Successful Site Visits: Guidance, Strategies, and Tips for Funders and Nonprofits

Site Visit Guide and Resources

Nonprofit organizations often receive visits from donors and representatives of philanthropic institutions. These meetings are usually held at the nonprofit's location as part of a funder’s grant review or monitoring process and can lead to a deepening of the relationship between the grantmaker and the grantseeker.

Because the site visit experience requires an investment of planning, time, and expense, it is a frequent topic of discussion for all involved. Is there a clear purpose for the visit? How do we minimize disruption of operations? Who do we involve and how do we prepare and protect them?

Improving the Experience for Both the Nonprofit and the Funder

In 2023, Philanthropy Massachusetts’s Mid-to-Senior Level Program Staff Learning Network – one of its 17 funder networks and collaboratives – held a program titled Site Visits to Deepen Knowledge & Relationships at which more than 50 funders participated. The session featured a panel of three nonprofit executives and was informed by a survey of our nonprofit community. Their recommendations were heard by funders and inspired further action.

After a yearlong process of working with hundreds of representatives from philanthropic and nonprofit organizations, we are publishing the learnings and calls to action in Successful Site Visits Guidance, Strategies, and Tips for Funder and Nonprofits. This guide is full of tips and best practices for making visits successful, efficient, respectful, and beneficial for all involved. It also includes some common mistakes to avoid.

Click here to download the report.

Source: Philanthropy Massachusetts

The guide and supporting resources are living documents, meaning they will be refreshed and adapted as the dictated by the field. Please share your observations and recommendations with the Philanthropy Massachusetts team here. We value your input and look forward to evolving these resources with you.