guide assists providers in understanding the definition of homelessness found in the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) and Continuum of Care (CoC) Programs so that youth are not turned away in error from the housing and services that they need."

In addition to determining and documenting homeless status according to HUD, providers must also determine whether participants meet specific project eligibility criteria. This guide is not intended to assist with eligibility determination beyond the definition of homelessness.

Learn more and download the guide here: 
https://yoc.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/Resources/resources%20-%20homeless%20status%20of%20youth.pdf

Youth Catalytics Resource: Volunteer Toolkit

Youth Catalytics, has developed a toolkit that takes a clear-eyed look at what volunteers can realistically do in child and youth serving organizations, and how to get started growing or improving your own volunteer program. In it you’ll find research about the benefits of using volunteers, characteristics of successful volunteer programs and examples of what volunteers can do in various settings (residential, administrative, lobbying, etc.). You’ll also learn about how to recruit and retain one-time and long-term volunteers. Sample forms address interviewing, evaluation and risk management. Finally, the toolkit includes a list of additional online resources.

Access the toolkit here: https://yoc.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/Resources/resources%20-%20volunteer%20toolkit.pdf