Conducting & Reporting a Successful Site Visit
Written & compiled by Cisco Systems Corporate Philanthropy/Cisco Systems Foundation. Last updated 2003 Apr 28.
Call Ahead to Arrange Time/Date
Although it is not always possible, the goal of a site visit is to see and experience the specific program that funds are being requested for, not just the non-profit office. Be sure to establish your time limitations and what you would like to accomplish during the visit (e.g. you want to walk around the site, meet several key staff as well as program participants, discuss finances). Prepare a list of questions raised from your review of their proposal.
Reminder: Be Sure to Confirm Next Steps
At the conclusion of your visit, recap the review and approval process to the organization. First, the Cisco Grants Review Committee will meet to evaluate proposals. The Cisco Foundation Board of Directors then reviews and approves grants recommended by the Committee. Grant Recipient notifications are sent mid-March for the fall cycle and mid-July for the Spring cycle. If organization has additional questions, please refer them to Lynne Elliott at (408) 527-6139. They should not be contacting you directly. Foundation business cards will be provided.
Important Requirement
After your site visit, please email the following information to:1) Name of organization.
2) Numerical rating of organization/program you visited (select one rating):
1 = Recommended for Full/Partial Funding
2 = Fund if Budget Allows, or Needs Discussion
3 = Not Recommended, or Not At This Time
3) Short summary recapping your recommendation – not to exceed 1500 characters – for each organization you visit.
Screening Criteria to Keep in Mind
Please take note of the following grant evaluation criteria, as they can be an invaluable guide in making difficult funding decisions.
(1) Significant social problem with urgent unmet need
(2) Innovative approach with potential for broad impact
(3) Sustainability
(4) Outstanding leadership
(5) Fit with Cisco goals & values (good use of Cisco funds)
(6) Measurability of program impact
Sometimes the most emotionally moving programs may not meet these strict criteria, but it's important to remember that we ultimately help the most people by distributing our limited dollars in a manner we believe will maximize their total impact. To learn more about grant proposal evaluation, please review the sections of this document on evaluating grant proposals.
Use the attached Suggestions for a Successful Site Visit as a guide. Please bring any notes from your visit to the review committee meetings in case questions come up.
Questions that Make a Site Visit Successful
Written & compiled by Cisco Systems Corporate Philanthropy/Cisco Systems Foundation. Last updated 2003 Apr 28.
The following will help you structure your site visit and anticipate questions from our grant review committee. You may find it helpful to print these suggestions and use them as a basis for note-taking on your site visit. While we encourage you to review the information below, you are not required to fill out or submit this form.
§ Name of organization; name of person(s) interviewed (name/title)
§ What are your overall impressions or observations? Is what you see an
accurate reflection of the grant proposal?
§ Will their physical infrastructure support the goals they set forth?
§ Are they adequately staffed? Do employees appear motivated and engaged?
§ Were you able to speak with individuals benefiting from the project/program?
§ Did new issues emerge? Do we need additional information to make a decision?
§ What does the organization see as its special challenges over the next year?
§ Is it clear how Cisco funds would be spent? Should more/less money be awarded? Why?
§ What are some of the organization’s success stories?
§ Do you personally recommend funding? If no, why?
§ What numerical rating would you assign to this proposal?
1 = Recommended for Full/Partial Funding
2 = Fund if Budget Allows, or Needs Discussion
3 = Not Recommended, or Not At This Time
Nonprofit Site Visits: Rationale & Tips
Incorporates elements by Karen Muller. Last updated 2003 Apr 28.
Some misperceive nonprofit site visits as an optional “nice to do.” In fact, they are an indispensable part of a responsible and successful grantmaking program.
Essential Tips
§ Call in advance to lay out your expectations and a brief agenda.
§ Remind the organization of next steps when the visit is over.
§ Be clear that a site visit is not a guarantee of funding!
Why Conduct Site Visits?
§ Grant proposals can be very thorough and persuasive, enough so to make site visits seem redundant. However, experienced reviewers will tell you that you can’t judge a book by its jacket copy. The only way to judge for yourself is to see for yourself.
§ Site visits help you and Cisco develop networks in the nonprofit community.
§ Site visits indicate a deeper concern for and commitment to nonprofits and the community at large.
§ They contribute to your continuing education as a grantmaker.
§ They facilitate “off the record” conversations that wouldn’t be possible on paper.
Be Prepared
§ Read the proposal carefully before your visit. That way, any questions you ask will demonstrate that you value the time the nonprofit spent completing the written application.
§ As a courtesy, inform the nonprofit in advance of any specific requirements or potentially difficult questions so they can prepare.
Be Flexible
§ It’s essential to see the program in action, and to speak to program participants, even if the only times to do so aren’t optimally convenient for you.
§ Let the organization help you plan the site visit. Ask for their input.
Set a Non-Threatening Atmosphere
§ Site visits are not “inspections,” but they do impact funding decisions significantly. As such, they can generate considerable anxiety for the nonprofit. Try to be aware of this and to put them at ease. Doing so will enable you to learn far more.
Include a Variety of Roles
§ Often site visits are conducted by the executive director and the development officer. Try to include program staff, board members, and program participants as well.
Evaluating a Grant Proposal: The Basics
Written & compiled by Cisco Systems Corporate Philanthropy/Cisco Systems Foundation. Last updated 2003 Apr 28.
Four Kinds of Proposals
All grant proposals can really be broken down into four groups:
POOR USE OF FUNDS / GOOD USE OF FUNDSBad Idea,
Good Proposal
[yellow] / Good Idea,
Good Proposal
[green]
Bad Idea,
Bad Proposal
[red] / Good Idea,
Bad Proposal
[yellow]
Be sure to think about where each proposal falls. It’s easy to know what to do in the green and red areas. Both yellow areas can be trickier, though. In the left column, a beautifully written and presented proposal may put a stylish face on a program with no real substance. Alternatively, the yellow area in the right column may underwhelm you with its lack of style, but it could also come from a passionate and proven agency that puts all its resources into direct service instead of costly professional grant writers. Keep in mind that you’re funding the program, not the proposal, and don’t be fooled by either of the yellow areas.
Due Diligence (Program Quality)
Incorporates elements from Tom David, Executive VP of the California Wellness Foundation.
How do you justify the expenditure of dollars on a nonprofit? Well, in corporate terms, you evaluate their business case. Does the idea hold up to real scrutiny? Does it take into account all the necessary factors? To an extent, it’s necessary to set one’s emotional reaction aside when evaluating a grant proposal. No matter how worthy the cause may be, it’s up to you as a grant reviewer to evaluate thoroughly a nonprofit’s claims of financial need and program effectiveness.
So how do you perform due diligence? When evaluating a written proposal, read between the lines, and don’t hesitate to ask questions of the applicant. Well-run, strategically sound organizations won’t hesitate to clarify any points you raise. Also, when conducting a site visit, listen with a “third ear,” remaining attuned not just to the formal tour but to the mood of the place, the spirit of employees, and other intangibles. Always try to speak to program beneficiaries! Finally, make good use of your networking skills. The more connected you are to the world of grantmaking in general and the grantee’s issue area in particular, the more informed your questions will be, and the more you’ll be able to form a funding recommendation with confidence.
Due Diligence (Legal Compliance)
In today’s uncertain political climate, due diligence has taken on a new component. Cases have been reported in which unethical nonprofits have secretly funneled well-intended corporate funds to terrorist organizations. Your grant administrator will have already performed some basic checks against federal security lists; however, it’s still up to you to keep close watch for anything that arouses your suspicion. This is particularly true for site visitors; keep your eyes open and listen to your intuition. If something seems suspicious, check it out! If you maintain an attitude of neutral curiosity, a nonprofit with nothing to hide won’t hesitate to clarify.
Funding Considerations: How Much is Just Right?
It’s not always easy to discern why a grantee asked for a particular amount. As such, it’s important to consider whether the organization should be awarded more or less money than they are requesting. Would more funding allow the organization to expand its outcomes without taxing the existing capacity/infrastructure? Could certain out-of-bounds budget items be denied without compromising program results? Or does the funding request seem to be on target?
Evaluating a Grant Proposal: Cisco’s Criteria
Written & compiled by Cisco Systems Corporate Philanthropy/Cisco Systems Foundation. Last updated 2003 Apr 17.
Cisco’s Four Philanthropic Goals
Gaining maximal impact from a grantmaking program requires focus. As a result, we have established four goals to govern our funding activities. All grants made by Cisco Systems or the Cisco Systems Foundation should map to one or more of the following:
1. Overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence through strategic partnerships that help to provide food, shelter, and other essential prerequisites to self-sufficiency.Addressed through our Basic Human Needs resource allocation area.
2. Create educational opportunity and foster classroom innovation, thereby giving underserved students the chance to thrive, focusing in particular on young women and girls in least-developed nations.Addressed through our Access to Education resource allocation area.
3. Promote a culture of volunteerism and social responsibility through programs and strategic grants that emphasize each citizen's role in serving and sustaining healthy communities.Addressed through our Responsible Citizenship resource allocation area.
4. Transform the way nonprofit work is accomplished and supported by sharing best-of-breed strategy and technology with nonprofits, by supporting projects that find innovative ways to make an impact through technology, and by cultivating new avenues of philanthropic support to maximize the nonprofit sector's reach and impact.Addressed through our Technology & Innovation in Nonprofits resource allocation area.
Cisco’s Criteria for Successful Grant Proposals
Following are the criteria we use to evaluate a grant proposal:
Significant social problem with unmet need:
(1) Problem affects large number of lives within target issue areas.
(2) Problem has severe effects on the lives of individuals and communities.
(3) Latent demand exists for potential solutions to problem.
(4) Significant unmet need exists due to:
- Gap between current and required funding.
- Need for innovative approaches.
- Inadequate application of technology.
Innovative approach with potential for broad impact:
(1) Innovative solution that creates opportunity for significant impact beyond direct benefits of Cisco-funded activities through:
- Scalability of model, program, solution.
- Replicability of model for other organizations.
- Market effects due to major shift in economics/productivity/effectiveness.
- Ability to catalyze behavior of other key agents or partners in ecosystem to
achieve an order of magnitude more together than apart.
Path to sustainability:
(1) Path to financial and organizational sustainability (diverse income stream; technology-related efficiencies/productivity increases; enhanced management expertise/capacity; extended ecosystem).
(2) OR: Path to sustainability of the program/model/solution Cisco supporting.
Outstanding leadership:
(1) Outstanding leader and/or management team with passion, expertise, network, ethical approach and track record in the relevant area.
Fit with Cisco goals and values:
(1) Meets basic criteria, guidelines, requirements.
(2) Employee involvement.
(3) Smart technology application.
(4) Leverages Cisco and the local community's resources and assets.
(5) Replicable, scalable, transformative: beyond direct benefit.
(6) Cisco value-add: problem, organization, and solution can leverage Cisco assets and resources for unique, transformative, or order-of-magnitude effects.
Measurability:
(1) Organization can clearly articulate the planned impact of their efforts.
(2) Specific metrics can be defined and utilized to measure progress towards success.
We believe these values are the key to maximizing our positive impact on the community.
The Risk/Innovation Matrix
When evaluating a grant proposal, be sure to keep in mind the following risk/innovation matrix. It can help you think about the best- and worst-case outcomes of a grant proposal.
Strategic Alignment
Low Alignment with Goals High /Safety Zone
§ Initiatives here align to the current strategic goals and should be monitored for future value /High Innovation Zone
§ Initiatives here may have high innovation value, providing learning and discontinuous changeNo Gain Zone
§ Some initiatives may serve specific niches and align specifically, rather than broadly, to strategic initiatives§ Some initiatives may build or test future capabilities /
Experimentation Zone
§ Pilot or young initiatives may begin here§ There may be value to seeding or piloting initiatives and then evolving or divesting them
Low Exposure and Investment High
Risk/InnovationQualities of a Good Grant Proposal
Last updated 2003 Apr 17.
Passion: While reading the proposal, are you energized, inspired, and excited?
Mastery: Does the proposal reflect a deep understanding and expertise of the problem the organization is addressing?