Sustainability and Dissemination

A twinning relationship can be built up and sustained for as long as there are people on both sides of a twinning partnership who are willing to commit their time and energy into collaborating together. Even if a partnership has no external sources of funding, twinning activities can continue to take place as long as channels of communication remain accessible.

Of course, face-to-face visits, conferences, and training workshops can also be important elements of a successful twinning partnership, and for this external sources of funding are necessary. Community-based groups can rely on fundraising to secure shipments of donations between partners or to raise money for exchanges. Private foundations or government aid agencies also can provide funding to support twinning partnership activities. Regardless of which approach is taken, securing the funding and resources to achieve partnership workplan objectives and activities is an important job for the coordinators of any twinning partnership.

1. Sources of Funding - Finding sources of funding to support exchanges and other activities related to your partnership can be one of the most difficult tasks. The following links can help you get started in your search.

Grants and Funding Databases

• EurasiaHealth Grants and Funding Database - While this database includes many opportunities specific to organizations and projects in the Eurasia region, there are many opportunities that are generally related to health care as well.
• Foundation Center - Provides an online database of U.S.-based grant-giving foundations as well as resources on proposal writing
• Grants.gov - Allows organizations to find and apply for U.S. Federal grants through programs offered by all Federal grant-making agencies
• International/Foreign Grant Makers
• HIVInSite Funding Resources

Organizations That Specialize in Funding for Twinning Partnerships

• HIV/AIDS Twinning Center Solicitations
• ESTHER: How to setup an ESTHER project
• Sister Cities International: How to Find a Sister City
• WHO Healthy Cities and urban governance

2. Disseminating Successful Partnership Program Models and Results - Partnerships with a substantial focus on capacity building leave behind a core group of well-trained people with the skills to spread the success they have achieved. The types of program dissemination activities can include:

• hosting a dissemination conference (or presenting the work of your partnership at a local conference)
• writing and disseminating articles and success stories
• encouraging replication of model programs at other local sites
• conduct training courses for health professionals at other local institutions

Feedback

In this current, preliminary version of the toolkit, the resources almost exclusively represent AIHA's model of twinning. However, AIHA is planning to enhance this toolkit with additional resources and input from other organizations that support twinning efforts around the world. If you would like to contribute resources or general feedback regarding the future development of this toolkit, please send an e-mail to webmaster@aiha.com or send correspondence to:

American International Health Alliance
Twinning Toolkit
1250 Eye St., NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: +1 (202) 789-1277

Click here to return to the toolkit introduction to review the process for establishing and managing a twinning partnership.