How to Collect Beneficiary FeedbackTips for gathering constituent voice to improve nonprofit programs

Knowing how beneficiaries perceive the quality of a nonprofit’s services can greatly impact an organization’s strategies to improve and to assess the value of a mission in the communities in which it operates.

There are five important considerations when developing a beneficiary feedback program, which include:

• Collect actionable data

• Determine which beneficiaries to survey

• Decide whether you will collect data in-house, or hire a third-party

• Choose a data collection method based on budget, population characteristics,rigor of the feedback you desire and how you plan to use the findings.

• Use a frequent, light-touch approach for continuous feedback

• Make program course corrections based on feedback

Why Collect Beneficiary Feedback?

Collect actionable data by asking questions in four performance categories:

Collect Actionable Data

Service quality.

• Would you recommend this service to someone else?

• Did you get the resources and support you needed?

Relationship quality.

• Do you want to try new services or products?

• Do you feel empowered by what your provider does?

Importance.

• How important is this issue to you?

• Will you need this service again in the next 12 months?

Outcomes.

• Are you making progress with help from your provider’s service?

• Are there positive changes in your life?

Decide which beneficiaries will be surveyed:

Determine Which Beneficiaries to Survey

Key considerations.

• Nonprofits with a small number of beneficiaries canlikely collect feedback from all beneficiaries

• Nonprofits with hundreds or thousands of beneficiariescan choose a smaller sample size

• No matter the size of the organization, surveyingaround 300 beneficiaries will provide statisticallysignificant results

“Focus Group Discussion” created by WhyOhGee used under CC BY / Cropped & resized.

Most data can be collected in-house, but sometimes it may be better to use a third-party service.

Choose Who Will Conduct Survey

Key considerations.

• Anonymous feedback is typically more valid than non-anonymous feedback

• If beneficiaries trust an organization, it may be possible to collect non-anonymous feedback, which can be more useful than anonymous feedback

• Whether an organization collects feedback in-house or through an unbiased third-party depends on the number of respondents, budget and depth of the feedback an organization desires

“Question mark chalk on pavement” created by Virtual EyeSee used under CC BY / Resized.

Which data collection method an organization chooses is dependent on several factors:

Select a Data Collection Method

Key considerations.

• Budget

• Characteristics of the survey population. For example, an online survey is a poor choice if the majority of beneficiaries lack Internet service

• The type of data to collect

• How an organization plans to use the data. For example, if an organization needs to collect data in real-time, a paper survey is a poor choice

Make collecting beneficiary feedback an integral part of program operations:

Use a Continuous Feedback Approach

Key considerations.

• Survey frequently, as often as every three to six weeks

• Keep the number of survey questions limited to one or two

• Use in conjunction with in-depth feedback surveys conducted every 12-24 months

A continuous feedback loop enables continuous program improvements:

Make Course Corrections

Key considerations.

• Adjust, remove or create new service offerings

• Identify bottlenecks and other problems in thedelivery of program services

• Predict future performance based on surveyresponses

“You Can Change the World” created by Anciss used under CC BY / Cropped & resized.

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