Template Questions
All 10 Impact Survey Questions
Ten questions designed to measure genuine impact — not just satisfaction with service delivery. Question 4 (dignity and respect) is the most critical safeguarding indicator — beneficiaries who feel disrespected or powerless are experiencing a fundamental programme failure requiring immediate attention regardless of other scores. Question 8 (practical difference to daily life) is your headline funder metric — the question that answers "did this programme work?"
📋 Grant reporting tip: Aggregate scores from Q3, Q8, and the open text (Q10) provide the outcome evidence most funders require. Include specific anonymised quotes from Q10 alongside quantitative scores. Always report response rate — 30–50% is typical and acceptable for beneficiary surveys.
01How would you rate the overall quality of the programme or support you received?Scale 1–5
02How well did the staff or volunteers listen to you and understand your needs?Scale 1–5
03How well has this programme helped you work towards your goals?Scale 1–5
04How much did you feel treated with dignity and respect throughout?Scale 1–5
05How safe and comfortable did you feel taking part in this programme?Scale 1–5
06How easy was it to access and take part in this programme?Scale 1–5
07How much more connected or less alone do you feel as a result of taking part?Scale 1–5
08How much of a practical difference has this programme made to your daily life?Scale 1–5
09How likely are you to recommend this programme to someone in a similar situation?Scale 0–10
10In your own words — what difference has this programme made for you?Open Text
What This Measures
Four Dimensions of Genuine Impact
Outcomes
Whether the programme achieved its intended effect — goals met (Q3), practical daily life change (Q8). Your funder headline metrics.
Dignity & Safety
Treating people as capable, respected human beings (Q4) in a safe environment (Q5). Non-negotiable programme quality dimensions.
Access & Inclusion
Whether the programme reached who it intended to reach without barriers (Q6). An inclusion equity measure for reporting.
Connection
Reduction in isolation and sense of belonging (Q7). Particularly important for social prescribing, mental health, and community programmes.
Sample Results
Your Impact Dashboard
After 42 beneficiaries of a community mental health programme responded, the access and practical impact scores shaped the next funding bid — which secured an extension grant based on the evidence of daily life improvement:
Programme Impact Survey · 42 responsesEnd of cohort · 2026
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Practical life impact
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Dignity & respect
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Would recommend
Programme quality4.5 / 5
Staff & volunteer support4.7 / 5
Helped achieve goals4.2 / 5
Accessibility & ease3.6 / 5
Sense of connection4.4 / 5
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this nonprofit impact survey template free?
Yes. Free forever with no signup from you or your beneficiaries. Up to 100 responses free. Pro ($19/month) allows 10,000 responses and cohort-by-cohort tracking across funding periods.
How is this different from a satisfaction survey?
A satisfaction survey measures how happy people are with a service. This measures whether the programme made a meaningful difference — to goals, daily life, wellbeing, and community. Funders want impact evidence, not just satisfaction ratings.
Can this help with grant applications and impact reporting?
Yes. Aggregated scores from Q3, Q8, and Q10 open text provide the outcome evidence most funders require. Include anonymised quotes alongside quantitative scores. Always report response rate — 30–50% is typical and acceptable for beneficiary surveys.
Should these surveys be anonymous?
Yes — especially for vulnerable populations. Beneficiaries working with charities on mental health, homelessness, domestic abuse, or addiction must feel safe giving honest feedback. VoteGenerator stores no identifying information. Always review and report results in aggregate.
What is the most important question in this survey?
Q8 (practical difference to daily life) is the headline funder metric — it measures real-world outcomes. Q4 (dignity and respect) is the critical safeguarding question — beneficiaries who feel disrespected are experiencing a fundamental programme failure requiring immediate attention.
Can this be used for vulnerable populations?
Yes, with care. For vulnerable populations: administer with staff support available, explain clearly how responses are used, and be sensitive to literacy and language barriers. For populations with significant literacy challenges, consider a staff-administered version using this question framework.
Can social enterprises and CICs use this?
Yes. Works for registered charities, nonprofits, social enterprises, community interest companies, and public sector programmes. For social enterprises, Q8 (practical impact) is particularly important for demonstrating social return on investment to funders and commissioners.
How often should charities run impact surveys?
At programme end for time-limited interventions. Quarterly for ongoing programmes. At funding period milestones for grant reporting. Annual aggregation of quarterly data for trustees and annual impact reports.
What questions should a nonprofit impact survey include?
Effective charity and programme impact surveys cover: overall programme quality, staff support effectiveness, whether the programme helped participants achieve their goals, sense of dignity and respect throughout, feelings of safety and trust, ease of access and participation, sense of community and connection, practical impact on daily life, likelihood to recommend to others, and open feedback. This template covers all ten dimensions.
How is a nonprofit impact survey different from a satisfaction survey?
A satisfaction survey measures how happy people are with a service. A nonprofit impact survey measures whether the programme made a meaningful difference — to goals, daily life, wellbeing, and community. For charities and funded programmes, impact evidence is more powerful than satisfaction data because it demonstrates outcomes, not just outputs. Funders want to see that lives changed, not just that service users were happy.
Can this survey help with grant applications and impact reporting?
Yes. Beneficiary impact surveys are one of the most compelling pieces of evidence in grant applications and funder reports. Aggregated impact scores — particularly Q4 (dignity and respect), Q6 (access and inclusion), and Q8 (practical difference) — demonstrate the human outcomes of your programme. Open text responses provide qualitative evidence of individual impact stories. Run this survey at programme end and include aggregated results in your impact report with specific anonymised quotes where consent has been given.
Should nonprofit impact surveys be anonymous?
Yes — and this is especially important for vulnerable populations. Beneficiaries who work with charities addressing mental health, homelessness, domestic abuse, addiction, or other sensitive areas must feel safe giving honest feedback. Anonymous surveys produce more candid responses about what isn't working. VoteGenerator stores no names or identifying information. Results should always be reviewed and reported in aggregate.
Can this survey be used for vulnerable or at-risk populations?
Yes, with care. Surveys for vulnerable populations should: be administered with staff support available rather than unsupported digital self-completion, include a clear explanation of how responses are used, not ask about specific incidents or trauma, and be sensitive to literacy and language barriers. VoteGenerator surveys can be completed on a tablet with staff present. For populations with significant literacy challenges, consider a staff-administered face-to-face version using this question framework.
What is the most important question in a nonprofit impact survey?
Question 8 (practical difference to daily life) is the most impactful question for grant reporting — it measures real-world outcomes, not perceptions of service quality. Question 4 (dignity and respect) is the most important safeguarding question — beneficiaries who feel disrespected or powerless are experiencing a fundamental programme failure that needs immediate attention regardless of other scores.
How often should charities run beneficiary impact surveys?
At programme end for time-limited interventions. Quarterly for ongoing programmes. At funding period milestones for grant reporting. Before and after significant programme changes to measure whether the change improved outcomes. Annual aggregation of quarterly data for trustees and annual impact reports.
Can this survey be used for social enterprise and community interest company programmes?
Yes. The template works for any organisation with social impact goals — registered charities, nonprofits, social enterprises, community interest companies, and public sector programmes. For social enterprises, the practical impact question (Q8) is particularly important for demonstrating social return on investment to funders and commissioners.
How do I present beneficiary impact survey results to funders?
Lead with the headline outcome — what percentage of beneficiaries reported a practical positive difference to their daily life? Then present the dignity and access scores as evidence of inclusive, respectful delivery. Use anonymised open text quotes to bring the data to life. Always report response rate alongside data — funders understand that 30-50% is typical for beneficiary surveys and do not expect 90%+ response rates from this population.
What is Theory of Change and how does this survey measure it?
Theory of Change is the framework that describes how your programme activities lead to outcomes and ultimate impact. This survey measures the outcome layer of your Theory of Change — whether your programme is producing the changes in knowledge, behaviour, or wellbeing that your theory predicts. Map each survey dimension to the outcomes in your Theory of Change to demonstrate evidence-based delivery to funders and commissioners.
What is SROI (Social Return on Investment) and can this survey support it?
Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a framework for measuring and communicating the social value created per pound invested. SROI analysis requires evidence of outcomes experienced by beneficiaries — which this survey provides. The practical impact (Q8), goal achievement (Q3), and community connection (Q7) questions provide the outcome evidence base for SROI calculation. Consult a SROI practitioner for full analysis methodology.
Measure the difference you make
10 questions. Impact evidence for funders. Beneficiary voice that shapes programmes.
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