From the "Mosaic" newsletter from Dewey & Kaye (February 6, 2008)

The Dos and Don'ts of Site Visits

Site visits are often a key component of the grantseeking process. The best site visits are both formal (well–prepared) and informal (opportunity for interaction and discussion); allow you to tell your story; provide opportunities to meet the people and the program; and clarify the match between the mission / priorities of your agency and of the funder. Do site visits make a difference? Certainly! Visits can turn funders into strong new allies that provide additional assistance or visits can demonstrate a lack of collaboration or planning and result in no funding.

Site visits are most frequently conducted when you have already submitted a proposal or a request, but they can also occur before a proposal is developed or can be used in the monitoring process once a grant has been awarded. Since site visits are about people as well as programs, they can take place in a variety of settings, including schools, clinics, outdoors, construction sites, etc. Site visits may also be planned during certain activities. It's usually a great idea to involve your chief executive and a board member in addition to the professional who will implement the project. Before the visit, ask who is coming and be respectful of their time.

When preparing for site visits, remember these principles:

• Prepare and predict: ask ahead about concerns and anticipate questions.

• Passion and percentages: appeal to both the heart (stories) and the head (data).

• People and programs: funders are interested in the strengths of each.

• Perspective: there are no guarantees even after a great visit as funding may be limited.

Be honest about any challenges your agency faces, and be sure to follow–up promptly if any additional information is requested. Don't assume that the visitors have all the details of your agency and program; be prepared to offer an overview and more detailed description if requested. Funders know that many programs or projects do not proceed exactly as planned so they will want to know your "Plan B." In general, avoid multimedia presentations or planned entertainment, as live interaction and opportunity for discussion are most important.

Below are ten tips to keep in mind when planning your site visit.

Ten Ways to Have a Less–Than–Successful Site Visit

• Act surprised when questions are asked and use lots of acronyms.

• Take an endless tour and offer an endless PowerPoint presentation.

• Bring in large numbers of people or board members who are uninformed.

• Promise the sun and the moon all in one year.

• Talk down other organizations and detail how the competition is failing.

• Answer questions by referring people to your proposal.

• Tell the funder that you don't need to collaborate, and that you really can do it all.

• Insist that good intentions are enough because you can't measure impact.

• If suggestions are made, insist that the program or strategies can't be modified.

• Say you are not sure how the budget was determined.

Mary Phan–Gruber is an experienced nonprofit program manager, development associate, and foundation director. Contact Mary at mphangruber@deweykaye.com.