How charities can increase the response rates of their evaluation surveys

For charities, measuring the difference you make is essential to achieving a sustained impact. Whether you’re proving the effectiveness of your programmes to funders or improving your services to better serve people, evaluation surveys are one of the many tools you can use to gather the data you need. Yet, one of the most common challenges organisations face is low response rates.

If you’re struggling to get feedback from the people you support, you’re not alone – many charities experience this. But there are a few simple and effective strategies to improve response rates without feeling pushy or overbearing.

Here are Insley Consulting’s top tips for increasing survey response rates:

1. Explain the value and potential impact of their feedback

When asking someone to complete a survey, your attitude matters.

If you feel awkward, apologetic, or view the survey as a ‘tick-box’ exercise, that energy will come across to the respondent – and they’re less likely to participate. Instead, approach the request for feedback with confidence. Remember, their feedback is valuable and contributes to something meaningful, whether it’s improving services, helping others, or demonstrating impact to funders. If you believe the survey is important, you’re more likely to inspire others to take part.

While giving feedback should be voluntary (meaning people should be free to decline to complete your surveys without it affecting whether they receive your services or not), people like to know their opinions matter and have a chance to contribute, whether their feedback is positive or negative.

Think of it as an opportunity for collaboration, not an imposition.

2. Keep it short and accessible

Your survey should take no longer than 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

If respondents feel like your survey is long and complex, they’re more likely to abandon it. Focus your surveys on the most important questions for your organisation and save deeper open questions for those who are willing to provide more in-depth feedback later through other methods – for example through an interview or focus group, which are sources of rich data into your service.

Although surveys are increasingly made available digitally, which makes data processing easier, for some respondents, a survey on paper may be more accessible or practical (for example, if people who do not have access to a device). Make sure you ask your service users for feedback in a way that suits them.

3. Make surveys anonymous

Making your survey anonymous helps your respondents to feel more confident that their feedback won’t affect the support you provide them and enables them to give you honest feedback – which is what you want!

4. Use different channels of distribution

Don’t rely solely on email or social media.

If your services are provided in-person, ask people to complete surveys whilst they are with you (i.e. during or at the end of a session) – but make sure you are not standing over their shoulder while they’re doing it! Some of our clients have also had success by printing a QR code on a business card and handing it to people at events whilst explaining how important it is to get their feedback.

If you are disseminating your survey online, consider using social media, text messaging or WhatsApp, or even phone calls for more personal requests. Different people respond to different channels, so diversifying your approach can help capture a larger audience.

5. Choose your timing wisely

6. Remind people more often than feels comfortable

Following-up with reminders is key.

We often advise sending at least two follow-ups to survey respondents – more if necessary. People are busy, and your email might get lost in their inbox. A polite reminder at strategic intervals can make a big difference – you are reminding them that you would like to hear their opinion.

Spread your reminders out over a week or two, but be mindful of how many emails you’re sending overall. Keep it polite and concise.

7. Offer an incentive

While it’s not always possible, providing an incentive can encourage participation.

If you can, offer a small prize draw such as a £50 voucher to one respondent chosen at random.

However, don’t promote an incentive on social media posts, otherwise you’ll get a flurry of respondents from people whose feedback you are not seeking, who are motivated by the prize.

8. Report back

If people can see that you have truly listened to their feedback, they will be more inclined to contribute next time.

So disseminate the results of your survey or evaluation to your service users, and what actions you are taking based on these findings. There are many ways to do this: social media posts, including a summary in your newsletter, putting up a poster in your facilities, delivering a presentation at an event – the options are endless.

By sharing the evaluation findings and what you will do differently as a result will demonstrate that your organisation is transparent and accountable.

A suggested script for survey dissemination

When promoting your survey, feel free to use and adapt the suggested wording below:

“Thank you for being part of our community / for using our [service/ project name].

Your feedback is crucial in helping us to provide the best possible support. We’d be grateful if you could take five minutes to complete this short survey and share your experience with us. 

Your feedback not only helps us improve but will also enable us to secure further funding to continue offering this service free of charge / to grow the service so we can reach more people. Thank you!”