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GRANTS & PROGRESS

Site Visit Guidelines

Progress Report
Site visits allow Foundation representatives to better understand your community organizing work, the level of engagement of community members, and your strategies for growing your base and developing leadership. Visits generally last an hour and take place at your office or other convenient location. McCune Foundation staff will attend along with 1-2 members of the Grants Review Committee or Board of Directors. Your organization does not need to prepare a presentation. Rather, having read the application, Foundation representatives will ask questions to help them understand the project and how it meets the McCune Foundation guidelines and priorities. Possible questions will be provided in advance of the visit. A site visit does not guarantee that a grant will be made.

SITE VISIT TIPS

  • We generally recommend that your organization be represented by between 3-6 individuals including staff and community members. In selecting participants, choose those who are most familiar and involved with the community organizing project and who can confidently discuss the work. We want to meet members/participants who exemplify the leadership the organization is developing.
  • Request a site visit time and location that best accommodates participation by your members. This may require an evening site visit. If you have a second office or members/staff in a separate community, participants can join the site visit via conference phone.
  • The site visit can take place in Spanish or in a bilingual fashion, as needed.
    While it may be tempting for staff or the organizer to respond to most questions, it is important that members/participants be active in sharing their perspectives during the site visit.
  • Consider sharing a copy of the proposal and the Foundation’s list of questions with site visit participants. If possible, meet with participants before the site visit to familiarize them with the proposal and the McCune Foundation’s mission.
  • If you are working in a coalition on a particular issue or campaign for which you seek funding, do invite some coalition members to attend the site visit.