Maintaining your partnership is important but you must also sustain your partnership and community’s interest in the initiative. Finding ways to sustain interest about your intervention efforts will help create lasting change and permanently establish your initiative as part of the community. An initiative that secures community buy-in will be more effective and longer lasting than one that does not.

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Here are some tips to help you sustain your partnership’s initiative:

•  Increase community awareness and understanding of the initiative.
•  Evaluate level of community participation. Try to find ways to engage more residents in the initiative.
•  Help partners develop the skills and resources necessary to carry out the initiative
•  Identify potential third party funding opportunities such as grants from government agencies or foundations. If you are part of a non-incorporated coalition you may need to find an organization that will to serve as your fiscal agent. This will allow you to access various funding streams.
• Consider in-kind support, or resources or services other than money that may be donated to your organization. For example, a local college may let you and your partners house your organization free of charge in one their buildings. In-kind support may also serve to strengthen relationships and interest in your community.
• Reflect on mission, goals and objectives to determine necessary changes.
• Revisit your partnership principles often; revise as necessary.
• Change strategies as necessary and appropriate.

• Adapting to Change
• Preserving Energy and Enthusiasm