Ten tips for getting a volunteer survey completed

Having good data about what volunteers in your organization are thinking, feeling and looking for is crucial for a successful volunteer program, and for increasing your impact in the community.

Most of us gather that data through casual conversations and volunteer surveys. Casual conversations, though, can be unreliable, usually it is only vocal people who get their opinions heard. Surveys are better—if you can get volunteers to actually fill them out.

How can you encourage volunteers to complete and submit surveys that give you the information you so desperately need? Here are a few tips.

Personalize the request

Send personalized emails or messages asking volunteers to complete the survey. Addressing them by name and, if possible, referring to their specific contributions can make the request feel more personal. How personalized you can make the request will depend on the number of volunteers you’re surveying, but even with thousands, you can at least use their first name.

Explain the purpose

No volunteer will want to waste their time on something that won’t have an impact. Clearly communicate why the survey is important and how their feedback will be used. They’ll feel more motivated to respond if they understand the impact their information can make.

Share success stories

Highlight how previous surveys have led to positive changes within the organization. Knowing their feedback will truly lead to action can motivate volunteers to share their thoughts. Too often, the results of volunteer surveys seem to just disappear into a black hole. We know how we use the data, but do they?

Emphasize it’s anonymous

I understand that sometimes you will need to have identifying data. Whenever possible, though, assure volunteers that their responses will be anonymous, and that any identifying information that must be collected will be kept strictly confidential. People are more likely to tell you what they really feel if they know that their less-than-glowing comments won’t be traced back to them.

Keep it short and simple

Ensure the survey is brief and to the point, emphasizing that it will only take a few minutes to complete. Volunteers are more likely to participate if they know it won’t take much of their time. If you need a lot of information, do a few different surveys. Volunteers are more likely to fill out a two minute survey once a quarter than they are to fill out a ten minute survey once a year.

Make it convenient

Provide easy access by sending it via email or text, including a direct link to the volunteer survey. If you can, make it mobile-friendly so they can fill it out on their phone right then and there. The easier it is to complete, the more likely volunteers will respond.

Tie it to something they already do

Do you do regular trainings? Or have get-togethers for the volunteers? Do you have them log their hours or write client interaction reports? If they are already doing something for the organization, tacking on a short volunteer survey will make it more likely that they will complete it. It won’t take extra time away from anything else in their lives.

Create a sense of urgency

Provide a clear deadline for completing the survey. A limited time frame can create a feeling of urgency that may encourage the volunteers to complete it quickly.

Offer an incentive

This isn’t my favourite method, but it does work to some extent. Small incentives, such as a gift card or entry into a prize draw, can encourage participation. Even if it’s just a token, it shows that you appreciate them spending their time.

Follow up

Send gentle reminders to volunteers who haven’t yet completed the survey. A follow-up message can prompt those who may have forgotten or were too busy earlier. More importantly, though, follow up with the results. Let all the volunteers, even if they didn’t complete the survey, know what their co-workers answered. It’s interesting to see whether other people gave the same answer to a question as you, and it adds a bit of peer pressure to those who didn’t complete the volunteer survey this time to do it next time.

A volunteer survey can be vital, but only if it’s completed.

What do volunteers want for the annual appreciation event? Are there any barriers to effectively completing their tasks? Is a particular volunteer looking for more challenging roles? The information you can gather through a volunteer survey is crucial to making good decisions.

Firing off surveys at random, though, will rarely bring you the information you need. Do some planning ahead of time. By using these tips you will receive a much higher return rate, and your data—and decisions—will be better for it.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.