One of the most important parts of the grant proposal process at the Selby Foundation is the site visit. (Check out this post for tips.)
Organizations that submitted an application are asked to meet with Selby staff for a conversation – providing an opportunity to talk about the organization, the request itself and the impact of both in the community.
The site visit may take place in person or virtually. We require a board member from the organization to be present in either case… Why? Because the Selby Foundation wants to understand your entire organization, not only your specific request for funds. In our stewardship role, we want to make sure our capital investment will be protected and the nonprofit will be around for years to come.
Following is a sampling of responses we have received from some nonprofits regarding board member attendance.
Our chief executive can answer any question you have. We don’t need a board member to provide information.
There are several reasons we want to meet a board member during the site visit:
- We want to learn directly from board members about their experiences. For example: How does the board engage in strategy development, fundraising and other essential governance roles, such as understanding and supporting the work of the chief executive? We receive some great insights that we would not receive from the staff, and often, it’s helpful to the grant request.
- The board has a role in fundraising. It’s wonderful to see organizations that embrace this as an outstanding opportunity to bring a board member to the table. It also gives the board member a chance to learn more about what funders, donors and other investors are seeking..
- We often hear that a participating board member learned more about the nonprofit it represents. And this is a positive outcome for everyone.
- In some cases, the board member’s presence becomes a gift to the chief executive—an opportunity for a third party to convey the critical role board members can and should play in partnering with the CEO.
Our board members are busy.
We understand, but everyone is busy and your organization has taken the time to apply for a grant – an application we’re glad to consider. It is ideal for at least some members of your board to be available during business hours if needed. However, if all of your board members are working at jobs that do not allow them to break away, let us know. We can make special arrangements to accommodate special requests so someone can join us.
Our organization is large and sophisticated; our board members don’t usually get involved with gifts the size of the grant we requested from you.
Understood. If this is the case, good for you but, well, how do we put this? It sounds like your organization may be too large and sophisticated for a Selby Foundation grant. Just as all organizations have a duty to their donors, we retain an obligation to responsibly allocate funds from our founders, William G. and Marie Selby.
We always encourage organizations to reach out to us directly with questions about the site visit—or any part of the grant proposal process. Elizabeth Power is our Grants Manager, and you can reach her at EPower@SelbyFdn.org.
The Selby Foundation is grateful for the leadership provided by local nonprofit board members and chief executives. We wish you all good things in your search for capital funds.