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October 2015 Volunteer Survey - COMPREHENSIVE REPORT DO NOT CHANGE

On October 13, 2015, The Mountaineers sent a survey to 4781 people it knew may have volunteered for the organization in the past year. 488 people responded to the survey. 351 people completed it and 137 people provided partial answers to it. It was a long, extensive survey asking about their experiences as volunteers. On average, it took 23 minutes and 15 seconds to complete.

In the past 12 months, which branch did you spend the most time volunteering for?

*Note, this question was added after a few days of receiving responses so it does not capture every response given to the other questions in the survey.
Value Percent   Count
Bellingham 2.0%
5
Everett 12.9%
32
Foothills 5.7%
14
Kitsap 3.2%
8
Olympia 14.1%
35
Seattle 53.2%
132
Tacoma 8.9%
22
  Totals 248
Statistics
Total Responses 248

Overview of Volunteer Roles and Satisfaction

Thinking about your volunteer experience with The Mountaineers over the past 12 months, use the slider below to indicate how satisfied you were. A score of 1 = "terrible experience.  wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies" A score of 7 = "rewarding, fun, fulfilling experience.  looking forward to volunteering more.  would recommend it to anyone."

Statistics
Sum 2,154.0
Average 5.8
StdDev 1.1
Max 7.0
Total 372

In what role did you volunteer for The Mountaineers in the past 12 months? (Check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
Course Instructor (in any non-administrative capacity. Includes lectures, field trips, and evaluations but NOT things like committee work or website management) 63.6%
257
Activity Leader 54.2%
219
Activity Committee (eg. Course Admin, Committee Leadership, Subcommittee work) 35.6%
144
Event volunteer 16.1%
65
Conservation Work under Mountaineers Leadership (helping at event, trail maintenance, weed watchers, advocacy, etc.) 15.1%
61
Youth Programs 10.4%
42
Conservation work under WTA or other partner organization leadership 8.4%
34
Board of Directors, Branch Administration/Branch Council or other leadership role 7.4%
30
Other 6.2%
25
Lodges (in any capacity) 3.7%
15
Mountaineers Books (in any capacity) 2.7%
11
  Totals 404
Statistics
Total Responses 404

In the past 12 months, did your satisfaction as a volunteer with The Mountaineers generally...

Value Percent   Count
Improve 14.5%
56
Stay the same 75.9%
293
Decrease 9.6%
37
  Totals 386
Statistics
Total Responses 386

What caused your satisfaction to improve?

Value Percent   Count
Received gratitude from others 14.3%
6
Learned more about my activity 14.3%
6
Desire to help others 14.3%
6
Social connection/fun 33.3%
14
New volunteer/more experience in position 21.4%
9
Received better support or website functionality 21.4%
9
New volunteer this year 4.8%
2
Better support or website functionality 9.5%
4
  Totals 42
Statistics
Total Responses 42

What negatively impacted your experience as a volunteer?

Value Percent   Count
I perceived a lack of support for specific frustrations 61.3%
19
My social interactions became unenjoyable 25.8%
8
I did not feel appreciated 16.1%
5
Needed a new challenge or lost interest in role 6.5%
2
My lifestyle no longer allowed it 6.5%
2
  Totals 31
Statistics
Total Responses 31

When you volunteer for The Mountaineers, do you know what is expected of you in that role?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 88.1%
341
No 2.6%
10
Sometimes (please explain) 9.3%
36
  Totals 387
Statistics
Total Responses 387

When you volunteer for The Mountaineers, do you know who to go to for answers when you need help?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 55.9%
217
Most of the time 36.1%
140
Some of the time 7.0%
27
No 1.0%
4
  Totals 388
Statistics
Total Responses 388

Do you know who is currently serving as your Branch Leadership/Branch Council?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 47.7%
184
No 52.3%
202
  Totals 386
Statistics
Total Responses 386

Would it be beneficial to know who your branch leadership is?

Value Percent   Count
No. My volunteer work isn't impacted by my branch leadership. 30.1%
61
Not sure. 53.7%
109
Yes. Things would improve if volunteers like me had more interaction with our Branch Leadership 16.3%
33
  Totals 203
Statistics
Total Responses 203

How often do you participate in Mountaineers activities as a participant (not a leader or instructor)?

Value Percent   Count
Never 8.6%
30
1-2 times this year 30.6%
107
3-5 times this year 26.0%
91
6-10 times this year 18.0%
63
Monthly 11.4%
40
Twice a month 5.1%
18
Weekly (or more than once a week) 0.3%
1
  Totals 350
Statistics
Total Responses 350

When you volunteer for The Mountaineers, do you feel that you have the tools and information you need to do your job?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 85.9%
334
No 2.8%
11
Sometimes (please explain) 11.3%
44
  Totals 389
Statistics
Total Responses 389

Do you feel that your opinion as a Mountaineers Volunteer is valued?

Value Percent   Count
No 5.3%
20
Some of the time 25.3%
95
Most of the time 33.3%
125
Yes 36.0%
135
  Totals 375
Statistics
Total Responses 375

Training and Support Specific To Different Roles

Thinking about all of the volunteer work you have ever done with The Mountaineers, how did you originally become connected with that role?

Value Percent   Count
I took a course and returned to teach and/or lead 72.7%
250
A friend recruited me 25.0%
86
I responded to an open solicitation (post, email, website, newspaper) 17.4%
60
I contacted The Mountaineers looking for volunteer opportunities 7.0%
24
Other 13.1%
45
  Totals 344
Statistics
Total Responses 344

How easy was it to become a Mountaineers volunteer?

Value Percent   Count
I have felt welcomed to participate in any volunteer role that I choose 81.8%
284
I have tried to get involved in a particular area, but have run into obstacles 6.9%
24
I feel that there are certain volunteer roles in The Mountaineers that are exclusive 18.2%
63
I have asked to do something or proposed a new idea and never heard back 7.8%
27
Other 6.3%
22
  Totals 347
Statistics
Total Responses 347

As an Activity Leader, did you receive any form of orientation (formal, informal or written) specific to that role?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 70.6%
154
No 29.4%
64
  Totals 218
Statistics
Total Responses 218

As an Activity Leader, what type of orientation did you receive? (check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
Formal Orientation or Training 61.2%
93
Handbook or Written Description 47.4%
72
Someone informally walked me through my responsibilities 62.5%
95
  Totals 152
Statistics
Total Responses 152

Did your Activity Leader orientation adequately prepare you to do your job?

Value Percent   Count
Not at all 0.7%
1
To some extent 13.8%
21
Yes, for the most part 30.9%
47
Yes, I felt adequately prepared to do my job 54.6%
83
  Totals 152
Statistics
Total Responses 152

As a Course Instructor, did you receive an orientation (formal, informal or written) specific to that role?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 75.0%
192
No 25.0%
64
  Totals 256
Statistics
Total Responses 256

As a Course Instructor, what type of orientation did you receive?

Value Percent   Count
Formal Orientation or Training 38.4%
73
Handbook or Written Description 54.7%
104
Someone informally walked me through my responsibilities 65.3%
124
  Totals 190
Statistics
Total Responses 190

Did your Course Instructor orientation adequately prepare you to do your job?

Value Percent   Count
Not at all 0.0%
0
To some extent 7.9%
15
Yes, for the most part 38.2%
73
Yes, I felt adequately prepared to do my job 53.9%
103
  Totals 191
Statistics
Total Responses 191

As an Activity Committee volunteer, did you receive an orientation (formal, informal or written) specific to that role?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 42.4%
61
No 57.6%
83
  Totals 144
Statistics
Total Responses 144

As a volunteer on an Activity Committee, what type of orientation did you receive?

Value Percent   Count
Formal Orientation or Training 6.7%
4
Handbook or Written Description 26.7%
16
Someone informally walked me through my responsibilities 91.7%
55
  Totals 60
Statistics
Total Responses 60

Did your Activity Committee orientation adequately prepare you to do your job?

Value Percent   Count
Not at all 0.0%
0
To some extent 14.8%
9
Yes, for the most part 39.3%
24
Yes, I felt adequately prepared to do my job 45.9%
28
  Totals 61
Statistics
Total Responses 61

 When signing up to help with conservation work, did you receive an orientation (formal, informal or written) specific to that role?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 83.6%
51
No 16.4%
10
  Totals 61
Statistics
Total Responses 61

As a volunteer for Conservation Work, what type of orientation did you receive? (Check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
Formal Orientation or Training 28.6%
14
Handbook or Written Description 20.4%
10
Someone informally walked me through my responsibilities 71.4%
35
  Totals 49
Statistics
Total Responses 49

Did your Conservation Work orientation adequately prepare you to do your job?

Value Percent   Count
Not at all 0.0%
0
To some extent 7.8%
4
Yes, for the most part 21.6%
11
Yes, I felt adequately prepared to do my job 70.6%
36
  Totals 51
Statistics
Total Responses 51

When signing up to help as an Event volunteer, did you receive an orientation (formal, informal or written) specific to that role?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 70.3%
45
No 29.7%
19
  Totals 64
Statistics
Total Responses 64

As an Event Volunteer, what type of orientation did you receive? (Check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
Formal Orientation or Training 15.9%
7
Handbook or Written Description 18.2%
8
Someone informally walked me through it 84.1%
37
  Totals 44
Statistics
Total Responses 44

Did your Event Volunteer orientation adequately prepare you to do your job?

Value Percent   Count
Not at all 0.0%
0
To some extent 4.4%
2
Yes, for the most part 33.3%
15
Yes, I felt adequately prepared to do my job 62.2%
28
  Totals 45
Statistics
Total Responses 45

When signing up to help on the Board of Directors, Branch Council or other leadership role, did you receive any type of orientation (formal, informal or written) specific to that role?

Value Percent   Count
Yes 56.7%
17
No 43.3%
13
  Totals 30
Statistics
Total Responses 30

As a Board of Directors, Branch Council or other leadership role volunteer, what type of orientation did you receive? (Check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
Formal Orientation or Training 35.3%
6
Handbook or Written Description 64.7%
11
Someone informally walked me through my responsibilities 76.5%
13
  Totals 17
Statistics
Total Responses 17

Did your Board of Directors, Branch Council or other leadership role orientation adequately prepare you to do your job?

Value Percent   Count
Not at all 0.0%
0
To some extent 35.3%
6
Yes, for the most part 41.2%
7
Yes, I felt adequately prepared to do my job 23.5%
4
  Totals 17
Statistics
Total Responses 17

When you volunteer as a leader or instructor within a committee, do you feel that the committee provides you with the tools, resources and answers that you need to get things done?

Value Percent   Count
No 2.4%
7
I've gotten some support, but less than I expected 9.3%
27
Most of the time 31.8%
92
Yes 52.3%
151
I've gotten more support than I expected 4.2%
12
  Totals 289
Statistics
Total Responses 289

Have you felt supported in your volunteer role by your branch leadership?

Value Percent   Count
No 6.0%
11
I've gotten some support, but less than I expected 4.4%
8
Most of the time 23.5%
43
Yes 61.8%
113
I've gotten more support than I expected 4.4%
8
  Totals 183
Statistics
Total Responses 183

Do you feel that your volunteer work is impacted in any way by Mountaineers Staff?

Value Percent   Count
Yes - at times I work directly with Mountaineers staff 33.9%
131
Yes - although I do not work directly with staff, Mountaineers staff have responsibilities that influence the effectiveness of my volunteer work 38.0%
147
No - my volunteer role is not connected to staff responsibilities that I'm aware of 28.2%
109
  Totals 387
Statistics
Total Responses 387

Have you felt supported in your volunteer role by Mountaineers staff?

Value Percent   Count
No 1.8%
5
I've gotten some support, but less than I expected 6.5%
18
Most of the time 30.3%
84
Yes 53.1%
147
I've gotten more support than I expected 8.3%
23
  Totals 277
Statistics
Total Responses 277

Recognition and Feedback

In the past 12 months, did you receive any specific feedback about your impact or the quality/effectiveness of your work?

Value Percent   Count
Yes, from my students/participants 55.8%
217
Yes, from my course leader 31.6%
123
Yes, from my committee 21.9%
85
Yes, from my branch 10.5%
41
Yes, from staff 11.6%
45
Yes, from the Board of Directors 2.1%
8
Yes, from survey results 19.8%
77
No 24.2%
94
  Totals 389
Statistics
Total Responses 389

Was this feedback useful? (check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
Yes, it helped me improve 33.1%
97
Yes, it made me feel good about the work I do 81.2%
238
It was poorly delivered 2.4%
7
No, it was too vague for me to learn from 4.8%
14
No, the source wasn't reliable 0.7%
2
Other 3.4%
10
  Totals 293
Statistics
Total Responses 293

Please rank the way you prefer to be recognized as a volunteer.  Put your preferred method on top, and only include recognition you personally would appreciate.

  Score* Overall Rank  
Personal or Professional Growth Opportunities 1021 1  
Praise and recognition 847 2  
Physical items (gear, certificates, etc) 847 3  
Personal Note of Thanks 733 4  
Access to Special Events 673 5  
Total Respondents 316
*Score is a weighted calculation. Items ranked first are valued higher than the following ranks, the score is the sum of all weighted rank counts.

In the past 12 months, did you receive any form of recognition, praise or thanks for your volunteer contributions? (check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
No 18.5%
71
Yes, from the sponsoring committee 31.0%
119
Yes, from my branch 21.6%
83
Yes, from staff 22.7%
87
Yes, from my students or participants 51.8%
199
  Totals 384
Statistics
Total Responses 384

What was the nature of the recognition you received? (check all that apply)

Value Percent   Count
Public praise at an event 22.1%
69
Public praise in a publication 3.5%
11
Thank-you gift (gear, gift card, etc) 22.8%
71
Opportunities for free or discounted personal or professional development 10.3%
32
Personal note of thanks 33.7%
105
Verbal "thank you" 80.1%
250
Other 9.3%
29
  Totals 312
Statistics
Total Responses 312

In the past 12 months, did you do any of the following (check all that apply)?

Value Percent   Count
Join a committee 26.5%
52
Become a leader 23.0%
45
Take on a new volunteer role 64.3%
126
Resign from a committee 6.6%
13
Stop volunteering in one or more roles 27.6%
54
  Totals 196
Statistics
Total Responses 196

What inspired you to take on a new volunteer role?

Value Percent   Count
Enjoy volunteering/desire to connect with others 35.8%
34
Wanted to pay it forward/give back 29.5%
28
Felt there was a need they could fill 26.3%
25
Wanted to learn more by volunteering 17.9%
17
Specifically notes they were asked 22.1%
21
Had to for course requirements 8.4%
8
  Totals 95
Statistics
Total Responses 95

What caused you to stop volunteering in a specific role?

Value Percent   Count
Lack of time/needed a new challenge/lifestyle reasons 70.5%
31
Lack of support for volunteer needs/desires 29.6%
13
Unpleasant social dynamics 29.6%
13
Delegation and welcome hand-off of the work to someone else 11.4%
5
  Totals 44
Statistics
Total Responses 44

Demographic Information

How many years have you been a member of The Mountaineers?

Value Percent   Count
Less than a year 6.0%
21
1-2 years 13.1%
46
3-4 years 14.8%
52
5-10 years 25.6%
90
Over 10 years 40.1%
141
I am not a member 0.6%
2
  Totals 352
Statistics
Total Responses 352

How many courses have you taken with The Mountaineers?

Value Percent   Count
I have not yet attended a course or class 3.4%
12
1-2 courses or classes 21.0%
74
3-4 courses or classes 37.2%
131
5-10 courses or classes 33.2%
117
10+ courses or classes 5.1%
18
  Totals 352
Statistics
Total Responses 352

6 months ago, what age group did you fall into?

Value Percent   Count
Under age 18 0.0%
0
Age 18-25 2.4%
8
Age 26-35 13.5%
46
Age 36-45 15.0%
51
Age 46-55 26.7%
91
Age 56-65 30.2%
103
Age 66-75 10.3%
35
Age 76-85 2.1%
7
Age 86-95 0.0%
0
Age 96-105 0.0%
0
Age 105 or older 0.0%
0
  Totals 341
Statistics
Total Responses 341

Which of the following best represents your racial or ethnic heritage?  Choose all that apply

Value Percent   Count
Non-Hispanic White or Euro-American 88.8%
286
Black, Afro-Caribbean, or African American 0.6%
2
Native American or Alaska Native 0.3%
1
Latino or Hispanic American 2.2%
7
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0.9%
3
East Asian or Asian American 5.0%
16
South Asian or Indian American 0.9%
3
Middle Eastern or Arab American 0.0%
0
I identify as: 3.4%
11
  Totals 322
Statistics
Total Responses 322

What is your religious affiliation?

Value Percent   Count
No religious affiliation 61.5%
190
Buddhist 2.3%
7
Christian 29.5%
91
Hindu 0.3%
1
Jewish 2.3%
7
Mormon 0.0%
0
Muslim 0.0%
0
Pagan 0.7%
2
Other 5.2%
16
  Totals 309
Statistics
Total Responses 309
Responses "Other" Count
Left Blank 473
Atheist 3
Atheist/Godless Heathen 1
Catholic 1
Christian by holiday 1
Church of the Blue Dome 1
Majesty of the Outdoors 1
Skeptic 1
Spiritual 1
Toaist 1
Unitarian 2
Unitarian Universalist 1
Unity 1
unitarian universalist 1

Are you a veteran?

Value Percent   Count
Yes, I am a US Veteran 14.4%
47
No, I am not a US Veteran 85.6%
279
I'm in active US Military duty 0.0%
0
  Totals 326
Statistics
Total Responses 326

Do you identify as LGBTQ?

Value Percent   Count
Yes, I identify as LGBTQ 1.9%
6
No, I do not identify as LGBTQ 98.1%
307
  Totals 313
Statistics
Total Responses 313

What gender do you most identify with?

Value Percent   Count
Male 64.1%
212
Female 35.4%
117
I identify as: 0.6%
2
  Totals 331
Statistics
Total Responses 331

Over the past 12 months, which best describes your marital status?

Value Percent   Count
Married or Life Partner 63.0%
199
Separated 1.0%
3
Divorced 13.9%
44
Single, never married 20.6%
65
Widowed 1.6%
5
  Totals 316
Statistics
Total Responses 316

In the past 12 months, did you have a short-term or long-term disability?

Value Percent   Count
Yes, I had a disability 7.2%
23
No, I did not have a disability 92.8%
295
  Totals 318
Statistics
Total Responses 318

In the past 12 months,which best describes your household income?

Value Percent   Count
Under $25,000 3.1%
8
$25,000-$35,000 5.4%
14
$35,000-$50,000 11.9%
31
$50,000-$75,000 16.9%
44
$75,000-$100,000 18.1%
47
$100,000-$150,000 24.6%
64
$150,000-$200,000 10.4%
27
More than $200,000 9.6%
25
  Totals 260
Statistics
Total Responses 260

In the past 12 months, were you employed?

Value Percent   Count
Yes, I was employed full time 60.7%
202
Yes, I was employed part time 15.3%
51
No, I was in between jobs 1.2%
4
No, I was retired 16.2%
54
No, I was unable to work 0.0%
0
No, I chose not to work 2.4%
8
No, I was too young to work legally 0.0%
0
Other 4.2%
14
  Totals 333
Statistics
Total Responses 333

In the past 12 months, were you a parent or guardian of a youth under 18?

Value Percent   Count
Yes, I was a full time parent or guardian 14.9%
50
Yes, I was a parent or guardian with shared custody 4.5%
15
No, I was not a parent or guardian of a youth under 18 80.6%
270
  Totals 335
Statistics
Total Responses 335

Outreach and Inclusion

Which groups do you feel are underrepresented in The Mountaineers? - Text Analysis

We received a wide variety of answers to this question, which could be categorized generally according to the group labels below. Many people responded with activity-based answers or demographic qualities that were not related to personal identity (such as "Everett Clubhouse").
Value Percent   Count
Not Sure 6.6%
12
None 10.4%
19
Black, African American 36.3%
66
Latino, Hispanic American 22.5%
41
Other Minorities 22.0%
40
Youth 14.8%
27
Women 8.8%
16
LGBTQ 2.2%
4
Low Income 12.1%
22
Activity-based answer 14.8%
27
Religious-based answer 0.6%
1
Other 19.8%
36
  Totals 182
Statistics
Total Responses 182

What suggestions do you have for creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment in The Mountaineers for these underrepresented groups? - Text Analysis

Value Percent   Count
No need 11.5%
17
Not our mission 3.4%
5
Already welcoming 9.5%
14
New Location 4.1%
6
Don't Know 10.8%
16
Increase awareness, reduce microaggressions, reduce rigidity/bureaucracy 4.1%
6
Start with Youth 16.9%
25
Financial Assistance 12.8%
19
Marketing & Outreach 13.5%
20
More Introductory Programs 10.1%
15
Specialized sub-groups and diversity in leadership 12.2%
18
Other 17.6%
26
Reduce Politics 2.0%
3
  Totals 148
Statistics
Total Responses 148