Nonprofit survey examples show organizations how to ask donors, volunteers, and event attendees the right questions. A nonprofit survey is a short, structured questionnaire. A charity, foundation, or NGO sends it to one specific group, such as donors, volunteers, members, or event guests. The goal is feedback that shapes fundraising, programming, and outreach decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Budgets are tight, and donor and volunteer turnover is real. Fundraising Effectiveness Project data shows donor counts fell an estimated 3.6% in 2025, even as total giving grew. That means retaining existing donors now matters more than chasing new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this blog, we\u2019ll explain seven nonprofit survey examples with sample questions. It also covers how to pick the right survey for a specific goal, plus the response rate and sample size benchmarks that make results usable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
A nonprofit survey is a short questionnaire a charity or NGO sends to donors, volunteers, members, or event attendees. It collects feedback on programs, fundraising, and mission alignment. Unlike a general customer feedback form, a nonprofit survey usually targets one stakeholder group at a time: a donor’s concerns (impact, transparency) differ from a volunteer’s (schedule, recognition, training).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most nonprofit surveys run on a recurring basis rather than once. A donor survey might go out annually, while a volunteer survey follows every shift or event. A post-event survey typically goes out within 24 hours of the event ending. This cadence gives leadership a running signal instead of one snapshot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A quick comparison of who gets asked what:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nonprofit surveys matter because they turn a small budget and a small staff into a targeted budget and an informed staff. Every nonprofit works with limited money and people, and both resources shift constantly as donors lapse, volunteers rotate, and grant cycles change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two recent benchmarks show why this matters right now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regular surveys close this gap before it costs a donor or a volunteer. A short donor survey after a lapse, a volunteer survey after a shift, or a post-event survey the same week all catch problems while they are still fixable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most useful nonprofit survey examples target one specific group with one specific goal. Asking donors, volunteers, and attendees the same generic questions wastes the opportunity. The seven examples below cover the stakeholder groups nonprofits survey most often, each with sample questions ready to adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A starting point for each one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A donor survey asks people who have already given money why they gave. It also asks what would make them give again, and whether they feel informed about how funds are used. Send it once a year, and again to anyone who has not given in 12 to 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sample questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A volunteer survey measures whether volunteers feel trained, appreciated, and clear on their role. Run it after onboarding, after a major event, and once a year as a general check-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ask about training, recognition, and workload directly. A broad “how was your experience” question is too vague to act on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nonprofits typically run three separate surveys around an event. Pre-event surveys set expectations. Mid-event surveys catch real-time fixes. Post-event surveys shape next year’s planning. Post-event surveys matter most, since you can reach every attendee, sponsor, and volunteer at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n