Form questions

Volunteer exit survey questions, short and kind

Ask 6 to 10, and make only the reason required. Never skip why they are leaving, how supported they felt and whether they would come back in future. Those three separate reasons the organisation can fix from life changes it cannot, and keep the door open.

Volunteer exit survey questions should thank people first, then ask why they are stepping down, how supported they felt and what would bring them back. These twenty questions are short and gentle, because a volunteer leaving owes the organisation nothing, and the ones who answer often say what current volunteers will not.

The questions

Your volunteering

  1. How long did you volunteer with the organisation?Single choice

    Less than six months, six months to two years, two to five years, more than five.

  2. What was your main role?Dropdown

  3. About how many hours a month did you give?Number

Why you are leaving

  1. What is the main reason you are stepping down?Single choiceRequired

    Changed work or study, family commitments, moving away, health, the role changed, did not feel valued, conflict with someone, time commitment too high, other.

  2. Was there anything else that contributed?Multiple choice

  3. Could anything have changed your decision?Long text

Your experience

  1. How supported did you feel by your coordinator?Single choice

    A five point scale.

  2. Did you get enough training for your role?Single choice

  3. Did you feel your contribution was valued?Single choice

  4. Did you feel safe while volunteering?Single choice

  5. Did you ever raise a concern? Was it dealt with?Single choice

  6. What did you enjoy most?Long text

  7. What one thing should change for volunteers?Long text

Staying in touch

  1. Would you volunteer with the organisation again in future?Single choice

    Yes, maybe, no.

  2. Would you recommend volunteering here to a friend?Single choice

  3. Would you like to stay on the newsletter list?Single choice

  4. Would you be open to a short occasional role?Single choice

    Such as one off events. Many leavers say yes.

  5. Anything you would like the coordinator to know privately?Long text

  6. May the coordinator contact you?Single choice

  7. Anything else?Long text

Which questions to make required

Only one question is required: the main reason for leaving. It is the single answer the organisation most needs, and a survey that requires more risks feeling like an interrogation to someone who has given their time freely. Everything else is optional, and the form says so, which tends to produce more thoughtful answers rather than fewer.

The form built from these questions

A static copy of the finished form, from its own example page.

18

How long have you volunteered with Friends of Gullyreed Wetlands? *

↵Enter

Three ways to change this bank

For a large volunteer program, add the program or site so coordinators see their own leavers. For young volunteers leaving for study or work, ask whether they would like a reference and how the experience helped them. For volunteers leaving after a conflict, offer a private conversation with someone outside their team as well as the form. In every version, send the survey with a personal thank you, and never use it as a last attempt to persuade the person to stay. Group the reasons for leaving each quarter and report them to the board alongside the number of new volunteers, so losses and gains are seen together.

Questions people ask

Why run a volunteer exit survey?

Volunteers who leave can explain problems that current volunteers do not raise, such as a poor coordinator, unclear roles or feeling unvalued. Tracking reasons over time shows which losses are preventable. It also leaves a good last impression, which matters because many people return later.

When should a volunteer exit survey be sent?

Within a week or two of the volunteer telling the organisation they are leaving, with a personal thank you. Waiting months loses detail and goodwill. If a farewell conversation is possible, offer it as well; some people prefer to talk.

Should volunteer exit surveys be anonymous?

Offer anonymity, especially in small groups where the coordinator might guess who wrote what. Ask separately whether the volunteer is happy to be contacted. Comments about individuals should be handled privately and fairly, by someone other than the person named.

How do you use the answers?

Group the main reasons each quarter. Life changes, such as moving or study, are normal; reasons such as not feeling valued or poor support are fixable. Share themes with coordinators and act on the fixable ones, then check whether those reasons fall the next year.

Why ask about short occasional roles?

Many volunteers leave because a regular commitment no longer fits, not because they have lost interest. Offering one off or seasonal roles keeps their skills and goodwill. A simple yes on this question gives the coordinator a list to call before the next big event.

How long should a volunteer exit survey be?

Short: around six to ten questions, finished in a few minutes. Only the reason needs to be required. A long survey sent to someone who is leaving reads as ungrateful, and the answers get shorter as it goes on. Say at the start that it takes about three minutes.

Who should send the volunteer exit survey?

Ideally the volunteer coordinator or a manager the volunteer knows, with a personal thank you, rather than an automated system email. If the reason for leaving might involve the coordinator, offer a second contact person. The tone of the first message affects whether the volunteer answers at all.

What if a volunteer leaves because of a safety issue?

Treat it seriously and quickly. A safety concern raised in an exit survey should go to the person responsible for volunteer safety straight away, not wait for a report. Contact the volunteer if they agreed to it, and record what was done.

Build this form in about a minute

The button opens the form generator with this form already described. Change the wording to match your own, generate, then edit any field.

Create a form with OneCraft

Other question banks

Community needs assessment questions by service area

Community needs assessment questions ask residents which services they use, where the gaps are, what should come first and what stops people getting help. These twenty two questions are grouped by service area, so a neighbourhood house, council or charity can see which needs are greatest and for whom.

Member satisfaction survey questions for an association

Member satisfaction survey questions ask how long people have been members, which benefits they use and value, whether membership is worth the fee and whether they will renew. These twenty two questions are built for a business or professional association, and split benefits used from benefits valued so the association knows what to keep.

Resident satisfaction survey questions for an Australian council

Resident satisfaction survey questions ask people to rate the council services they use, say what should come first, and describe their last contact with the council. These twenty questions are built for an Australian local council, with a ten row service grid at the centre and a ward question so results reach the right councillors and wards can be compared fairly.

On writing the questions themselves, read How to run an exit interview survey. For everything the builder can do, see the form maker. Step by step: Create a conversational form with AI, then View, export and manage your responses.

Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .