31 Donor Survey Questions to Boost Philanthropic Impact

Donor Motivation & Impact Survey

Why & When to Use This Survey

Ever wondered what actually inspires someone to get out their wallet? The donor motivation and impact survey puts you in your donors’ shoes and helps your messaging strike all the right chords. When you understand whether it’s a love for rescue cats, clean water, or scholarships that moves your donor, you can engage them with personalized stories instead of generic appeals.

Use this survey within the first month after a new gift lands or as part of your annual stewardship campaign. You’ll tap into the belief systems, memorable experiences, and desire for measurable outcomes that drive giving.

• Uncover the values and causes that are closest to your donors’ hearts
• Tailor messaging to mirror their inspiration and spark more joy when they give
• Demonstrate impact with data and stories that make them proud every time they donate

5 Sample Questions

1. Which of our programs motivated you most to donate?

2. Rank the following impact statements in order of importance to you.

3. How important is seeing measurable results when deciding to give again?

4. Did any personal experiences influence your decision to support us?

5. What stories or data would you like us to share to illustrate your impact?

With responses to these questions, your philanthropy insights become crystal clear. Now you can send tailored updates, tell stories that resonate, and turn one-time givers into passionate advocates.

Understanding donor motivations through targeted surveys enables nonprofits to tailor engagement strategies, enhancing donor satisfaction and increasing contributions. (grahampelton.com)

Post-Donation Experience Survey

Why & When to Use This Survey

Right after your donor gives, the clock starts ticking on their impression of your organization. The post-donation experience survey is your chance to shine (or fix what flopped) while their experience is fresh. It’s like asking for a review right after the meal—not a week later, when they might have forgotten the flavor.

Automate this survey to ping supporters 24–48 hours after each online donation. This quick follow-up captures real-world wisdom about checkout flow, email receipts, and appreciation messages.

• Capture real-time feedback about what worked (and what needs a rethink)
• Fine-tune donation forms and communication templates to keep giving easy and enjoyable
• Find out if gratitude landed with the thank-you message and follow-up

5 Sample Questions

1. Was the online donation form easy to navigate?

2. How clear was information about where your gift will be used?

3. Did you receive your email receipt promptly?

4. How satisfied were you with the thank-you message you received?

5. What additional information would you like immediately after donating?

The learnings from these surveys keep your giving process smooth, build trust, and ensure every donor gets instant gratification and reassurance that their gift hit home.

Lapsed Donor Re-Engagement Survey

Why & When to Use This Survey

When a donor goes quiet, it stings a little. The lapsed donor re-engagement survey helps decode the silence and work toward a rekindled relationship—or at least a graceful exit. You get to learn what changed, what might tempt them back, and what motivated their giving in the first place.

This survey is best sent after more than a year of radio silence since the last gift. Use tact and empathy, because sometimes life just gets in the way of even the best intentions.

• Identify barriers to renewal and transitions in donor priorities
• Offer personalized win-back incentives for returning supporters
• Rebuild connection by addressing specific concerns and communicating recent achievements

5 Sample Questions

1. What was the primary reason you stopped giving recently?

2. Which of these factors might encourage you to give again?

3. How well have we communicated our recent achievements?

4. Do you feel your past contributions made a meaningful difference?

5. What would you like to see improved in our outreach?

By listening to this feedback, you can create targeted re-engagement strategies that speak to real challenges and opportunities, not just assumptions.

A positive donation experience is a major determinant of donor return behavior, highlighting the importance of satisfaction in re-engagement efforts. (researchgate.net)

Major Donor Stewardship Survey

Why & When to Use This Survey

Major donors are like unicorns: rare, magical, and deserving of royal treatment. The major donor stewardship survey digs deep into their expectations, personal preferences, and ideas for making their impact unforgettable.

Send this survey annually—or after a big donation or major event—to refine your stewardship plans and keep your most generous givers happy. This is your best chance to offer red-carpet experiences and meaningful recognition, not just another coffee mug.

• Deep-dive into expectations so you can provide the VIP experience high-value donors expect
• Refine stewardship plans with opportunities for unique engagement and thanks
• Discover untapped giving areas and interests for future partnership inspiration

5 Sample Questions

1. How satisfied are you with the level of personal engagement from our leadership team?

2. Which recognition methods (naming opportunities, private briefings) do you value most?

3. What outcomes would you like to see from your major gift in the next 12 months?

4. How frequently would you prefer impact reports or site visits?

5. Are there other areas of our mission you are interested in supporting?

When you take major donors’ feedback seriously, your personalized stewardship transforms from a checklist into a lasting, mutually rewarding partnership.

Communication Preference & Channel Survey

Why & When to Use This Survey

Even your most enthusiastic donors get overloaded. The communication preference and channel survey lets you optimize how (and how often) you connect with supporters, cutting down on fatigue and inbox clutter while boosting open rates.

Integrate this survey into your welcome series or as part of an annual donor snapshot. This makes it easy to personalize the flow of newsletters, updates, invites, and any other tidbits you want to send.

• Optimize outreach frequency to avoid overloading or under-informing your donors
• Refine content format and channel, sending the right messages in the right way
• Boost engagement rates by letting donors choose when and how to connect

5 Sample Questions

1. Which communication channels do you prefer for updates? (Email, phone, text, social, mail)

2. How often would you like to receive news about our programs?

3. What type of content do you find most engaging? (Impact stories, stats, videos, events)

4. Do you follow us on social media? If yes, which platforms?

5. When is the best time of day/week for us to reach you?

When donors control the how and when, your communications become more welcome—not another unread notification lost in the digital void.

Event-Based Donor Feedback Survey

Why & When to Use This Survey

No matter how perfect your gala playlist is, or how tasty the canapés were, there’s always room for improvement. The event-based donor feedback survey captures fresh perspectives from attendees of galas, walks, webinars, or donor lunches and helps make each affair better than the last.

Send these surveys within 48 hours after the event, while everyone still remembers the details (and the dance moves). Responses will help improve not just your next event’s ROI, but also the donor’s connection to your mission.

• Evaluate donor experience so people leave raving about more than the dessert
• Find out what elements created true value or strengthened connections to your cause
• Gauge event ROI, not just in dollars, but in support and passion

5 Sample Questions

1. How would you rate the overall event experience?

2. Which element of the event was most valuable to you?

3. Did the event strengthen your connection to our mission?

4. How likely are you to attend a similar event next year?

5. What could we improve to enhance future events?

Collecting this philanthropy insight turns event feedback into a playbook for donor joy and higher engagement—because every experience matters.

Dos and Don’ts: Best Practices for Crafting High-Impact Donor Surveys

Crafting the perfect donor survey is part art, part science, with a dash of social savvy. The best donor survey best practices make the feedback process smooth and enjoyable, not another tedious task. Keep things short, specific, and relevant to each donor.

• Do keep surveys concise—aim for under 10 minutes to prevent drop-offs
• Do segment donor lists so your welcome is always personal and relevant

• Do mix question formats, blending scaled, multiple-choice, and open-ended for rich responses

• Don’t ask leading questions that nudge donors in one direction

• Don’t ignore mobile optimization; over half of responses happen on smartphones today

• Do always close the feedback loop—tell your donors how their input made a difference

Following these nonprofit questionnaire tips not only increase survey completion rates but also grow your ability to increase donor loyalty. Gratitude and transparency after the survey goes a long way toward building trust and inspiring your supporters to stick around.

Thoughtfully crafted surveys unlock a treasure trove of actionable insights. Every question is a chance to deepen relationships, fix friction, and spot opportunities for bigger impact. With the right surveys at the right moments, organizations not only increase donor loyalty—they create truly passionate advocates for their mission. Ready to ask your next great question? Your donors are ready to answer!