Community survey question bank

Volunteers: suitability before enthusiasm

A volunteer application should find out whether someone can safely and reliably do the role, not only whether they want to help. That means availability in real terms, such as days and hours, the roles they are interested in, any checks the role requires, such as a working with children check, and an emergency contact. It also means asking about skills in a way that lets the coordinator place people, rather than a free text box nobody reads. The volunteer bank groups these so a coordinator can cut the sections a low risk role does not need.

Grant acquittals: evidence the money did what it promised

A grant acquittal is the report a funder asks for once the project is finished, and it is judged against what the original application promised. The questions have to connect spending to outcomes: what was delivered, how many people took part, what the money was spent on against the approved budget, and what changed as a result. Funders also want to know about unspent funds and anything that went differently from the plan. The acquittal bank sets each outcome and each dollar against what was agreed, and ends with a declaration from the person signing off the report.

Writing for people who give their time

Both forms are filled in by people who are not paid to do it, so every question has to justify itself. Explain why sensitive information is needed and who will see it, keep required questions to those without which the form cannot be used, and group questions so the form can be completed in more than one sitting. Plain language matters more here than in most forms, because a community organisation's respondents range widely in age, language and confidence with online forms. Each bank opens with how many questions to ask and the three never to skip.

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• Grant acquittal questions for a final project report

  A grant acquittal has to show the funder that the money went on what was agreed, and that the project delivered what the application promised. These questions set every outcome and every dollar against the original application, so an assessor can compare the two documents line by line instead of reading a story.

• Volunteer application questions from interest to checks

  A volunteer application has to match a willing person to a role and a roster, and find out early whether that role will need a background check. These questions put interests and availability first, where enthusiasm is highest, and leave checks and referees for the end, where a short explanation keeps people from walking away.