Impact report questions that show what readers took from your report
Ask donors, funders and partners how your impact report read, from the first page they opened to what it left out. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What impact report survey questions tell you
Impact report survey questions ask the people who read your report whether it was clear, honest and the right length, what they read first and what they missed. A report takes months to write, and most readers never say what they thought of it. Their answers show what to keep, what to cut and how to make next year's report read better.
Ask a week or two after the report goes out, by email or with a link inside the report itself. Pick five or six questions, start with the clarity rating and keep the open questions for the end. Send the same survey to donors, funders and partners with a tag on each link, so you can compare what each reader wants.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and given a category, a theme and a sentiment, so requests for more numbers and requests for more stories collect in separate themes. Share those themes with the people writing next year's report.
- Questions
- 15
- Best asked
- A week or two after the report goes out
- Industry
- Nonprofits
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 15 impact reporting questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
How the report read
Start with clarity, then how readers used the report, so you know whether they reached the parts that matter.
- 01Stars
How clear was our impact report?
A star rating for the clarity of the report. Put it first, so even a reader who stops there leaves a score. Results shows the average and the share who rated 4 or higher.
- 05Yes / No
Did the report use language you could follow?
A plain yes or no on whether the language was easy to follow. Select No in Results to see which parts those readers opened first and how much they read.
- 02Multiple choice
Which part did you read first?
Names the part the reader opened first. Results shows the share of each, which tells you what to put up front next year, such as the summary or the numbers.
- 09Slider
How much of the report did you read?
How much of the report the reader got through, as a share from 0 to 100. Results shows the median and the middle half, a fair check on whether the back half gets read.
- 14Ruler
How many minutes did you spend with the report?
How many minutes the reader spent with the report, on a ruler. Results shows the median and the middle half, a realistic length to write for.
- 07Multiple choice
How long should the report be?
How the length felt: shorter, about this length or longer. Results shows the share of each. Read it with how much of the report readers got through before you cut pages.
Whether it showed the change
These questions test the main job of the report: showing honestly what changed, and how it stands next to the reports of other charities.
- 03Big scale
How well did the report show what changed?
How well the report showed what changed, from 1 to 10. Results shows the average and a column per step. Read the low scores with the answers on what the report left out.
- 11Big scale
How honest did the report feel?
How honest the report felt, from 1 to 10. An impact report exists to earn trust, so a low average deserves attention before any other number in it.
- 15Multiple choice
How does our report compare with other charities you support?
How the report compares with those of other charities the reader supports. Results shows the share for worse, about the same and better, a fair comparison from the people who read both.
- 06Text
Which number in the report surprised you?
Asks which number surprised the reader. Each answer arrives with its sentiment and theme, and a number that surprises many readers is a good lead for your next appeal.
What to change next year
Ask what readers want more of and how they want the report, before you plan next year's edition.
- 04Multiple choice
What would you like to see more of?
Lets readers pick everything they want more of, from case studies to outside evaluation. Results shows bars per option. A share asking for what didn't work is a call for more candor.
- 08Ranking
Rank what you want an impact report to show
Readers put five things in order, from what changed for people to independent checks. Results shows the average place per item, a ranked outline for next year's report.
- 13This or that
In an impact report you would rather see
Two pairs: one deep story or many short ones, numbers or photographs. Results shows a split bar per pair, a quick guide for the balance of next year's report.
- 10Dropdown
How would you rather receive the report?
How the reader would rather get the report, from email to a meeting. Results shows the share of each, a guide for how many printed copies to order next year.
- 12Text
What did the report leave out?
An open question on what the report left out. Filter the answers by theme in Results, and treat a theme that many readers name as a section to add next year.
Tips for asking about impact reporting
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask soon after it goes out
Send the survey a week or two after the report, while readers still remember what they read.
- 02
Link from the report itself
Add the survey link or QR code to the last page of the report, so readers can answer as they finish.
- 03
Tag each audience
Use one link per audience, such as donors, funders and partners, with a tag on each, so you can see what each group wants.
- 04
Show what you changed
Open next year's report with what readers asked for and what you changed, so they see that the survey was worth answering.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about impact reporting
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
A week or two after it goes out. Usertick sends to a contact list now or on a date you schedule up to 30 days ahead, so you can set the survey up when you send the report.
Everyone who received it: donors, funders, partners and staff. Use a tag on each link or a separate send per group, so you can compare their answers.
Five or six. Start with clarity and whether the report showed what changed, add what readers want more of and end with what it left out.
Yes. Add the survey link or its QR code to the last page of a printed or digital report, and the hosted page opens on any phone.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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