How to Conduct an Effective Volunteer Satisfaction Survey
If you fail to offer a dynamic, flexible environment to volunteers, they may move on to use their energy and talents elsewhere. This finding is elaborated on in a two-year study called the Pathways to Participation. Conducted by two organizations in the United Kingdom, this study’s findings point to easy organizational actions that can lower volunteer turnover rates. One such step is conducting a meaningful volunteer satisfaction survey.
Developing Effective Volunteer Satisfaction Surveys
Surveys seeking honest opinions from your volunteers can be valuable tools that move your organization forward. Here are some ways you can construct surveys that return actionable results and engage volunteers.
Explain and Express Gratitude
Begin every survey with a short introduction explaining to volunteers why they are being asked to participate, what you hope to learn from their responses, and when they can expect you to report back. End each questionnaire by thanking participants and providing contact information for a reliable point person or persons, whether you or others in your organization who can answer questions about the survey and guide participants if they have technical problems.
Use Well-Defined, Organized Questions
Start by asking a few select volunteers to help you consider possible answers to specific questions you may want to ask. Build your survey using multiple choice questions rather than open-ended queries, which reduces the burden on participants and yields results that are easier to evaluate.
Build Simple and Easy
Shorter surveys that are convenient for participants to complete show respect for your volunteers’ time. Keep surveys to 10 or fewer questions, and make participating easy by sending invitations through email to an online survey. Use no-cost or low-cost software such as Survey Monkey to make survey creation easy. Remember to provide a few paper copies for volunteers without internet access.
Keep Participants Anonymous
Often, volunteers may hesitate to give negative feedback about your staff and operations. Help survey participants feel more comfortable about providing candid answers by assuring them responses will stay anonymous during collection. When reporting back, do not cite anyone by name and choose typical responses to share.
Include an Open-Ended Question for Further Comments
At the end of the survey, ask participants if they have additional comments they wish to make. This indicates that you are interested in hearing what they have to say. If there are complaints, take them seriously. They can indicate systemic organizational problems you need to address. You can invite further action and exploration by creating a focus group of volunteers.
Collect and Analyze Data Well
You need a sample size that is statistically relevant to the population you are surveying. There should be a minimum of five possible answers for each question. Get help with data collection and analysis with free virtual calculators.
About VIS
Volunteers Insurance Service Association, Inc. (VIS) was established in 1972 for the purpose of providing insurance and risk management services for volunteer-based organizations. In addition to still providing these insurance services today on a nationwide scale, we have expanded to provide noninsurance resources for members to manage their risks and improve their operations. By transferring the volunteer risk exposure to our program, we can help you protect your organization. Contact us today at 800.222.8920 for more information on our programs and services. Join now!
