Step 1

Developing (or Revisiting) Your Program Plan

How-to Tips

• Enlist a THCU consultant or an OHCC Community Animator to help with the development of a program plan. This is a free service within Ontario. Service request forms are available online at www.thcu.ca.
• Make sure you aren't reinventing the wheel! Talk to others who are working on similar issues to find out how they reach their goals.
• Gather input from all people who are interested in or would be impacted by the project. Stakeholders should be consulted at multiple stages and included in a review of the final plan. Make them part of your ongoing communication network. This will help ensure that your estimations of resources are accurate, that you have uncovered all barriers to implementation and that you have the full support of all those who will be required to help with implementation.
• Think broadly when considering what resources are required for implementing a project. Consider space needed, insurance requirements, personnel policies, job descriptions, financial tracking mechanisms, workload implications, equipment, etc.
• Take the time to account for resources that you already have access to, such as partners, volunteers, students, secondments, equipment, etc. Writing grants is a time-consuming process - you want to make sure you really need the money! In addition, funders appreciate knowing you have maximized available resources before seeking additional money.
• Put partnership agreements in writing. If you plan to use in-kind resources from another organization, be sure to clarify your expectations in writing.
• Summarize your plan in the Step 1 : Project Plan Worksheet, for later comparison with funder interests (Step 2) and as an outline for writing your proposal (Step 4).