Surveys are an important tool in any kind of marketing, including fundraising.
Here are four distinct types of survey that you might consider using in your fundraising program:
1. Quantitative research survey
This one is meant to give you a statistical picture of who your donors are and what they think. It is statistically rigorous, carefully choosing which donors to contact to get a well-founded look at your donors, and with questions constructed to minimize the types of bias that can creep into opinions. It gives you a high-level picture of your donor file, including overall demographics. It can help you shape the campaigns to send to your donors.
2. Customer feedback survey
Designed to give you an idea of how well you are connecting with donors. It seeks their opinions and experiences with your communications and service to donors. It can help you uncover areas of dissatisfaction so you can make improvements. It can be less statistically rigorous than a research survey.
3. Motivational survey
Sometimes called “fake surveys,” these are not research at all, but meant to engage donors on your shared values, leading toward a donation. You may have seen these sometimes use such extremely softball questions (“Cancer is bad: yes or no?”) This type can be an effective fundraising tool for some organizations. It does not yield any valid opinion information.
4. Supporter Connection Survey
This is one that can change everything, because it has a clearly different strategy from the other survey types. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with the first three survey types. They sometimes have their place, and can be helpful and important for some organizations. But a Supporter Connection Survey is different. It is the only type of survey that really focuses on what each donor has to say, how they think, and gives you feedback that you can reflect back to that donor.
When I first encountered the Supporter Connection Survey, I was bowled over at its transformational power. Here’s what I wrote:
If the Ice Bucket Challenge and the LiveStrong Bracelet got together and had a child, that child would be boring and ineffective compared to the Supporter Connection Survey!
Maybe a slight over-reaction, but I still think it may be the most important and impactful innovation for fundraisers in a long time.
If you can only send one type of survey, make it a Supporter Connection Survey.
And here’s how to start: Download our free eBook, “5 Easy Steps to Your Game-Changing Donor Survey.”
Walking you step-by-step through the process of creating and fielding a Supporter Connection Survey, this FREE Guide will help you create meaningful relationships with your donors, and uncover more legacy, major donor, and monthly giving leads than ever before!
- You’ll learn the 5 key steps to creating your very own Supporter Connection Survey.
- You’ll discover how this survey will help you create an amazing pipeline of more legacy, major donor, and monthly giving leads than ever before.
- You’ll be empowered to put this tool to work in the tough fundraising times ahead.
Download your copy NOW.
Click here to download “5 Easy Steps to Your Game-Changing Donor Survey”
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