Exemplary youth-serving organizations with compelling products that look like a potential fit for the Foundation’s grantmaking goals may warrant closer examination in a rigorous assessment process known as due diligence. The Foundation spends hundreds of staff hours analyzing the potential grantee’s program models and organizational capacity in order to answer the following questions:

• Does the organization have empirical evidence proving its impact on youth?
• Are strong leadership and management in place at both the staff and board levels to lead the organization?
• Does the organization have the capacity to deliver high-quality services reliably on a sustained basis while increasing the number of youth served?
• Are the organization’s finances sound?
• Can the organization’s evaluation system and ability to collect and use data support sustained growth?
• Is the organization compatible with the Foundation’s grantmaking approach?

If due diligence proves positive, business planning comes next. In cases where an organization already has a business plan, the Foundation does due diligence on the plan and may skip the next step if the organization is poised for investment.
 

Next: Business Planning