Q: What will be on the survey?
A: This survey contains questions about the volunteer’s feelings and reactions to organizational processes, behaviors, demographics, etc. Using these data, we can inform you about where your organization is excelling and about how your organization can develop and grow. To view the VPA survey, click here.
Q: Who should take the survey?
A: You should distribute this survey to all of your volunteers; however, if you are only interested in a particular subset of volunteers, you can distribute it only to them. This method will tell you less about your volunteer program as a whole, but more about that particular group of volunteers.
Q: Why should I, as a volunteer manager, use the VPA?
A: As a volunteer coordinator, you should use the VPA because it will provide you with valuable information regarding your volunteers’ attitudes and their perceptions of your program. The VPA will highlight both what your volunteers feel is going very well and areas that could be improved. This information can be crucial in driving decisions regarding where to direct your attentions and resources. We, at VPA, understand that volunteer managers are challenged for time and resources. The VPA allows you to learn a great deal about your volunteers with minimal legwork on your part. With the help of your VPA consultant, you will walk away with information about your organization and recommendations for how to prioritize changes and ways to best leverage your volunteer program.
Q: What will VPA do with your volunteer data?
A: We will provide a report based on the data generated through the survey. You can view a sample report here. In addition, we will likely use the data to conduct scientific research; however, we will remove any identities (personal and organizational) from the data before using the data for research presentations and publications. All research will fall under Institutional Review Board ethical guidelines. We take your privacy very seriously.
Q: What if I don’t have the time to go through with the process? I am interested, but I have a tight schedule.
A: We are sensitive to the needs of our clients and can work around your schedule. We can also change the dates that the steps occur on if need be. It is important to discuss any time constraints or possible difficulties at the beginning of the VPA process to allow your consultant to adjust for these issues.
Q: How often can my organization take the survey?
A: We recommend doing a follow-up survey six months to a year after the original start date to measure the effectiveness of the survey. We also like to measure how effective our recommendations have been at improving your organization.
Q: What’s in it for UNC Charlotte?
A: Our primary motivation is truly one of outreach and support of the nonprofit community. This is a core value of our program and our university.
