The Insider's Guide to Grantmaking: How Foundations Find, Fund, and Manage Effective Programs

Signs of Trouble

If all goes according to plan, data gathered during the site visit will reinforce the earlier judgment of interest in the proposal. One of the important opportunities offered by the site visit, however, is the chance for you to discover signs of trouble that you could detect in no other way. Perhaps the most visible of such signs can be found in the nonverbal communication of the applying organization's staff. If the staff members are glum and unmotivated, and wander about like extras from the set of Night of the Living Dead, it belies the enthusiasm expressed in the proposal and should raise concerns about the health of the organization and the energy with which the project would be managed. An office with no phones ringing ...