Making the most of a Site Visit

By Greg Cantori

 

Q: "I just received word from a potential donor that our agency is in the running to receive a substantial grant, but there's a hitch: they want to visit our programs before they make a final decision on funding. What will they be looking for? How can we prepare? What should we do to put our best foot forward and ensure a successful site visit? "

Dale Carnegie once said: "Don't spend ten minutes preparing your talk: Spend ten weeks or months. Better still. Spend ten years."

A well run site visit might be the most persuasive funding tool you'll ever have at your disposal. Here are some tips to make it count!

Know your audience- Is this a sophisticated and experienced donor (such as a foundation program officer?) or someone new to philanthropy who has a special interest in your work? How you structure your time together depends on the answer. Experienced visitors may want to learn more about your evaluation and effectiveness methodology and documentation. They may ask challenging and sometimes provocative or critical questions. A newcomer may need more of a basic introduction and rationale as to why your organization is critical in solving some problem.

Think about what you want your visitor to take away with them. Your standard information and marketing materials of course, but what else? A positive feeling? A sense of urgency and commitment? Added confidence in you and your organization?

The best visit includes ways for your visitor to not only observe your work in progress but to actually participate in hands on activities. Be creative, especially if confidential or sensitive issues with clients might prevent you from allowing direct interaction. There are still ways you can demonstrate the heart and soul of your mission so that your visitor will leave a changed person. For example, If you work with clients who were abused, you might present your visitor with some actual issues they've experienced and have your experienced staff walk them through a counseling ‘session'. They might even act out the parts! Someone who may otherwise never fully understand how abuse occurs or is best dealt with, might play a person they might otherwise misunderstand. There's nothing like walking in someone else's shoes. With a skilled staff lots of ‘ah ha' moments are likely.

Vital site visit Tip: Ask yourself what kind of experience would cause your visitor to really want to tell others. Certainly, the worst experience might include simply sitting in your office and talking. A phone call could have accomplished that. At the very least, a tour of your facility and having staff and clients available, is much more effective.  Involve your prospective donor in some activity and they will most likely remember and tell others about it.

  • Include easy to follow directions and map to your location. A lost, late and flustered guest is not a good way to start a visit!
  • Provide refreshments or if time permits a meal with staff and clients (especially useful for soup kitchen, homeless shelter, and group home visits) and a folder of background materials including all participants' names and contact information.
  • Have an agenda. Even if you deviate a bit, an agenda will reassure your visitor that their time is going to be well spent and that you are prepared.
  • Ensure the right people are in attendance -determine if including your board president or other ‘higher ups' is warranted. Often it's not, but bringing out the leadership or other big donors can be important for certain high profile visits or grants.
  • Make sure you introduce everyone and their titles..
  • Ensure that everyone involved has at least read a summary of the funding request - including you! It's easy to forget proposal specifics.

Even better is to hold a briefing beforehand so everyone understands their roles and expectations.

  • So exactly what are site visitors looking for? Usually it's a combination of two things:
    • First, they want to see how a proposal reconciles with the reality of your organization.
    • They also want to see how competent and capable you and your staff are. Are the phones ringing? Is your staff obviously passionate and happy? Are the surroundings appropriate and well kept for the type of nonprofit you are?
  • During the visit, remain open and honest of any shortcomings. Your visitor may become skeptical if everything appears perfect and your organization has none of the frustrating issues every nonprofit has. Your visitor may also be very familiar with your field of work or perhaps was a former practitioner. They will understand and empathize with the common challenges you may be facing. If you did your homework, your proposal will show how their funding will ameliorate those issues.
  • Make sure you understand the funding process, additional deadlines, and any next steps.

Once your guest leaves and everyone breaths a sigh of relief, don't lose this new momentum. You may find that the visit created new and useful ways to maintain an ongoing relationship with your visitor. If they honestly feel they are needed and a  part of the solution, you'll have the most committed donor possible.

Last and never least: Don't forget to send a thank you note. Even better; Send along information or clarifications that might have been missing during the visit. That shows you were paying attention! J

For the past 11 years Greg Cantori is the Executive Director of the Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation which provides over $2 million in annual grants throughout Maryland.  www.knottfoundation.org, 410-235-7068