Step 10 – Plan for the future

You may want your community project to become self-sustaining or, if yours is a single issue project that solves a problem, you might want to think about its legacy.

Consider new funding models

Being innovative with funding streams – such as charging for services, using a social enterprise model or partnering with a private organisation are just some of the ways you could ensure your organisation could become self-sustaining in the future.

To streamline your costs, you can also look into sharing “back office” functions with other groups, such as:

• Sharing a premises so you can reduce your overhead costs (energy bills, internet and phone bills)
• Sharing staff or volunteers, either to mutually help out on a big event or to have a finance or administrator person working part-time for more than one organisation

Take up the Community Rights

Under the 2011 Localism Act, we now all have new Community Rights, which are a set of powers to give us a greater say over how our community develops. They can help communities to save things that are important to the area – such as local shops, pubs, libraries, parks and football grounds.

If you’ve set up a community organisation, or through a community project have found others who want to improve the area, you would be well-placed to take up these new rights.

Under the powers, you can decide what is built and how the area should develop. And groups of people have the chance to deliver local services and develop them into community enterprises.

Below are some links to free guides, software and websites that can help you plan for the future.