How to Make Funders’ Site Visits a Positive, Dignified Experience for All

Site visits can be powerful moments—funders see programs in action, and communities have a chance to share their stories directly. But without care, these visits can unintentionally place a heavy burden on host organizations and the very people we want to honor.

School visit near Lilongwe with some smart cookies

Here are some ways funders and NGOs can make visits a positive experience that respects everyone’s dignity equally--including the communities we exist to serve:

1. Cover the True Costs of Hosting If you request a visit, ask your partner to share a realistic budget for what it will require—not just your travel costs. This may include local drivers, host staff accommodations for remote visits, community meals, or even extra supplies for demonstration activities. Offer to cover these costs so your presence is a help, not a strain.

2. Limit Group Size When meeting with community members, especially youth, keep the visiting group small (e.g., donor, translator, program lead). This reduces intimidation and allows for more authentic, two-way dialogue.

3. Ensure Full and Respectful Translation Translate all communication in both directions, not just the “important parts.” This signals that everyone’s voice matters equally and prevents misunderstandings.

4. Offer Space for Two-Way Dialogue Make time for both sides to ask questions and share their stories. This fosters mutual understanding and respect, rather than a one-sided information exchange.

5. Prioritize Privacy and Dignity Avoid public demonstrations that may embarrass or single out individuals. If you need to observe sensitive activities (like health interventions), do so in private with consent.

6. Prepare Community Members Give advance notice and context to participants so they know who is coming, why, and what to expect. This makes conversations more comfortable and meaningful.

7. Share the Agenda in Advance Hosts should provide a detailed agenda, and funders should commit to it. Last-minute changes can throw off preparations and disrupt community routines. That being said, hosts should suggest realistic agendas that allow for meaningful conversation (rather than many shallow interactions with several communities) and make time for food and water on long days.

8. Make Time for Rest A packed agenda can leave everyone drained—and that’s not the energy we want for meaningful site visits. To ensure we show up fully and respectfully, we aim to visit no more than two organizations per week (typically Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Friday), reserving Wednesdays for rest, reflection, and report writing. This rhythm helps us stay present, engaged, and thoughtful in our interactions.

9. Be a Learner, Not a Tourist Avoid treating visits as photo ops. Instead, spend more time listening than speaking, and only take photos with permission.

10. Solicit and Act on Feedback After the visit, ask community members and host staff what worked and what could be improved. Use this feedback to make future visits better.

11. Don’t Bring Gifts Without Asking Avoid surprises that may create discomfort or set unintended expectations. Instead, consider sharing a meal with the community if possible (again, with permission)—and yes, you’re picking up the tab.

12. Lead by Example as a Host Even if a funder doesn’t explicitly ask for a dignity-centered approach, hosts can model it. While funders arrive with their own learning agendas, small, intentional acts of respect for stakeholders can become some of the most meaningful—and unexpected—lessons funders take away from a visit.

13. Share and Align on Goals in Advance* Before the visit, take time to clarify what both the visitors and hosts hope to gain. We’ve found that different partners often have very different needs and expectations. The more openly we communicate about goals ahead of time, the smoother and more meaningful the visit tends to be—for everyone involved.

14. Consider Creating a "Before You Go" Deck We also have had partners who have created a "before you go" deck, briefing us on visa and cultural considerations, and that was fantastic. We'd like to create our own and would certainly recommend the idea to others as well.

    
    

Creative Touches to Show Up as a Whole Human

Beyond the basics, there’s room to bring your humanity and creativity into a site visit. These aren’t universal rules—just personal preferences that have helped me connect more meaningfully:

• Sit Where the Community Sits If the host community is sitting on the ground, that’s where I want to be, too. I'd prefer not to sit in a chair if that's what has been planned for most attendees.

• Share Who You Are If you’re asking for personal stories, be willing to share yours. Bring a few photos of your family or your life back home—small acts of reciprocity build trust.

• There Will Be Dancing On site visits, you'll receive the warmest welcomes of your life. There will--at times--be dancing and singing. And I will be participating.

A Gentle Disclaimer

If you’ve ever done a site visit imperfectly, you’re not alone (and if you have always been perfect, then you are definitely alone). We certainly didn’t show up knowing these things on our first rounds of visits, and I know we have more to learn still. As Maya Angelou reminds us:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

This list is here not to shame past practice, but to help us all move toward visits that are more respectful, equitable, and deeply rewarding for everyone involved.

When done well, site visits are not just check-ins—they’re opportunities to deepen trust, amplify voices, and strengthen relationships. Let’s make them experiences that everyone involved can feel proud of.

Footnotes

*This one came from a partner after publishing. Please send me your own suggestions to add!