In short
The sustainability and exit plan explains what will continue after the grant ends, who will run it and how it will be paid for, and how you will hand over responsibly in steps. Funders want evidence that their money creates change that lasts, not a service that stops on the last day.
Sustainability is one of the questions reviewers ask most often, and one of the most often answered vaguely. A credible answer is specific about people, money and timing.
What to cover
- Which results, services or assets will continue after the grant.
- Who will own and run them: communities, local government, partners or your organisation.
- How ongoing costs will be met: public budgets, fees, other funders or volunteers.
- How you will build the skills and systems they need during the project.
- The handover steps and their timeline.
- How you will check, after the project, that results have lasted.
Types of sustainability
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Institutional | A school committee or local government takes over a service |
| Financial | Small fees, a repair fund or a public budget line covers running costs |
| Technical | Local people are trained to maintain equipment |
| Social | Communities value the service and continue it themselves |
| Environmental | Solutions avoid ongoing costs or harm, such as solar power |
Common mistakes
- Saying “we will seek further funding” as the only plan.
- No named body to take over.
- Handover planned for the last month only.
- Ignoring the running costs of what the project builds.
Frequently asked questions
What is an exit strategy in a grant proposal?
The plan for ending external support responsibly while making sure the results continue, usually through a step-by-step handover to communities, partners or government.
Does every project need to be sustainable?
Short emergency projects may not, but most funders expect lasting change. Explain honestly what will continue and what will not.
Written by Gachi Foundation, a non-profit in Jharkhand, India. All proposal-writing resources.