At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, it’s hard to imagine a more powerful tool than a custom survey of your organization’s donor base. I remember once when I suggested a survey to my organization’s leadership, I got a lot of worried glances and some audible groans. I didn’t get it—and still don’t.
A well designed donor survey is an antidote to anecdotal evidence which can give donor relations practitioners incredibly valuable insights into program efficacy as well as provide leadership with reassurance to end “the way we’ve always done it.” Psst..we’re looking at you, donor recognition societies! 🙂
Donor surveys offer direct lines to the folks who matter most—your donors—and can be used to gather insights that shape strategy, increase donor retention, and improve bottom-line fundraising results. Below are four key tips and tricks to crafting an insightful, and “VP groan-less,” donor survey.
1. Think of your “big questions”
Before designing your survey, determine what you hope to know at the end. Think of no more than five questions that you’d like to have answered after reviewing your survey data. Write them on your office whiteboard (or remote equivalent!) and let them be your “north star.” I recently designed a survey for a client looking to measure the efficacy of their donor recognition societies. Here were our big questions:
Can you identify which society (ies) of which you are a member?
Are you aware of the benefits that come with your level of giving or giving society membership?
Are you satisfied with the recognition you currently receive for giving to <<Organization>> ?
Do the benefits or society membership motivate your giving to <<Organization>>?
2. Ask one question at a time
Remember how I said to ask yourself (no more than) 5 questions? Well, when done correctly, your 5 questions will likely change to 10-15 donor questions. Why? Double-barreled questions.
Double-barreled questions (asking two things at once), can confuse donors and lead to unreliable data. An example of a double barreled question is, “Do you think our events are well-organized and enjoyable?”
Rather than asking this multi-part question, split the question into two separate ones, ensuring that you get distinct feedback on both the organization, and how enjoyable your events are.
3. Keep it short, sweeties! (KISS)
Surveys should be concise and take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Think of your (no more than) 5 big questions and write donor questions to answer them, and only them. I think the “VP groans” come in because surveys are usually WAY too long. To help, keep tight reins on who’s allowed to have input on survey questions and design. “Survey by committee” can produce unwieldy and overly complex surveys that overwhelm donors, and can lead to incomplete responses.
According to SurveyMonkey insights, survey respondents will answer questions faster if there are more questions posed to them; therefore, for thoughtful responses, KISS!
4. Follow-up with donors who’ve completed the survey.
Don’t forget to include a gratitude-filled follow-up email as part of your survey communications plan. This will “close the loop” with donors, and give them the assurance that their time was well-spent and appreciated. Be sure to include some high-level results from the survey in your email as well as how you plan to implement the survey data collected.
By incorporating the keys to success outlined above, your organization can transform donor surveys into strategic assets that drive donor engagement, and foster long-term loyalty.
Want more of our top tips for donor surveys? Join us for Unlocking Donor Insights: Donor Surveying Big and Small on September 24!
Written by Colton Withers
Colton Withers, Director of Operations, is a consultant and educator who has helped clients inspire donors through exceptional communications, building and implementing innovative programs, designing and analyzing surveys, and training employees on the art and science of donor relations.
