Sustaining Ten Years or More: Findings from Cadca's Coalition Sustainability Project

The current body of research has not emerged with a definition of sustainability, but focuses on “the unit of analysis – what is being sustained.”  This includes emphasis on either sustaining the coalition or sustaining the activities and impacts of the coalition.  Based on the literature’s conceptual models and frameworks to define sustainability, the current project’s model reflects the importance of measuring both the sustainability of the coalition and its programs, policies, and practices.  From October to November 2014, an email was sent asking 179 coalitions that received Drug Free Communities (DFC) funding between 1998 and 2002 to complete an online survey.  Of the 179 coalitions, 34 percent (n=60) of coalitions completed the online survey.  The online survey data was analyzed and summarized to develop protocol for the second phase of the project – listening sessions.  In February to April 2015, twenty coalitions were engaged in listening sessions either in-person or by phone.  The interviews were transcribed and the qualitative data was themed to identify factors that may predict DFC grantee success after the program.  This presentation will share information learned about the sustainability of coalitions and their programs, policies, and practices, including: (1) factors that have supported/hindered sustainability; (2) ways to support current grantees to maximize their success post-DFC funding; and (3) supports that could be provided to help former DFC coalitions sustain the efforts funded by the DFC program.  The results of this project have implications for the types of policies, programs, and practices a coalition might implement.  This project will identify what policies, programs, and practices coalitions have implemented and how these policies, programs, and practices were sustained post-DFC funding.