Blog Layout
Nonprofitability: June 2017
May 8, 2017
8 Tips for Creating Your Own Survey
So you want to survey your members, donors or other constituents for feedback on a program or project? If you haven’t created a survey before, don’t fret. Just keep in mind certain rules and the rest will follow. Here are eight tips for writing an effective survey.
- Define the purpose. The first — and most important — task in creating a survey is to define its main goal. What does your nonprofit want to learn from respondents? How will you use the data you collect? Say that you’re planning to build a new recreation center. You’d want to ask specific questions — for example: What hours and days of the week would you most likely use the pool? How much would you be willing to pay per visit? Would you use the pool mainly to swim laps? Respondents’ answers would give your leadership guidance for making construction and programming decisions.
- Keep your survey short. Ideally, it should take no longer than five minutes to complete a survey. Online survey maker SurveyMonkey says six to 10 minutes is acceptable, but it sees “significant abandonment rates” after 10 minutes.
- Get some online help. Speaking of SurveyMonkey, it’s one of the most popular online survey tools. For free, your nonprofit can create a basic survey with 10 questions and 100 responses. SurveyMonkey also sells nonprofit templates in areas including volunteer satisfaction, donor feedback, fundraiser event planning and market research. Other survey tools include Google Forms, SurveyGizmo and Typeform. Each has certain benefits in terms of pricing, creativity or the ability to analyze your results.
- Speak your respondents’ language. When devising the survey, speak the language of those who’ll be taking it. Avoid industry jargon and technical lingo, and don’t assume the survey taker knows the ins and outs of your organization or its field. If you’re going to make an insider’s reference, explain it.
- Avoid bias and pledge privacy. Take care not to lead respondents to answers you’d like to hear. Avoid loaded words and strong language, and consider seeking the services of a survey professional to ensure objectivity. Also remember that privacy is important to most people. Reassure respondents at the beginning of the survey or in a cover letter that their replies will remain confidential.
- Test and remind. Try out your finished survey on staff or a small sample of your target audience. Time their responses and ask for feedback. You’ll want to find out if any questions were confusing. Once the survey has been distributed, don’t hesitate to send out reminders to potential respondents you haven’t heard from. According to some survey experts, sending several reminders significantly boosts response rates.
© 2017
This material is generic in nature. Before relying on the material in any important matter, users should note date of publication and carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness, and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.
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The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) which took effect on January 1, 2024 required "reporting companies" in the United States to disclose information about their beneficial owners to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). In May 2024, a lawsuit was filed claiming that Congress exceeded its authority under the Constitution in passing the CTA. Background: December 3, 2024 in the Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Merrick Garland, Attorney General of the United States, et al., Judge Amos Mazzant of the United States District Court (Eastern District of Texas/Sherman Division) issued a preliminary nationwide injunction barring the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). December 23, 2024 the Nationwide Injunction is lifted and filing deadlines are reinstated. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of Treasury (FinCEN) may again enforce the CTA. FinCEN has not extended any filing deadlines. Therefore, all reporting companies should file immediately any beneficial ownership information reports (BOIRs) that were already due, and reporting companies formed prior to 2024 should file their BOIRs by January 13, 2025 (extended from January 1, 2025). December 27, 2024 the federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated a nationwide injuction halting enforcement of beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements, reversing an order the same court issued earlier this week. FinCEN issued an updated alert on its BOI information page , saying that companies can voluntarily submit BOI reports. February 7, 2025 FinCEN will consider changes to the BOI reporting requirements if a court grants the government's request for a stay of a nationwide injunction in a Texas case, according to a motion filed Wednesday, February 5th. If the stay is granted, FinCEN will extend BOI filing deadlines for 30 days, the government said in its filing in Samantha Smith and Robert Means v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, No. 6:24-CV-336 (E.D. Texas 1/7/25). BOI reporting is currently voluntary, pending further legal developments. Businesses and stakeholders should stay alert for additional updates as the situation evolves. Current Status: February 18, 2025 A federal court lifted the last remaining nationwide injunction stopping BOI reporting requirements. FinCEN which enforces BOI requirements under the CTA said it would extend filing deadline for initial, updated, and/or corrected BOI reports to March 21. However, reporting companies that were previously given a deadline later than March 21 may file their initial BOI report by that later deadline. Resources for consideration: March 21 BOI reporting deadline set; further delay possible BOI Injunction Lifted FinCEN BOI Center
February 7, 2025 FinCEN will consider changes to the BOI reporting requirements if a court grants the government's request for a stay of a nationwide injunction in a Texas case, according to a motion filed Wednesday, February 5th. If the stay is granted, FinCEN will extend BOI filing deadlines for 30 days, the government said in its filing in Samantha Smith and Robert Means v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, No. 6:24-CV-336 (E.D. Texas 1/7/25). BOI reporting is currently voluntary, pending further legal developments. Businesses and stakeholders should stay alert for additional updates as the situation evolves
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