Why Nonprofits Reach Out to Us for Expert Feedback

When is the right time to reach out to a research and data consultant to help out your nonprofit organization? I’m going to share with you why previous clients have come to us to request one of our more popular services: expert feedback on data collection tools.

For nonprofits, our data collection tools, such as signup forms and feedback surveys, do much more than just gather information. They provide our organizations with essential information to begin building relationships with future donors, volunteers, advocates, board members, and more. They are also a critical first step in helping nonprofit leaders make informed decisions about their organizations.

However, it is challenging to build relationships or make good decisions if our forms are collecting bad data or no data at all.

Professional researchers know that before we send our questionsinto the universe, we need to ask others to test them to ensure they are clear,relevant, and free from potential biases. That’s why here at The Data Coach, we offer expert feedback to both nonprofits and nonprofit consultants to help youidentify problems with existing data collection tools and provide you withrecommendations to ensure that you’re getting the information you need to meetyour goals.

So why have other nonprofits contacted us for help?

#1: Low Response Rates

The number one reason people reach out to us for expertfeedback is low survey response rates. There are many reasons that this canhappen:

• The timing of the survey
• The number of survey questions
• The question order
• Confusing/unclear language

And if you’re trying to tinker with the survey yourself and you’vebeen at it for a little bit too long, it can definitely make your head spin!

Bringing in an expert to review your materials allows you tostep away from that mental whirlwind, get back to doing the work that you actually like to do, and get recommendations from somebody who knows thetechnical aspects of survey development and can guide you in the rightdirection.

#2: Frequently skipped questions

Another reason that nonprofits contact us is that they noticepeople skipping questions on their forms and surveys, and they don’t reallyunderstand why. When people skip questions, nonprofits miss out on essentialinformation needed to build relationships and make informed decisions.

Getting expert feedback helps organizations identify the causesof skipped questions and receive recommendations to increase completion rates.

#3: Unexpected or strange responses

One thing I have noticed over time is that nonprofits love to fill their forms and surveys with open-ended questions, allowing you to write whatever you want in response. I think that’s a reflection of our values. Many folks in nonprofit organizations want to ensure we’re giving people a voice and as many opportunities as possible to share their full thoughts and experiences on a particular topic.

But sometimes, depending on a person’s background orexperiences, they may be reading your open-ended question and interpreting itvery differently from the way that you originally intended. That misinterpretationcan lead to strange or unexpected responses. Expert feedback can help youfinesse the correct wording and phrasing to ensure that you and your targetaudiences are on the same page.

#4: A Gut Feeling Something Isn’t Right

Now, you may look at me, a data nerd, and think that I would turn my nose up at the idea of reaching out for help based on bad vibes. However, I ama big believer in trusting your instincts. I’ve had plenty of folks contact me, saying, "Something isn’t right with this survey, we’re not getting what we want, but we don’t have any idea what the problem is." And you know what? 95% of the time,they’re right. By working together to identify the issues, we’re able todetermine what’s going wrong with the data collection tool and find differentways to fix the problem.

How does the process work?

If any of these reasons resonate with you and you’d like toreach out to us for expert feedback, here’s what you can expect.

1. First, we schedule a 30-45 minute call to discuss yourneeds, goals, and challenges.
2. Next, you send us your materials, and I will give you feedback and suggestions for improving your tools, largely based on a 20-pointrubric that I’ve created that checks for issues of validity bias, and any privacy confidentiality concerns.
3. Finally, we’ll do a 30-minute wrap-up call where I’ll go over the feedback and suggestions with you, and I can answer any remaining questions that you have.

Plus, by the end of the process, you’ll gain expertise indesigning forms and surveys to gather the data you need, and you can applythese skills to future projects your organization undertakes. We love learning!

If you are interested in learning more about this specific service, please go to our Contact page and choose “expert feedback” amongst the services that you are interested in. And since you made it to the end, mention this blog post to get 10% off. Thanks so much for reading!