Every organization has strengths—and blind spots—when it comes to building financial sustainability.

The SUSTAINability Readiness Framework helps you see both. These five domains reveal how prepared your leadership, systems, and culture are to move from donation-driven to revenue-ready—so you can grow impact without chasing every dollar.

Leadership

Are your leaders aligned and willing to change?

Financial sustainability starts with mindset. Leadership readiness reflects how open your executive team is to rethinking funding models, experimenting with new approaches, and leading others through change.

When leaders move first, the organization follows.

Capacity

​Do you have the bandwidth to make this happen?

Innovation takes time, space, and energy. Capacity readiness looks at whether your organization has the people, systems, and structures to explore something new — without overwhelming existing operations.

Sustainability can’t grow in crowded soil.

Financial Health

Do you understand your true costs and margins?

Financial health readiness is about clarity and flexibility — knowing what it really costs to deliver your mission and having the ability to make strategic investments in innovation.

Sustainability isn’t just about more money — it’s about smarter money.

Governance

Is your board prepared to support enterprise thinking?

Your board’s mindset can accelerate or stall your journey. Governance readiness measures how well your board understands and embraces the role of innovation in mission sustainability.

Boards that champion enterprise enable transformation.

Community Value 

Can you describe your mission as market value?

This is where impact meets opportunity. Community value readiness measures how clearly your organization can articulate the value you create — not just for clients, but for partners, systems, and funders who benefit from your work.

When you can name your value, you can price it.