Each Youth in Philanthropy committee is responsible for organising their YiP visits.
Contact details for each committee’s chosen grant partners will be provided after a committee has made its selections.
Why go on a site visit?
Site visits give you the opportunity to meet with a grant partner to get a better understanding of the work the organisation does, and its suitability for a Youth in Philanthropy grant. The meeting will involve one or more staff, board members, or volunteers of the grant partner at their office or location, and gives you the opportunity to ask questions of representatives from the organisation around what they do, and why they do it. When you are on a site visit r attending a meeting, please remember that the organisation is taking time out of their busy schedule to meet with you, so make every effort to arrive on time, and use the time during your visit well.
Things to do before the site visit
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Make an appointment – you will be provided with the contact details for your chosen organisation after you have made the selection. Suggested script(s) for your phone calls to the organisations are below.
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Read the applications from your chosen organisations, and have questions ready to ask. If you are struggling to think of any questions, have a brainstorm with your coordinator and coach prior to the visit.
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Think about who from your committee is going to ask questions on each site visit – try to make sure everyone has an opportunity to ask a question.
Scheduling visits
We encourage YiP participants, rather than coordinators, to contact the organisations. Sample scripts for phone conversations, and phone messages, are outlined below:
Phone call
Hello, my name is _____ and I am part of the Youth in Philanthropy program with Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. I am representing the _____[school] YiP committee and wanted to firstly thank you for submitting an application for our review.
Secondly, I would like to arrange a time for myself and my colleagues to come and visit you to discuss your project and organisation in more detail.
Our proposed date for this visit is _____[date] at ____[time]. Does that date and time suit you?
Great, thank you for accommodating us in your busy schedule. Can I please also confirm the location for the visit?
Thank you, we are very much looking forward to seeing you on _____[date] at___ [time].
Phone message
Hi, sorry I missed you. My name is _____ and I am calling from _____ [school]. I am participating in Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy program, and was hoping to arrange a time for our committee to come and visit your organisation. Please can you call me back on ______ [phone number]; I will be available at ______ [best time to reach you]. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Helpful hints on organising your visit schedule
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Look up each organisation on Google Maps and map out the route that minimises back-tracking.
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Plan out the day before you make the first call, and have a really clear idea of when you want to visit each not-for-profit organisation.
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Be clear with the organisations that you will be visiting three organisations on that day, and it will be very difficult for you to change the schedule or the date.
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You may wish to put together a visit schedule document, similar to the one outlined below, prior to making your calls, so that you have all of the information ‘at your fingertips’.