DISTINCTIVE GRANTMAKING

On the heels of a recent site visit, the group of trustees I was with wrote a check to the school. To be clear, our visit was not made in conjunction with a grant application. Their spontaneity impressed me and started me thinking.
Is it necessary to leave a tip for good learning?

A trustees’ learning tour…an educational site visit…a funders’ day out…a local nonprofit visit as an option at a national conference.  Such hands-on learning adventures have become commonplace in our field, and with good reason.  To better understand what nonprofits do, what their leadership accomplishes, and what may be possible with additional resources, there is no substitute for seeing with our own eyes. Site visits can even re-connect us
with our own mission.

Few nonprofits would decline the chance to open their doors to an interested group of funders.  Their visit is a wonderful opportunity to cultivate relationships, make the best case for the nonprofit’s philosophy and programs, and enhance the organization’s reputation.

But these visits are not without cost to the hosts. Visits entail planning, administrative time, schedule coordination, briefing of board members and constituents, spiffing up the facility, and ordering refreshments or lunch. While they are willingly offered, these items find their way into the organization’s fundraising or overhead budget.

I would suggest that funders who visit offer more than their thanks. Attach a small honorarium donation to the note.  At the very least, pay for lunch!

The trustee group I mentioned was visiting an excellent community school. The vintage building’s auditorium seats were in need of refurbishing, and the local funding drive had not yet met its goal. After the meeting’s conclusion, the visitors granted $12,000—the entire outstanding balance. As one trustee put it, “they spent a lot of time helping us learn, and our budget is flexible.” The school community was thrilled!

A thank you donation need not be that size, but the gesture does communicate respect for the organization’s time and insights. Like leaving a tip for good service, including a check with a thank you note speaks clearly about our appreciation for what we have received.

Amy Segal Shorey is a senior consultant and principal at GMA Foundations. She can be reached at ashorey@gmafoundations.com or tel. 617-426-7080.