Funder Site Visits: Setting a Tone of Reciprocity & Mutuality
By: Jessica Bynoe, Executive Director
In the world of grantmaking, a site visit is a common strategy for funders to use to evaluate a current grantee, or assess a potential grantee. Often a visit includes program observation, a conversation with key staff leading the work, some time to talk with program participants and maybe a tour of a facility. It is a good strategy to see the work in action and understand an organization beyond paperwork and reports.
Variety New York is about to begin its annual round of site visits with current and potential grantees. Our visits include a lot of the elements of a typical visit, but they also include something extra; something that changes the relationship between funder and grantee. During our visits we have conversations with grantees about what they want to get out of a relationship with Variety. We ask them how we are doing if they are a current grantee and we ask them about their hopes and expectations if they are a potential grantee. We want to learn from them how a funder like Variety can help them achieve their self-defined goals. We also ask them about what we should know about the field, community, or program that can help us better understand the kind of work we support and the outcomes we hope to catalyze for youth.
Changing the focus of a site visit from a funder checking on a grantee to a funder checking on the field and partnership not only changes the conversation, but it changes the overall relationship. I have walked out of many visits hearing grantees express how a funder never asked them the questions we did and how refreshing it was to feel like Variety was working for them rather than the other way around. Furthermore, this approach has led to organizations asking if they can stay in touch or be involved with Variety even if they never receive a dime from us. Many of those groups do stay in touch and through knowledge sharing help inform Variety’s practice and understanding of arts outcomes as a partner and funder in the field.
A site visit is an opportunity to set or maintain a tone for the funder/grantee relationship. Our method during site visits has really helped create a reciprocal and mutual relationship with our grantees. Ultimately, it leads to increased candor and communication down the line which leads to a deeper learning experience around successes or failures. In the end, it not only enhances the relationship, but through reflection and openness, it helps strengthen the outcomes for both organizations. Most importantly it creates stronger programs for youth and communities which is the ultimate goal for any of us in this work in the first place.