A central focus of the YMCA’s mission is “for all.” I am reminded of how imperative this tenet is daily, whether from watching the news or scrolling through my social media feeds. We are lucky to have an entire department at YMCA of the USA that focuses on diversity, inclusion and global (DIG) issues at the Y. I recently had the opportunity to explore an interesting philanthropic question with these colleagues – as development professionals, how do we ensure that donor site visits are inclusive and respectful of those we serve?

I’ve organized countless site visits during my career, priding myself on creating a donor experience that is engaging, thoughtful, personal and demonstrates impact. But this was the first time I had considered the site visit experience from the lens of a program participant or grant recipient. Luckily, I was well equipped for the challenge. As donor relations and stewardship professionals, we are adept at putting ourselves in the shoes of others.

To start the discussion, my development colleagues and I rattled off the various donor benefits of a site visit: hearing directly from staff and program participants, building donor loyalty, engaging volunteers and board members as champions, witnessing impact first hand. “Off to a great start!” I thought. Then the DIG team asked us this:

Take 30 seconds to describe what a site visit is to a partner at your table. Aim to describe the site visit as if you are a young child, or from the perspective of a young child. See how few words you can use to describe it and get to the real meaning of what its components are.

What an impactful way to flip the conversation on its head! Immediately we started talking about how adults who don’t look like you can appear scary to children, especially for children from vulnerable communities. Or how an immigrant parent or caregiver may be fearful of sharing their story with a donor. We talked about things like exploitation (treating someone unfairly to benefit from their work), consent (permission for something to happen) and adultism (the power adults have over children).

By the end of the discussion, we had a list of questions to consider the next time we organized a donor site visit.

• How do we practice empathy during site visits for those representing all dimensions of diversity?
• How do we improve opportunities for consent and remove chances of exploitation from this type of site visit?
• How do we ensure we are listening to the voices of those we serve?

Consider this example:

You are the eldest of 3 siblings, all of whom attend elementary school. You are the first person in your family to participate in an after school program. Your parents do not speak much English, and are reluctant to enroll you in this program. One day, you see two adults not from your school come into the building with clipboards.

How might we improve this site visit experience for the program participants? Here’s an alternate version.

You are the eldest of 3 siblings, all of whom attend elementary school. Your mom is very proud that you have been selected to participate in an after school program. You show her a note from the school alerting her that several adults who make the program possible are coming to visit next week. Is it ok if your child shares what they love most about being in the after school program? Prior to the visit, your teacher asks your class if there are any questions you’d like to ask the visitors. Your class comes up with a list. On the day of the visit, the adults enter your classroom with big smiles on their faces, nothing in their hands, and sit next to you at your desk and ask you about the story you are writing. You read the story together and you share why you are so excited to be able to participate in the after school program. Then your teacher has your class ask the adults your questions and they tell you more about why they love supporting the after school program. You go home and tell your mom all about your special day!

This version is inclusive of all involved – the student, the parent and the donor. I’d argue it’s a more rewarding experience for the donor as well.

The next time you plan a donor site visit, I encourage you to consider the visit’s impact on program participants, recognize and embrace their diversity, organize the visit with a goal of the greatest possible inclusion and lead with empathy in all interactions and activities.

Eliza McNulty
President-Elect, ADRP
Stewardship Manager, YMCA of the USA

My thanks to Safaya Fawzi and Jillian Jayde Hastings of YMCA of the USA and Erica Mullen from the YMCA of Greater Seattle who contributed to this article and discussion.

Back to the April 2017 Hub