We are a group of European organisations exploring how rural social enterprises and community organisations can benefit from the skills of remote working professionals. This survey asks about your organisation’s needs, experience with volunteers, and your views on involving remote professionals within your volunteer base.

The survey is being conducted under the Erasmus+ funded project IMPACT - Integrating reMote Professionals for Action in Community Transformation (2025-1-IE01-KA220-ADU-000363405), is fully anonymous, and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Your data will be used for research purposes only, and by taking this survey, you consent to participate. There are no risks or direct benefits, but your input will contribute greatly to community development strategies across the EU.

If you have any questions about this survey, you can contact Rashmi Kulkarni, Project Manager @ rashmi@ceai.ie.
Thank you for your time and insight!

1.Organisation Type: Which of the following best describes your organisation?

Community-based organisation / Cooperative.

Educational or cultural institution (library, museum, etc).

Local government or public community service.

Charity.

Non-Profit / Social enterprise (An organisation that operates with the primary goal of generating social impact rather than profit, using economic activities to address social needs. It reinvests most of its profits into its social mission and is governed in an inclusive, transparent, and accountable way).

Other (please specify).

2.Mission Focus: What is your organisation’s primary focus?

Agriculture / Rural livelihoods.

Arts / Culture / Heritage.

Community development / Social services.

Education/Youth.

Employment/Entrepreneurship support.

Environment/Sustainability.

Health/Well-being.

Other (please specify).

3.Location: In which country is your organisation registered?

Ireland.

Cyprus.

Portugal.

Spain.

Germany.

Other (please specify).

4.Location: How would you describe the location of your organisation?

Rural (village or countryside).

Small town.

Semi-urban / peri-urban.

Urban (If urban, note: our focus is rural, but your input is still welcome if relevant).

Section 2: Size of Organisation

5.How many full-time staff (FTE) does your organisation employ?

6.How many part-time staff does your organisation employ?

7.How many regular volunteers (ongoing) work with / support (e.g. board members) your organisation?

8.How many volunteers occasionally work with / support your organisation?

Section 3: Volunteer Profile - existing skills and skills gaps

9.Does your organisation currently lack expertise in any of the following areas? (Select all that apply).

Compliance.

Consulting / Business Planning/Strategy.

Digital marketing / Social Media.

Event Planning/Community Engagement.

Finance / Bookkeeping/Financial Management.

Fundraising.

Governance.

Grant-writing.

IT Support / Programming.

Languages (translation, interpretation).

Legal/Governance Advice.

Mentoring/Career Development.

Project Management/Coordination.

Research/Data analysis/Evaluation.

Sustainability/Environmental Impact.

Teaching/Training/Facilitation/Coaching.

Volunteer Management.

Web/Graphic Design/Branding.

Writing/Editing/Storytelling.

We currently have most key skills covered.

Other (please specify)

10.Volunteer Engagement: In the past 12 months, have you engaged volunteers in your organisation?

Yes, many (more than 5 volunteers).

Yes, a few (1-5 volunteers).

Not in the past year, but have in the past.

No, we have not engaged volunteers.

11.Volunteer Roles: [If Q10 applies, then] what kinds of roles or tasks do volunteers (or have volunteers) perform in your organisation? (Select all that apply).

Administrative/Clerical Support.

Direct Service (working with beneficiaries/clients).

Events / Fundraising Activities.

Governance (e.g. serving on board/committee).

Technical/Professional (using specific skills like design, accounting, etc.).

Not applicable / No volunteers yet.

Other (please specify)

12.Experience with Remote Collaboration: Have any individuals previously volunteered remotely (e.g. online from another location)?

Yes, regularly (we have had remote volunteers).

Yes, occasionally (one-off projects or during COVID etc).

No, never.

13.Openness to Remote Skilled Volunteers: How open are you to receiving support from a skilled individual who would volunteer their services of support remotely (communicating via email/phone/online)?

Very open and actively welcome it.

Open and interested.

Possibly open, would consider.

Slightly open/skeptical.

Not open at all.

14.Perceived Benefits: What benefits do you anticipate if you could involve skilled external professionals in your work? (Select up to 3 most significant)

Gaining expertise we otherwise couldn’t afford

Freeing up our staff’s time to focus on core work

Bringing in new ideas and perspectives

Expanding our network and visibility

Improving the quality of our services/projects

Building a relationship with external supporters (advocates for our cause)

No significant benefits / not sure

Other (please specify)

15.Concerns: What concerns would you have about integrating a remote volunteer or professional into your organisation’s work (Select all that apply)?

They might not understand the local context/community needs.

Communication or coordination could be difficult at a distance.

Issues of trust or reliability with someone we haven’t met in person.

Data protection or privacy concerns (sharing sensitive info).

It might create more work to manage/coordinate them.

Volunteers might not be as committed.

We have limited capacity to supervise or guide a volunteer.

Language or cultural barriers.

No major concerns.

Other (please specify)

16.Organisational Preparedness: Does your organisation have the capacity (time, staff, infrastructure) to host and manage a skilled volunteer effectively?

Yes, definitely - we have structure in place for volunteers or interns.

Possibly - we could manage if it’s not too demanding.

Not really - resources are already stretched and there is no manpower for remote co-ordination.

Not sure.

17.Digital Readiness: How would you describe your organisation’s ability to use online tools for communication and collaboration?

Very confident - we use digital tools daily (Zoom, shared drives, project tools, etc).

Fairly confident - we use some online tools but could improve.

Limited - we mostly rely on phone/email and need support with digital tools.

Very limited - poor internet access or little experience with digital tools.

18.Preferred Ways of Volunteering: If a skilled professional was to volunteer, which type of arrangement would suit your organisation best?

A defined short-term project (e.g., 2-8 week project with clear deliverable).

Ongoing support (a few hours per week on continuous basis).

One-time consultation or training session.

Any format is fine, we have various needs.

Not interested in any external help format currently.

19.Supports Needed: What supports do you consider necessary to successfully engaging remote volunteers? (Select all that apply).

Guidance or training on how to manage remote volunteers.

A platform or service that matches us with suitable volunteers.

Templates for agreements or project plans to define the volunteer’s work.

A local facilitator or intermediary who coordinates the volunteer.

Funding or incentive to cover any costs of involving volunteers (e.g., software, coordination time).

Case studies or examples of how other organisations did it.

Nothing in particular – we just need willing volunteers.

Other (please specify)

20.Previous Experience: If you have not already engaged volunteers, then why not? (Select all that apply).

Lack of qualified people available in our area.

Lack of information on how to find volunteers.

Negative previous experience.

No time to recruit/manage volunteers.

Not a part of our organisational culture/practice.

Volunteers working with other, larger, better resourced organisations and not us.

Not applicable (we do engage volunteers actively).

Other (please specify)

21.Additional Comments: In your own words, do you have any suggestions on how best to connect skilled, remote professionals with organisations like yours? Are there any specific requirements necessary to ensure the volunteering arrangement works for all parties? (Open-ended).

22.Follow-up (Optional): Would you be willing to discuss these topics further in a follow-up interview? Would you like to be kept up-to-date with the Projects events or activities? If yes, please provide your name and contact email below.

23.Perceived Benefits: What benefits do you anticipate if you could involve skilled external professionals in your work? (Select up to 3 most significant)