Form 1 RSVP Non-applicant Survey

Senior Corps RSVP NOFO Surveys

Overview

This document contains research instruments designed to help CNCS answer several key questions with regard to the Senior Corps RSVP program:

• How effective are current outreach efforts to encourage application, and how are such efforts perceived?

• What are the perceived barriers to application, if any?

• How can CNCS improve the outreach process to encourage effective, diverse and high-impact applications?

Research to answer these questions will be conducted through an online survey. The online survey will be administered to four different grantee and potential grantee universes to provide a view of how key target organizations perceive outreach efforts and the RSVP application process. The four universes include:

• Successful Non-Incumbents: successful RSVP applicants who were not incumbents.

• Unsuccessful Non-Incumbents: unsuccessful RSVP applicants who were not incumbents.

• Letter-of-Intent Non-Applicants: organizations that filed a letter of intent to apply but ultimately opted not to do so.

• Desired Non-Applicants: organizations that would have made strong applicants, but did not apply.

Each of the four online surveys are included in this document.

Survey Version 1: Successful Non-Incumbents

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has asked GMMB to study the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outreach and application process in order to better understand how effectively the process has worked in the past, and how it might be improved in the future. A key source of information is the views of those who have or might apply for the program.

GMMB is currently developing a survey instrument to gather data on experiences related to the RSVP NOFO application process, and would solicit the views of past grant applicants, non-applicants, and potential applicants for the 2014 RSVP NOFO. We are requesting your involvement in this survey, and your answers will be used to understand and improve the NOFO application.

Your involvement will be used for information-gathering purposes only, and will not affect any past, current, or future grant applications and awards with CNCS. The survey gives you the option of entering your email address for only the purposes of being taken off of the email distribution list. We will not attempt to pair answers with names or email addresses during analysis. Your answers will be confidential and anonymous, and you may decline any question you do not wish to answer.

Thank you for your assistance.

1. How did you hear about the RSVP program?
   (Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

2. How did you hear about the RSVP Notice of Funding Opportunity?

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

3. When did you learn of this funding opportunity? Please give your best estimate.

4. When did you begin your application on eGrants?

(Prompts: more than two months before the deadline, between one and two months before the deadline, between two and four weeks before the deadline, less than two weeks before the deadline)

5. How many hours did you spend preparing this application?

(Prompted time ranges: 0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21+)

6. How would you rate the ease of the application process?
   (four-point scale: very easy, somewhat easy, somewhat difficult, very difficult)

7. What special challenges, if any, did you encounter in seeking to apply? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: the six focus areas were too limiting [The six focus areas are Education, Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families, Environmental Stewardship, Economic Opportunity, and Disaster Services.], the requirement for 25% of activity to be in a primary focus area, the requirement that no more than 30% of activity could be outside the focus areas, the requirement for a minimum number of volunteers served, the required geographic service area, application process too complex or time-consuming, other [please give a brief description below])

8. Did you seek assistance with the application from anyone outside your organization?

(yes/no)

9. What was the most helpful source of assistance?
   (Prompts: 2014 RSVP Notice of Funding Opportunity, 2014 grant application instructions, appendices, frequently asked questions, Senior Corps Virtual Conference, training and technical assistance calls, state office staff, friend or colleague, other [please give a brief description below])

10. Did you participate in one or more of the CNCS Technical Assistance calls?

(yes/no)

11. If YES to 12, did you find the calls helpful?

(yes/no)

12. If YES to 12, If useful, explain your answer.

13. Did you use or participate in the Senior Corps Virtual Conference?

(yes/no)

14. If YES to 15, did you find the conference helpful?

(yes/no)

15. If YES to 15, if useful, explain your answer.

16. If you selected CNCS staff or resources as the most helpful source of assistance, how would you rate your experience working with them?
    (four-point scale: very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, very negative, n/a)

17. If useful, explain your rating.

18. Would you apply again?

(yes/no)

19. Please explain your answer.

20. Have you heard of, applied for, or received other CNCS grant opportunities?

(yes/no)

21. If YES to 22, please specify.

22. If YES to 22, how did you hear about them? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

23. Thinking about your experience, what information or guidance would have eased the application process?

24. What criteria do you use to decide which grant opportunities to consider? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: degree to which the opportunity matches my organization’s scope of work, degree of funding, application burden, application advertisements, application assistance, staffing capacity, effectiveness of grant activities, other [please give a brief description below])

25. How would you characterize your organization?

(Prompts: faith-based non-profit, secular non-profit, institution of higher education, state education agency, Indian tribe, local government entity, other [please give a brief description below])

26. How would you characterize the community your organization works in?

(Prompts: rural, town, city, metropolis)

27. What is the annual budget of your organization?

(Prompts: $250,000 or less, $250,000-$500,000, $500,000-$3 million, $3 million -$10 million, $10 million-$20 million, $20 million and higher)

28. How large is your organization?

(Prompts: 0-5 people, 6-10 people, 11-20 people, 21-50 people, 51+ people)

29. In what state is your organization located? (If your organization has presence in multiple states, please indicate the location of your office or branch).

30. Select the types of grants your organization has experience with.

(Prompts: municipal, state, federal, local philanthropy, national philanthropy)

31. OPTIONAL: If you would like to be taken off of the reminder distribution list for this survey, enter your email address below. Please note that this email address will be used for the purposes of removal from the distribution list only, and no attempts to pair survey data with this address will be made. Your answers remain confidential and anonymous.

Survey Version 2: Unsuccessful Non-Incumbents

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has asked GMMB to study the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outreach and application process in order to better understand how effectively the process has worked in the past, and how it might be improved in the future. A key source of information is the views of those who have or might apply for the program.

GMMB is currently developing a survey instrument to gather data on experiences related to the RSVP NOFO application process, and would solicit the views of past grant applicants, non-applicants, and potential applicants for the 2014 RSVP NOFO. We are requesting your involvement in this survey, and your answers will be used to understand and improve the NOFO application.

Your involvement will be used for information-gathering purposes only, and will not affect any past, current, or future grant applications and awards with CNCS. The survey gives you the option of entering your email address for only the purposes of being taken off of the email distribution list. We will not attempt to pair answers with names or email addresses during analysis. Your answers will be confidential and anonymous, and you may decline any question you do not wish to answer.

Thank you for your assistance.

1. How did you hear about the RSVP program?
   (Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

2. How did you hear about the RSVP Notice of Funding Opportunity?

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

3. When did you learn of this funding opportunity? Please give your best estimate.

4. When did you begin your application on eGrants?

(Prompts: more than two months before the deadline, between one and two months before the deadline, between two and four weeks before the deadline, less than two weeks before the deadline)

5. How many hours did you spend preparing this application?

(Prompted time ranges: 0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21+)

6. How would you rate the ease of the application process?

(four-point scale: very easy, somewhat easy, somewhat difficult, very difficult)

7. What special challenges, if any, did you encounter in seeking to apply? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: the six focus areas were too limiting [The six focus areas are Education, Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families, Environmental Stewardship, Economic Opportunity, and Disaster Services.], the requirement for 25% of activity to be in a primary focus area, the requirement that no more than 30% of activity could be outside the focus areas, the requirement for a minimum number of volunteers served, the required geographic service area, application process too complex or time-consuming, other [please give a brief description below])

8. Did you seek assistance with the application from anyone outside your organization?

(yes/no)

9. What was the most helpful source of assistance?

(Prompts: 2014 RSVP Notice of Funding Opportunity, 2014 grant application instructions, appendices, frequently asked questions, Senior Corps Virtual Conference, training and technical assistance calls, state office staff, friend or colleague, other [please give a brief description below])

10. Did you participate in one or more of the CNCS Technical Assistance calls?

(yes/no)

11. If YES to 12, did you find the calls helpful?

(yes/no)

12. If YES to 12, if useful, explain your answer.

13. Did you use or participate in the Senior Corps Virtual Conference?

(yes/no)

14. If YES to 15, did you find the conference helpful?

(yes/no)

15. If YES to 15, if useful, explain your answer.

16. If you selected CNCS staff or resources as the most helpful source of assistance, how would you rate your experience working with them?
    (four-point scale: very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, very negative, n/a)

17. If useful, explain your rating.

18. Would you apply again?

(yes/no)

19. Please explain your answer.

20. If YES to 20, what would make the application process more positive?

21. If NO to 20, is there anything that would change your mind?

22. Have you heard of, applied for, or received other CNCS grants opportunities?

(yes/no)

23. If YES to 24, please specify.

24. If YES to 24, how did you hear about them? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

25. What criteria do you use to decide which grant opportunities to consider? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: degree to which the opportunity matches my organization’s scope of work, degree of funding, application burden, application advertisements, application assistance, staffing capacity, effectiveness of grant activities, other [please give a brief description below])

26. How would you characterize your organization?

(Prompts: faith-based non-profit, secular non-profit, institution of higher education, state education agency, Indian tribe, local government entity, other [please give a brief description below])

27. How would you characterize the community your organization works in?

(Prompts: rural, town, city, metropolis)

28. What is the annual budget of your organization?

(Prompts: $250,000 or less, $250,000-$500,000, $500,000-$3 million, $3 million -$10 million, $10 million-$20 million, $20 million and higher)

29. How large is your organization?

(Prompts: 0-5 people, 6-10 people, 11-20 people, 21-50 people, 51+ people)

30. In what state is your organization located? (If your organization has presence in multiple states, please indicate the location of your office or branch).

31. Select the types of grants your organization has experience with.

(Prompts: municipal, state, federal, local philanthropy, national philanthropy)

32. OPTIONAL: If you would like to be taken off of the reminder distribution list for this survey, enter your email address below. Please note that this email address will be used for the purposes of removal from the distribution list only, and no attempts to pair survey data with this address will be made. Your answers remain confidential and anonymous.

Survey Version 3: Letter-of-Intent Non-Applicants

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has asked GMMB to study the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outreach and application process in order to better understand how effectively the process has worked in the past, and how it might be improved in the future. A key source of information is the views of those who have or might apply for the program.

GMMB is currently developing a survey instrument to gather data on experiences related to the RSVP NOFO application process, and would solicit the views of past grant applicants, non-applicants, and potential applicants for the 2014 RSVP NOFO. We are requesting your involvement in this survey, and your answers will be used to understand and improve the NOFO application.

Your involvement will be used for information-gathering purposes only, and will not affect any past, current, or future grant applications and awards with CNCS. The survey gives you the option of entering your email address for only the purposes of being taken off of the email distribution list. We will not attempt to pair answers with names or email addresses during analysis. Your answers will be confidential and anonymous, and you may decline any question you do not wish to answer.

Thank you for your assistance.

1. How did you hear about the RSVP program?
   (Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

2. How did you hear about the RSVP Notice of Funding Opportunity?

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

3. When did you learn of this funding opportunity? Please give your best estimate.

4. Did you start – but not complete – an application on eGrants?

(yes/no)

5. If YES to 4, when did you start your application on eGrants?

(Prompts: more than two months before the deadline, between one and two months before the deadline, between two and four weeks before the deadline, less than two weeks before the deadline)

6. Why did you decide not to apply?

(Prompts: timeframe to complete, grant amount not worth submitting, too much information to review, not enough technical assistance training, too difficult to navigate through eGrants, the geographic service area my organization serves was not part of the list of available grants, I knew of another organization in my geographic service area applying, the six focus areas were too limiting [The six focus areas are Education, Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families, Environmental Stewardship, Economic Opportunity, and Disaster Services.], the requirement for a minimum number of volunteers served, the required geographic service area, other [please give a brief description below])

7. Did a perception of unstable federal funding influence your decision not to apply?

(yes/no)

8. Would you apply in the future?

(yes/no)

9. Please explain your answer.

10. If YES to 10, what would make the application process more positive?

11. If NO to 10, is there anything that would change your mind?

12. Have you heard of, applied for, or received other CNCS grant opportunities?

(yes/no)

13. If YES to 14, please specify.

14. If YES to 14, how did you hear about them? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

15. What criteria do you use to decide which grant opportunities to consider? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: degree to which the opportunity matches my organization’s scope of work, degree of funding, application burden, application advertisements, application assistance, staffing capacity, effectiveness of grant activities, other [please give a brief description below])

16. How would you characterize your organization?

(Prompts: faith-based non-profit, secular non-profit, institution of higher education, state education agency, Indian tribe, local government entity, other [please give a brief description below])

17. How would you characterize the community your organization works in?

(Prompts: rural, town, city, metropolis)

18. What is the annual budget of your organization?

(Prompts: $250,000 or less, $250,000-$500,000, $500,000-$3 million, $3 million -$10 million, $10 million-$20 million, $20 million and higher)

19. How large is your organization?

(Prompts: 0-5 people, 6-10 people, 11-20 people, 21-50 people, 51+ people)

20. In what state is your organization located? (If your organization has presence in multiple states, please indicate the location of your office or branch).

21. Select the types of grants your organization has experience with.

(Prompts: municipal, state, federal, local philanthropy, national philanthropy)

22. OPTIONAL: If you would like to be taken off of the reminder distribution list for this survey, enter your email address below. Please note that this email address will be used for the purposes of removal from the distribution list only, and no attempts to pair survey data with this address will be made. Your answers remain confidential and anonymous.

Survey Version 4: Desired Non-Applicants

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has asked GMMB to study the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outreach and application process in order to better understand how effectively the process has worked in the past, and how it might be improved in the future. A key source of information is the views of those who have or might apply for the program.

GMMB is currently developing a survey instrument to gather data on experiences related to the RSVP NOFO application process, and would solicit the views of past grant applicants, non-applicants, and potential applicants for the 2014 RSVP NOFO. We are requesting your involvement in this survey, and your answers will be used to understand and improve the NOFO application.

Your involvement will be used for information-gathering purposes only, and will not affect any past, current, or future grant applications and awards with CNCS. The survey gives you the option of entering your email address for only the purposes of being taken off of the email distribution list. We will not attempt to pair answers with names or email addresses during analysis. Your answers will be confidential and anonymous, and you may decline any question you do not wish to answer.

Thank you for your assistance.

1. Have you heard of the RSVP program?

(yes/no)

2. Were you aware of the 2014 RSVP Notice of Funding Opportunity?

(yes/no)

3. If YES to 2, how did you hear about the RSVP Notice of Funding Opportunity?

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

4. If YES to 2, when did you learn of this funding opportunity? Please give your best estimate.

5. Have you heard of other CNCS grants opportunities?

(yes/no)

6. If YES to 5, please specify.

7. If YES to 5, how did you hear about them? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: CNCS website, CNCS employee, AmeriCorps grantee or state service commission, existing RSVP grantee who is not reapplying, I am a current grantee, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

8. Have you applied for or received other CNCS grants?

(yes/no)

9. If YES to 8, how would you rate the application processes overall?

(four-point scale: very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, very negative)

10. If YES to 8, if useful, explain your rating.

11. What has kept you from applying for Senior Corps grants in the past? (Check all that apply.)
    (Prompts: timeframe to complete, grant amount not worth submitting, too much information to review, not enough technical assistance training, too difficult to navigate through eGrants, the geographic service area my organization serves was not part of the list of available grants, I knew of another organization in my geographic service area applying, other [please give a brief description below])

12. What criteria do you use to decide which grant opportunities to consider? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: degree to which the opportunity matches my organization’s scope of work, degree of funding, application burden, application advertisements, application assistance, staffing capacity, effectiveness of grant activities, other [please give a brief description below])

13. Have you heard of, applied for, or received other, non-CNCS grants opportunities?

(yes/no)

14. If YES to 13, please specify.

15. If YES to 13, how did you hear about them? (Check all that apply.)

(Prompts: other granting organization’s website, other granting organization’s employee, state service commission, existing grantee who is not reapplying, colleague or friend, media other than the Internet, Internet, Congressional office, referral, other [please give a brief description below])

16. How would you characterize your organization?

(Prompts: faith-based non-profit, secular non-profit, institution of higher education, state education agency, Indian tribe, local government entity, other [please give a brief description below])

16. How would you characterize the community your organization works in?

(Prompts: rural, town, city, metropolis)

16. What is the annual budget of your organization?

(Prompts: $250,000 or less, $250,000-$500,000, $500,000-$3 million, $3 million -$10 million, $10 million-$20 million, $20 million and higher)

16. How large is your organization?

(Prompts: 0-5 people, 6-10 people, 11-20 people, 21-50 people, 51+ people)

16. In what state is your organization located? (If your organization has presence in multiple states, please indicate the location of your office or branch).

16. Select the types of grants your organization has experience with.

(Prompts: municipal, state, federal, local philanthropy, national philanthropy)

16. OPTIONAL: If you would like to be taken off of the reminder distribution list for this survey, enter your email address below. Please note that this email address will be used for the purposes of removal from the distribution list only, and no attempts to pair survey data with this address will be made. Your answers remain confidential and anonymous.

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