Neon One published an article titled "7 Donor Survey Questions You Should Be Asking," discussing the importance of asking the right questions to donors in order to build a strong and sustainable relationship with them.

In The Third Bank | Knowledge Enrichment Encyclopedia for the Nonprofit Sector, we decided to translate and adapt this article to align with the nonprofit sector in Saudi Arabia, specifically orphan associations, advocacy, education, healthcare, community empowerment, and other entities working on resource development and improving the donor experience.

In our environment, the donor is not just a "funding source" but a "partner," and their experience with the organization from the moment they learn about it until after the donation is one of the strongest elements in building trust and achieving sustainability.

Why Do We Need Donor Surveys?

The survey is not an end in itself but a means to understand three pivotal areas:

  1. The emotional and mental motivations of the donor
  2. The points of friction and experience during and after the donation
  3. Future prospects for collaboration and sustainability

In an environment where the number of charitable associations is increasing, building trust and accurately analyzing the donor experience becomes a competitive necessity rather than an organizational luxury.

Below is a detailed presentation of the seven questions, supported by practical examples and real Saudi contexts, to serve as your guide towards a deeper and more effective survey.

1- Why is this issue important to you?

This question reveals the emotional or value-based connection that motivated the donor to support the organization. Many donors do not choose the organization based on its slogans but because they feel that the issue personally affects them or those they care about. In our local environment, motivations may be religious, related to life situations, or based on a recommendation from someone they trust.

The question here is not about their opinion of the organization but about why they chose this particular field. It is preferable to ask it in an open format to allow the donor to express themselves freely.

2- Which programs or activities interest you the most?

When the organization presents more than one program or service, it becomes essential to know what the donor specifically prefers. Are they interested in supporting housing projects? Education? Healthcare? Quran memorization?

This question helps improve targeting in future communications and campaigns, and provides a basis for expanding programs that receive significant interest. It can also reveal gaps in marketing for certain activities that do not reach their audience effectively.

3- To what extent do you feel your donation has a real impact?

Feeling the impact is one of the main motivators for continued giving. If the donor feels that their support has not made a difference, they may stop giving or look for an alternative organization.

The question here should be asked shortly after the donation and can be supported with follow-up questions such as: Did you receive a report on the impact of your donation? Did you feel appreciated? Did you understand how your contribution was used?

If the answers are negative, this does not necessarily mean that the organization has failed, but may indicate a gap in communication or explanation that can easily be addressed.

4- What other causes or organizations do you support?

Donors may be active in multiple organizations, supporting more than one cause. This does not diminish their loyalty to your organization, but can help you understand their value system more deeply.

Example: If you discover that some of your supporters are also donating to an organization focused on cancer patients, you can consider joint projects or campaigns that reflect a shared interest and complementarity in impact.

The question also reveals your competitors for funding, or the organizations that the donor sees as role models in their work, which helps you enhance your image or benefit from successful experiences.

5- What is your preferred method of donating?

This is a technical but crucial question. Does the donor prefer electronic donations? Bank transfers? Point-of-sale? Text messages? Cash payments?

Knowing the preferred channels helps you direct the budget and efforts toward the most used options, and develop channels that suffer from a poor experience or slowness.

It is also useful to know if the donor prefers to donate once or regularly, whether they prefer to be anonymous or identified, and what type of messages they expect after donating.

6- How do you evaluate your donation experience?

From the first moment they enter the site or visit the organization's headquarters, to receiving the donation receipt, what did the donor feel? Was the experience easy? Did they receive thanks? Did they feel professionalism and clarity?

Asking this question reveals technical aspects that normally do not appear to top management, such as difficulty with the website's user interface, delays in sending receipts, or ambiguity in the donation steps.

This question can be asked immediately after completing the donation, through a pop-up window or a short email, and can be used to improve the user experience and design a more human and smooth giving journey.

7- Do you have any comments or questions about the organization?

This is the boldest question. It is not asked except by those who trust their audience and want to hear the truth as it is.

Comments may relate to governance, policies, media appearance, or response methods. Don't always expect pleasant answers, but in every response, there is an opportunity for improvement or clarification of the position.

This question should not be asked unless the organization is truly prepared to handle feedback professionally and respectfully, not defensively or denialingly.

What Should Be Done After Collecting These Responses?

Has the survey ended? That does not mean you have completed the task.

The most important step is data analysis, interpreting it in light of different donor segments (new, recurring, lapsed), and linking it to the communication and financial development strategy.

It is also important to share some results with the donors themselves, in a thank-you message or a simple report that tells them: "We heard you, and started to change based on your feedback."

In an environment where organizations are racing to raise funds, the ability to understand the donor is no less important than the ability to reach them.

The seven questions above are not a ready-made list, but a roadmap that opens the way for you to collect qualitative data, enhance loyalty, and increase the impact of every riyal that enters your organization's fundraising budget.

Make the survey a tool for continuous learning rather than just an administrative duty.

And remember that every donor's response carries with it an opportunity, and every opportunity you waste today may return as a loss tomorrow.

This article was prepared based on an article published on the Neon One website, with full rights reserved to the source, and complete alignment with the environment of Saudi charitable organizations.

This is published as part of the "The Third Bank" article series aimed at enriching specialized knowledge in nonprofit sector development.