Abbey Elder 
Now at #OpenEd25, I'm attending "Institutional Alignment and Braided Funding for Sustainable Open Education Programs" from Joy Shoemate and James Glapa Grossklag.
Joy and James are from College of the Canyons, an institution with one of the best-established #OER and ZTC programs in the US. Over the next 19 minutes, they'll explore how "if we braid together multiple streams of funding and pose open education as a tool" it will build sustainability.
To start, Joy shares why sustainable funding is a concern across the Open Ed space. Of course, consistent funding and institutional buy-in are two major concerns for #OER programs (Ad higher ed as a whole).
"You might feel like you're always chasing the next bit of money to keep the work running," Joy shares. And further, our campuses may not be aware of the value and impact of our work and how it aligns with institutional values.
James adds onto that note "why have these specific programs been institutionalized? They've been added over time." OER could be another type of program that is aligned and made a normal part of our institutions' work.
We can align #OpenEducation to student success, degree completion, access and affordability, and instructional innovation (all major areas for many of our schools). It is relevant to these discussions, but we need to advocate for that to be made clear.
We can also identify strands of funding available at our institution. Funding for professional development, digital learning, partnerships with units across campus who care about student success and want to support our community, and finally, grants and philanthropy (not just "OER" grants)
#OpenEd25
#OpenEd25
James asks, "What other sources of funding are there outside of your immediate area of interest?" with Joy adding, "We've received federal funding for many years which was not explicitly geared towards #OER but OER was a tool which could be used to meet the goals of that grant.
This is a short presentation, but it's important for us to look inward and outward to consider "How can we make our work sustainable?" and also "How can we build awareness of our work and its relevance to our many communities? Thanks to the presenters and the #OpenEd25 team for sharing these tips.