Due Diligence: Site Visits

Successful Site Visits A Checklist for Funders

Successful Site Visits A Checklist for Nonprofits

Site visits offer opportunities not only to get excited about the work the organization does, but also to inform questions that can be hard to answer otherwise. This article includes a sample agenda for the site visit.

In philanthropy, a site visit is when a funder arranges to meet with a potential or current grantee at a location where the nonprofit’s work is taking place. It’s an opportunity for the funder to meet the nonprofit’s staff, possibly its board members and its clients in person, and to hear about their firsthand experiences.

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.

Robert Sterling Clark Foundation
Check-in Assessment Tool (CHAT) – Existing Grantees

Sample of Cummings Foundation's Committee Site Visit Guide.

This is a sample of Konar Foundation's Site Visit Protocols.

Article from Family Foundation Advisor from the Jan/Feb 2005 publication.