Funding questions that show what would make readers give
Ask readers whether they would support your journalism by choice, how much they would give and where the money should go. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What reader funding survey questions tell you
Reader funding survey questions ask readers whether they would support you by choice, what would move them, how much they would give and where the money should go. Payment data shows who gave. These answers show why the others didn't and what would make current supporters stop.
Ask on your support page and at the end of articles, with an exit intent trigger for readers who leave without giving, and send supporters a survey by email. Pick four to six questions, and end with the link to what reader funding pays for.
Each written answer gets a theme and a sentiment, and each response an urgency, so a supporter thinking of leaving stands out. Give each response an owner in the inbox, and pass supporter answers to HubSpot or Klaviyo with a workflow.
- Questions
- 13
- Best asked
- On the support page, or once a year by email
- Industry
- Media
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 13 reader funding questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Whether readers would give
Ask readers who don't pay yet, so you learn what would turn a free reader into a supporter.
- 01Yes / No
Have you ever given money to a news site that stayed free?
Whether the reader has ever paid for news that stayed free. Select Yes in Results to see what moved those readers, a guide for your own appeal.
- 03Big scale
How much do you worry about journalism losing its funding?
How much the reader worries about journalism losing its funding, from one to ten. Results shows the average and a column per step; select the high steps to read what those readers would fund.
- 02Multiple choice
What would make you support us by choice?
The single reason that would turn a reader into a supporter. Results shows a donut with each share; lead your appeal with the reason at the top.
- 08Number
How many news sites do you already pay for?
How many news sites the reader already pays for, typed as a number. Results shows the median and the middle half, a sense of how crowded the reader's budget is.
How much and how
Amounts, payment choices and benefits, worth asking before you change the support page or the appeal.
- 05Slider
What yearly amount would you consider giving?
A yearly amount from 0 to 300 on a slider. Results shows the median and the middle half, a steadier guide for suggested amounts than the average.
- 09Dropdown
How would you rather support a publisher?
The way the reader would rather give, from a one time gift to merchandise. Results shows each share and count, a guide to which options lead the support page.
- 07Multiple choice
How often should we ask readers for support?
Whether you ask for support too often, about right or too little. Results shows a donut with each share; ask it after a fundraising drive and compare with the period before.
- 04Multiple choice
Which member benefits appeal to you?
Readers pick every member benefit that appeals, from reading without ads to a tote bag. Results shows a bar per benefit, so you can drop the ones few readers want.
Where the money goes
Use these to decide what your appeal promises and what members get a say in.
- 10Ranking
Rank where reader money should go
Readers order where their money should go, from reporters to keeping the site free. Results shows the average place of each, a guide to what your appeal promises.
- 06Text
Which kind of reporting would you fund directly?
An open question for the reporting readers would pay for directly. Each answer gets a theme, and a theme that keeps coming back can anchor a funded series.
- 12Big scale
How much say should members have in what we cover?
How much say members should have in coverage, from one to ten. Results shows the average and a column per step, useful before you offer members a vote on topics.
Keeping supporters
For current supporters: what would make them stop, then a link to what their money pays for.
- 11Text
What would make you stop supporting us?
An open question for current supporters on what would make them stop. Each answer gets a theme and a sentiment; give every answer that mentions leaving an owner in the inbox.
- 13Call to action
See what reader funding pays for
A closing link to your page on what reader money pays for. Put it last, so readers who just said what they would fund can see where the money goes.
Tips for asking about reader funding
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask on the support page
Target the survey to your support or membership page, and trigger it on exit intent to hear from readers who leave without giving.
- 02
Ask supporters once a year
Usertick sends to a contact list now or scheduled up to 30 days ahead. Send the benefits and stop questions to current supporters once a year.
- 03
Keep the survey apart from the appeal
Ask the funding questions in their own survey, and end with the link to what reader money pays for.
- 04
Ask a week after a drive
Run the frequency question a week after a fundraising drive, while readers remember how many appeals they saw.
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 reader funding
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
On your support page and at the end of articles, with targeting by pages on every plan. Supporters can get the survey by email from Usertick.
Four to six: whether they have given before, what would make them support you, the yearly amount and where the money should go.
Yes. The last item in the set is a link to what reader funding pays for, so readers who finish the survey can act on it.
Yes, by email. Usertick sends to a contact list now or on a date you schedule. There is no automatic send when a payment stops, so send to lapsed supporters in monthly batches.
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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