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Many of us can look at our communities and create a list of what we believe is needed to assist those living in poverty, and we would be partially accurate. The best way to understand the needs of individuals is to ask them. Only by asking them can we understand their circumstances. Otherwise, we are working from our own assumptions and not realizing the full picture. The purpose of a needs assessment survey is to get the full picture.

Points to Remember:

• Introduce yourself. Say your name. Do not just put it on a nametag. You are asking them for personal information, so be personal with them. Be warm and loving.
• Give the reason why you are asking. You might say, Our church is trying to find out how we can be more helpful to the people in the community. So, we are asking people what they believe would be helpful. Would you be willing to answer a few questions?
• Provide options for filling out the needs assessment. Not everyone can read, so you might say, You can either fill out this short form, or I can ask you the questions. Which would you prefer?
• Do not promise anything! Simply stress that you are trying to ask questions at this point.
• Do not force anyone to give you their contact information. Respect their right to privacy. Respecting them builds their respect for you.

Conducting a Needs Assessment Survey:

• Place yourself in a strategic location, away from the entrance area. This might be at the food table. You might also offer door prizes and sit at the table where people register.
• Keep conversations to three-to-five minutes, asking the following questions:

   

  • Do you think people in this community have unmet needs?
  • What would some of those be? (child care, hot meals, learning English, transportation, others)
  • As you think about your family and friends, what do you think is the most important thing we might be able to do for them?
  • What is one thing you would like to see different in this area?
  • Would you be willing to give us your name, address, and phone number so we could contact you in the future?
• Have church staff on hand should someone express the need to talk to someone or request counseling.
• Place filled out forms in a box to compile later.

Actions to Take (After the Needs Assessment):

• Compile the answers. List all the answers to question 1. List all the answers to question 2, and so on. This is a great way to involve one or more younger women with computer skills!

   

  • What are the common needs mentioned? What are the trends?
  • Report needs and trends to your pastor or ministry committee to see how you can help meet some of these needs.
• Use the younger men and women in your church by asking them to follow-up with two-to-three people who filled out the needs assessments. They can send cards, make visits, or make telephone calls. Encourage follow-up volunteers to say thank you, tell participants how you are using the information they gave you, and invite participants to church.