Think about internet hosting an extremely profitable volunteer occasion on your political advocacy group, serving to extra individuals register to vote than you ever thought doable. However then, you discover out that your volunteers felt overworked, underprepared, and dissatisfied general.
Whereas celebrating the win, you additionally want to ensure your volunteers really feel supported and pleased with their work. Amassing post-event suggestions from volunteers is important, and asking the proper questions makes all of the distinction. In any case, getting perception into their views will assist you enhance your strategy and construct a stronger expertise on your subsequent volunteer occasion.
Let’s discover seven questions that may assist you really perceive their expertise.
1. Did your onboarding expertise put together you to meet your duties?
Onboarding units the tone on your occasion by offering clear expectations for volunteers. It ensures they perceive their obligations, lowering confusion and growing confidence of their work.
As a part of your post-event survey, it’s essential to judge how properly your onboarding course of ready your volunteers to meet their duties. Particularly, ask concerning the effectiveness of the directions, coaching, and orientation supplies. If volunteers point out that coaching was inadequate, use open-ended inquiries to ask for particular examples or areas that might use some work.
When studying suggestions about your onboarding practices, deal with these areas:
- Clear Expectations: Volunteers ought to have an in depth overview of their roles, obligations, and any aims related to their participation.
- Introduction to the Staff and Group: Introduce volunteers to workers members and fellow volunteers they’ll work with. They need to additionally perceive your nonprofit’s mission and the marketing campaign’s function.
- Software program Coaching: Train volunteers the right way to use any gear or know-how they’ll work together with whereas finishing up their duties, akin to a canvassing app or a cellular bidding platform.
- Video and Experiential Coaching: Supply a coaching video that walks by way of important duties. Then, you would possibly pair your newbies with skilled volunteers who can present them the ropes in particular person.
Even when you have already got these onboarding practices in place, frequently assess how efficient your efforts are. Ask volunteers instantly to make sure they really feel assured from the very begin of their experiences.
2. Had been there any sources or instruments that may have helped you carry out higher?
As an extension of your onboarding query, you would possibly ask volunteers whether or not the instruments and sources you offered helped them carry out their duties successfully. Whereas onboarding gives expectations and coaching, the real-time instruments and sources they use throughout your volunteer occasion may influence efficiency.
For example, let’s say you organized a telephone banking marketing campaign the place volunteers referred to as voters to supply details about the election course of and encourage them to vote. On this case, your volunteers would possibly want greater than only a common script. Possibly having specialised scripts tailor-made to totally different voter demographics or points would have made their conversations extra environment friendly and focused. Extra scripts would permit volunteers to have interaction extra meaningfully with voters subsequent time, growing productiveness.
It’s additionally price contemplating whether or not volunteers had entry to the precise know-how. Had been they capable of simply entry and navigate your databases, fundraising instruments, or occasion administration software program? Or did they encounter technical challenges that slowed them down or made their duties more durable? Suggestions on these instruments can spotlight potential enhancements in your occasion’s tech setup.
3. What did you discover most rewarding about your volunteer expertise?
This query permits volunteers to spotlight the optimistic elements of the occasion and what motivated them to take part. It helps you perceive what elements of your volunteer occasions are most impactful and which areas to place additional effort into. Understanding motivations helps create extra rewarding experiences, resulting in greater retention and a extra passionate volunteer base. That means, you possibly can tailor duties and outreach to resonate with volunteer pursuits and values.
For extra perception, contemplate asking volunteers to explain particular moments or duties that stood out. Possibly they felt energized by:
- Seeing the instant influence of their work, like witnessing a profitable voter registration.
- Taking up a extra vital position, akin to main a bunch of volunteers.
- Collaborating with a workforce or connecting with different volunteers.
- Utilizing particular abilities, akin to public talking, problem-solving, or organizing.
- Interacting with beneficiaries or listening to a robust testimony.
No matter motivates them, your nonprofit ought to know, so you possibly can proceed offering memorable, pleasurable experiences.
4. How would you fee our communication earlier than, throughout, and after the occasion?
High quality and common communication is a cornerstone of any profitable occasion. By asking this query in your survey, you possibly can decide how knowledgeable volunteers felt all through the method, whether or not by way of pre-event directions, real-time updates, or post-event follow-ups. From the second volunteers join to if you present post-event appreciation, well timed and clear communication ensures volunteers really feel supported and assured.
To go one step additional, comply with up with a query asking volunteers to determine any gaps in communication or areas the place they felt the knowledge offered was unclear or premature. You may additionally ask in the event that they acquired all the knowledge they wanted on time.
For example, possibly some volunteers felt like your e mail communication was too imprecise or didn’t embrace sufficient particulars, leaving them not sure about expectations. Others could be aware that essential updates — akin to last-minute reminders or adjustments in occasion logistics — had been communicated too late and would’ve been simpler if despatched by way of faster channels like SMS.
5. Did you are feeling your effort and time had been valued?
Volunteer satisfaction in the end determines whether or not somebody will return to assist out with future occasions. This survey query gauges whether or not volunteers felt acknowledged for his or her contributions. You would possibly present a follow-up survey query that asks about how they like to be acknowledged and gives volunteer appreciation choices like:
- Thank-You Letters: Customized notes expressing gratitude for his or her effort and time can both be despatched digitally or by mail.
- Telephone Calls: A private name from the occasion organizer or volunteer coordinator presents a direct thanks that opens the door for a two-way dialog.
- On-line Shoutouts: Public recognition on social media, your group’s web site, or a e-newsletter is an effective way to showcase excellent volunteers. First, be certain that people are okay with public appreciation.
- A Goodie Bag or Branded Merchandise: Considerate presents akin to event-related gadgets present an amazing memento of your volunteer occasion.
In your survey, you would possibly present a listing of choices for volunteers to select from, making it simpler to research responses and guarantee your recognition efforts are sensible. Tailoring these efforts will in the end strengthen your volunteer program by boosting retention. Plus, you’ll create a optimistic popularity on your group when the phrase will get round that you simply present appreciation.
6. Have you learnt in case your employer presents volunteer grants or volunteer time without work (VTO)?
Volunteer analysis signifies that 84% of employers consider volunteerism is an efficient option to have interaction staff. Because of this, many companies provide office giving packages, akin to:
- Volunteer Grants: Corporations donate cash to a nonprofit the place an worker volunteers. These grants are sometimes awarded as soon as a sure threshold is met (e.g., $50 for 20 hours of volunteer work). One other fashionable choice is to donate per hour (e.g., $10 per hour).
- VTO: Companies provide a set quantity of paid time without work particularly for volunteering with nonprofits. For instance, full-time staff would possibly obtain two VTO days per yr.
Your post-event survey is the right time to ask about volunteers’ eligibility for these alternatives. For many who are not sure, present a instrument that lets them search a database of company-specific volunteer packages. This instrument ought to cowl particulars on particular person companies’ program choices, worker eligibility necessities, and the method for requesting grants or time without work.
7. What strategies do you’ve for enhancing future volunteer occasions?
This open-ended query invitations volunteers to present constructive suggestions. Volunteers typically have distinctive, unbiased views on the right way to make issues extra pleasurable or environment friendly. Their recent concepts can enhance your volunteer administration and create higher experiences for everybody concerned in future occasions.
In response to this query, they could present suggestions on areas akin to:
- Occasion construction: Ideas concerning the general circulation of the occasion, together with its timing, breaks, and pacing
- Obligations: Suggestions on whether or not roles had been well-defined, organized, and manageable
- Logistics and venue: Ideas on the bodily surroundings, akin to occasion location, accessibility, consolation, parking, or signage
- Staff collaboration: Insights on how properly volunteers labored collectively, together with strategies for enhancing teamwork, communication, and group coordination
Place this query in the direction of the tip of your post-event survey so volunteers can present strategies that haven’t already been coated in different sections. This strategy respects their time and permits them to supply extra in-depth responses.
By the point they attain this part, they’ve already addressed extra particular elements of the occasion, which allows them to supply well-rounded and considerate strategies for enchancment.
Each volunteer occasion presents a wealth of studying alternatives. One of the simplest ways to uncover them is with a well-crafted post-event survey that dives deep into their experiences. Make sure to pay attention and implement suggestions. When volunteers really feel heard, they’re extra prone to return, making your group stronger with every volunteer occasion it hosts.
