Site visits are one of the best ways to make grant decisions because, in essence, site visits are a living, breathing grant proposal. These visits give you the chance to connect with the organization’s board and staff, discover things that can’t be learned from a written proposal, and clarify information that is important to your foundation.
It may be helpful for your board to read our publication With Your Own Eyes: Using Site Visits to Make Better Grants and Fulfill Your Mission or watch our video Philanthropy Lessons: Getting Out of the Office, featuring fellow funders and their grantees.
These articles, some which include sample site visit checklists and reports, may also increase their comfort with site visits: