No one grows up wanting to be a grant writer. There’s no college major in grant writing, and very few of us planned for it. Many nonprofit grant writers stumbled into the profession as part of that infamous job description line: “all other duties as assigned.” Yet over two decades in the field, I’ve come to see grant writing as both an art and a discipline. It’s built on persistence, relationships, strategy, and humility.
Now, after 20 years of writing grants, I find myself on the other side of the table — as a funder. While you might think that sounds glamorous, it can be equally challenging because incredible organizations doing powerful work sometimes go unfunded due to available resources. One question in particular — the dreaded sustainability question — often makes or breaks an application. Early in my career, I treated questions about sustainability as an afterthought, but now I see it for what it really is: an opportunity. An opportunity to reassure funders, demonstrate strategy, and show that your work has staying power long after the grant period ends.
So how do you answer questions about sustainability in grant applications effectively? Here are three lessons I’ve learned along the way.
1. Focus on what’s reasonable to sustain.
Like me, almost every grant writer has fallen into the trap at some point of addressing questions about sustainability in grant proposals with a line about continuing to fundraise. But most funders aren’t asking you to promise the impossible or replicate the program dollar-for-dollar forever. What they want to see is that you’ve made thoughtful decisions about what makes sense to carry forward.
Perhaps a pilot project proves effective, so you fold its best elements into existing services. Maybe you weave aspects of the program into daily operations, so it becomes part of how your organization functions. Or, you align it with ongoing funding streams, ensuring it’s naturally supported over time.
2. Redefine sustainability as more than money.
Too often, nonprofit professionals approach sustainability as purely financial: how will we replace the grant dollars once the funding ends? But sustainability is equally about capacity. Funders want to know how you’re building people, systems, and partnerships that will carry the work forward.
That could mean training staff so the knowledge and expertise stay in-house long after the grant ends. It might involve embedding practices into daily operations so they become “business as usual.” Or it could involve developing partnerships that share responsibility across organizations. These strategies demonstrate that sustainability isn’t simply about finding new dollars; it’s about ensuring the learning, impact, and practices endure beyond a single grant cycle.
And here’s the bonus: answering grant proposal questions about sustainability thoughtfully doesn’t just increase your chances of getting the grant. It sets you up for success once you receive it. By planning ahead, you can use the funding to boost staff capacity, improve morale, and ultimately increase your impact on the community you serve. A strong sustainability plan turns a single grant award into a long-term investment in your organization.
3. Leverage community resources.
Don’t overlook the value of outside expertise.
One of the smartest ways to strengthen your sustainability response is to involve capacity-building partners while you’re writing the grant (not just after it’s awarded). This allows you to show not only how the funding will support your program, but also strengthen your organization overall. That might mean investing in staff development, improving volunteer management, sharpening program evaluation, or even creating a customized training tied directly to your proposal’s intent.
This is where organizations like the Nonprofit Leadership Center can make a difference. Their sole mission is to build nonprofit capacity. Tapping into their expertise adds both credibility and capacity to your plan. It signals to funders that you’re not trying to do everything yourself — you’re leaning on subject-matter experts. Just as important, it shows that you’ve already given sustainability considerable thought, built it into your grant’s budget, and can hit the ground running once the grant is awarded. (And yes, many grants allow you to use funding to cover this kind of programming.)
Final Thoughts
Funders don’t expect a perfect, permanent plan — they want thoughtful strategies that fit your organization and community. When you show that you’ve identified what to sustain, built capacity beyond dollars, and engaged the right partners, you’ll give funders confidence their investment will last. At its best, sustainability isn’t about answering an application question; it’s about strengthening your organization, your people, and your impact for the long haul.
