Higher education institutions have been playing a pivotal role in the emergence and elaboration of the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement. Initially, pioneering institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have led the conceptualization of OER, providing models of sustainable initiatives. Following the forerunners, many other institutions started their own OER initiatives to help achieve affordable and equal education. Unfortunately, however, several OER initiatives have experienced failed efforts, making minimal impact. This article studies previous OER efforts and articulates the process, principles, and anticipated outcomes based on critical lessons learned from these higher education institutions. Informed by a review of the literature related to organizational innovation, change management, and OER implementations, the authors provide a systematic set of guidelines for developing an implementation model for institutional OER initiatives.