IC Instrument - Grantee Perception Survey (Revised)

IC Instrument Information
A few important things to note:
•

•

•

The IAF aims to make the experience of taking a grantee perception survey as easy and lowburden as possible for its grantees. The online survey will be available in multiple languages, the
survey period will span five weeks, and the contractor will make available a PDF of all survey
questions so that respondents can aggregate responses before entering them online. Please
pages 2-21 of this document for a list of these questions. Respondents will be able to save their
responses and return to their survey later, and the contractor will have two staff members
available to help respondents with any questions that arise during the survey period. In
addition, the contractor will collect optional feedback from survey respondents so that the IAF
can make improvements to future grantee perception surveys.
The IAF has not yet contracted a contractor to carry out the survey. While we expect the survey
to look like very similar to what you see in the following pages, some formatting and wording
may change slightly. This will not constitute a significant change in the ICR.
The survey is divided into two main components:
o Pages 2-17 include questions that are standard questions asked of grantees from all
participating funders. The IAF will be able to compare how they perform against others
on these questions.
o Pages 18-21 include custom questions that are of strategic importance to the IAF but
which grantees from other funders may not be asked.

Inter-American Foundation
IAF 2023 Grantee Perception Survey
Confidentiality Policy:
[Contractor] has surveyed more than [#] grantees of over [#] foundations and
always treats responses as completely confidential:
•
•
•
•

We do not report or share individual results or identifying characteristics with the
Inter-American Foundation.
We will not share the names of grantees that did or did not respond to the survey with
the Inter-American Foundation.
We only report average results to funders. Your response will be averaged with other
responses to protect the identity of all individual respondents.
We read all written comments submitted by grantees and work to remove any
potentially identifying details. We then share the anonymized comments with the
Inter-American Foundaton. We do not ever identify respondents, so please be candid.

If you’d like to learn more about how [Contractor] shares results with funders and how funders
use it to improve their work, [Contractor adds link to further information]

Please respond online by [DUE DATE]
Please respond to as many questions as possible. Previous respondents have found that
this survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Your response is very important and will help the Foundation improve its ability to work
with grantees.
Please feel free to contact [Name] at [Contractor] with any questions:
Toll Free: [Contractor Support Staff Phone]
Email: [Contractor Email]
Thank you for your participation in this study.
[Contractor Website]

INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION – SURVEY INTRODUCTION
Please choose a recent grant from the Inter-American Foundation (referred to as “the
Foundation”) to keep in mind when answering the survey. Choose a grant you know well. If
your organization received other grants from the Foundation for which you were not the
main contact, other members of your organization may have been asked to fill out the
survey for those separate grants.

ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION
1. What is the approximate annual operating budget of your organization (in U.S. dollars)?

$,,.00
2. Are you currently receiving funding from the Foundation? (e.g., answer “No” if your grant(s)
from the Foundation has ended and you are no longer receiving funding from the
Foundation)
❑

Yes

❑

No

❑

Don’t know

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE FOUNDATION
3. How clearly has the Foundation communicated its goals and strategy to you?

1

2

3

4

5

6

Not at all
clearly

7
Extremely
clearly

4. Overall, how would you rate the Foundation’s impact on your organization?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7
Significant
positive
impact

No impact

5. Overall, how would you rate the Foundation’s impact on your field?

❑

1

Don’t
know

No impact

2

3

4

5

6

7
Significant
positive
impact

6. Overall, how would you rate the Foundation’s impact on your local community?

❑

1

Don’t
know

2

3

4

5

6

No impact

7
Significant
positive
impact

ABOUT YOUR FUNDING
7. Describe the recent grant from the Foundation about which you are responding.
a. Was the funding you received restricted to a specific use?
❑ Yes, this funding was restricted to a specific use (e.g. supported a specific
program, project, capital need, etc.)
❑ No, this funding was not restricted to a specific use (i.e. general operating, core
support)
b. Total number of years of approved funding for this grant: ______ years + ______
months
c. Total funding committed in U.S. dollars for this grant:
(Please include the full multi-year value committed for this grant)

$ ,,,.00
8. Which of the following best describes the pattern of your organization’s funding
relationship with the Foundation? (Please check only one)
❑
❑
❑
❑

This is the first grant my organization has received from the Foundation
My organization has received consistent funding from the Foundation in the past
My organization has received inconsistent funding from the Foundation in the past
Don’t know

GRANT SELECTION
9. Did you submit a proposal to the Foundation for this grant?
❑ Yes
❑ No (skip to question 12)
❑ Don’t know (skip to question 12)
10. As you developed your grant proposal, how much pressure did you feel to modify your
organization’s priorities in order to create a grant proposal that was likely to receive
funding?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7
Significant
pressure

No pressure

11. How much time elapsed from the submission of the grant proposal to clear commitment of
funding?
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑

Less than 3 months
4 months – 6 months
7 months – 12 months
More than 12 months
Don’t know

12. How helpful was participating in the Foundation’s selection process in strengthening the
organization/program funded by the grant?

1
Not at all
helpful

2

3

4

5

6

7
Extremely
helpful

GRANT REPORTING AND EVALUATION
13. Have you participated in a reporting or evaluation process related to your grant from the
Foundation?
When answering this question please consider the following definitions:
• “Reporting” – The Foundation’s standard oversight, monitoring, and grant
reporting.
• “Evaluation” – formal activities beyond reporting undertaken by the Foundation
to assess or learn about a grant, a program, or the Foundation’s efforts.
Please check only one:
❑ We have participated in a reporting process only
❑ We have participated in an evaluation process only (skip to question 16)
❑ We have participated in both a reporting and an evaluation process
❑ We have participated in neither a reporting nor an evaluation process (skip to question
19 on next page)
❑ Don’t know (skip to question 19 on next page)
14. At any point have you had a substantive discussion with the Foundation about the report(s)
you or your colleagues submitted as part of the reporting process?
❑ Yes
❑ No
❑ Don't know
15. To what extent was the Foundation’s reporting process:
To a
great extent

Not
at all

Don’t
know/N/A

Straightforward

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Adaptable, if necessary, to fit your circumstances
Relevant, with questions and measures pertinent
to the work funded by this grant
A helpful opportunity for you to reflect and learn

1

2

3

4

5

6

7




1

2

3

4

5

6

7



1

2

3

4

5

6

7



Only for respondents that indicate participating in an evaluation process.
16. Who was primarily responsible for carrying out the evaluation? (Please check only one)
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑

Evaluation staff at the Foundation
Evaluation staff at your organization
External evaluator, chosen by the Foundation
External evaluator, chosen by your organization
Don’t know

17. To what extent did the evaluation:
To a
great extent

Not
at all

Don’t
know/N/A

Incorporate input from your organization
in the design of the evaluation

1

2

3

4

5

6

7



Result in your organization making
changes to the work that was evaluated

1

2

3

4

5

6

7



Generate information that you believe
will be useful for other organizations

1

2

3

4

5

6

7



18. Did the Foundation provide financial support for the evaluation?
❑
❑
❑
❑

Yes, the evaluation’s costs were fully funded by the Foundation
Yes, the evaluation’s costs were partially funded by the Foundation
No, the evaluation’s costs were not funded by the Foundation
Don’t know

INTERACTIONS WITH THE FOUNDATION
19. How comfortable do you feel approaching the Foundation if a problem arises?

1

2

3

4

5

6

Not at all
comfortable

7
Extremely
comfortable

20. How often do/did you have contact with your primary contact during this grant?
❑ Monthly or more often
❑ Once every few months
❑ Yearly or less often
21. Who most frequently initiated the contact you had with your primary contact during this
grant?
❑
❑
❑
❑

Most frequently initiated by your primary contact
Most frequently initiated by you
Initiated with equal frequency by your primary contact and you
Don’t know

22. Did the Foundation conduct a site visit during the selection process or during the course of
this grant?
❑ Yes
❑ No
❑ Don't know

23. Please estimate the total number of hours you and your staff spent on each of the following
activities related to this grant from the Foundation.
a. Grant proposal creation and selection process:
❑

________ hours OR

❑

Did not occur

b. Foundation-required grant monitoring, reporting, and evaluation:
❑

________ hours OR

❑

Did not occur

24. How consistent was the information provided by different communication resources, both
personal and written, that you used to learn about the Foundation?

❑

1

Used one
or no
resources

Not at all
consistent

2

3

4

5

6

7
Completely
consistent

25. Please comment on the quality of the Foundation's processes, interactions, and
communications. (You are not limited in the length of your response.)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
26. Has your main contact at the Foundation changed in the past six months?
❑

Yes ❑No ❑Not applicable

YOUR FUNDER’S IMPACT ON YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOUR FIELD
27. Please indicate all types of non-monetary assistance, if any, you received (from staff or a
third party paid for by the Foundation) associated with this funding. Please note the
Foundation may or may not provide any of the following types of assistance.
❑

No other assistance was provided.

MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE

We received:

General management advice



Strategic planning
Financial planning/accounting




Development of performance measures



FIELD-RELATED ASSISTANCE

We received:

Encouraged/facilitated collaboration
Insight and advice on your field




Introductions to leaders in the field
Provided research or best practices
Provided seminars/forums/convenings





OTHER ASSISTANCE

We received:

Board development/governance assistance
Information technology assistance
Communications/marketing/publicity assistance





Use of the Foundation’s facilities



Staff/management training





Fundraising support
Diversity, equity, and inclusion assistance

28. How well does the Foundation understand your organization’s strategy and goals?

❑

1

Don’t
know

Limited
understanding

2

3

4

5

6

7
Thorough
understanding

29. How well does the Foundation understand the field in which you work?

❑

1

Don’t
know

Limited
understanding
of the field

2

3

4

5

6

7
Regarded as
an expert in
the field

30. How well does the Foundation understand the local community in which you work?

❑

1

Don’t
know

Limited
understanding
of the
community

2

3

4

5

6

7
Regarded
as an expert
in the
community

31. To what extent has the Foundation advanced the state of knowledge in your field?

❑
Don’t
know

1

2

3

4

5

6

7
Leads the
field to new
thinking and
practice

Not at all

32. To what extent has the Foundation affected public policy in your field?

❑
Don’t
know

1
Not at all

2

3

4

5

6

7
Major
influence on
shaping
public policy

33. Please comment on the impact the Foundation is having on your field, community, or
organization. (You are not limited in the length of your response.)
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

OTHER IMPRESSIONS
34. Overall, how responsive was Foundation staff?

1

2

3

4

5

6

Not at all
responsive

7
Extremely
responsive

35. Overall, how fairly did the Foundation treat you?

1

2

3

4

5

6

Not at all
fairly

7
Extremely
fairly

36. What specific improvements would you suggest that would make the Foundation a better
funder? (You are not limited in the length of your response.)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
37. At any point during the application or the grant period, did the Foundation and your
organization exchange ideas regarding how your organization would assess the results of
the work funded by this grant?
❑

Yes

❑

❑

No

Don’t know

38. How well does the Foundation understand the social, cultural, or socioeconomic factors
that affect your work?

❑

1

Not applicable
to the work my
organization
was funded to
carry out

Limited
understanding

2

3

4

5

6

7
Thorough
understanding

39. How aware is the Foundation of the challenges that your organization is facing?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Not at all
aware

Extremely
aware

40. Overall, how transparent is the Foundation with your organization?

1

2

3

4

5

6

Not at all
transparent

7
Extremely
transparent

41. To what extent is the Foundation open to ideas from grantees about its strategy?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7
To a great
extent

Not at all

In the following questions, we use the term “beneficiaries” to refer to those your
organization seeks to serve through the services and/or programs it provides. Beneficiaries
are often called end users, clients, or participants.
42. How well does the Foundation understand your intended beneficiaries’ needs?

❑

1

Don’t
know

Limited
understanding

2

3

4

5

6

7
Thorough
understanding

43. To what extent do the Foundation’s funding priorities reflect a deep understanding of your
intended beneficiaries’ needs?

❑

1

Don’t
know

Not at all

2

3

4

5

6

7
To a great
extent

44. To what extent did the Foundation exhibit each of the following during this grant:

Not
at all

To a
great extent

Somewhat

Trust in your organization’s staff

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Candor about the Foundation’s
perspectives on your work

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Respectful interaction

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Compassion for those affected by your
work

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

45. If you have ever requested support from the Foundation to help strengthen your
organization, how did you determine what specific support to ask for? (Check all that apply)
❑ Not applicable – I have never requested support from the Foundation to strengthen my
organization
❑
❑
❑
❑

Based on what the Foundation told your organization to request
Based on what your organization believes the Foundation would be willing to fund
Based on what your organization needs
Based on the results of an assessment or evaluation

46. How well do you understand the way in which the work funded by this grant fits into the
Foundation’s broader efforts?

❑

1

Don’t
know

Limited
understanding

2

3

4

5

INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION – ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
(Pages 18-21 to be added here)

DEMOGRAPHICS
47. What is your position? (Please check only one)
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑

Executive Director/CEO
Other Senior Management
Project Director
Development Director
Other Development Staff

6

7
Thorough
understanding

❑ Volunteer
48. Please select the option that represents how you describe yourself: (Please check only one)
❑
❑
❑
❑

Male
Female
Transgender, non-binary, or another gender identity
Prefer not to say

49. Are you Hispanic or Latino?
❑ No, not Hispanic or Latino
❑ Yes, Hispanic or Latino
50. What is your race? Select one or more.
❑ American Indian or Alaska Native
❑ Asian
❑ Black or African American
❑ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
❑ White

IMPACT OF COVID-19
At this time of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Inter-American
Foundationwants to hear from you. As grantees, you are in a unique position to provide
important insight to [Foundation Long] about your challenges, needs, and circumstances at
this critical moment.
1. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has your organization experienced – or is it
experiencing – any of the following:

Moved to a virtual working environment at one or
more location(s) or facility(ies)
Shifted staff from other services or projects to
COVID-19 management efforts
Halted or delayed some services or projects
Added new services or projects to focus on a
COVID-19 response
Reduced staff levels (e.g., conducted layoffs)
Re-allocated funding from existing services or
projects to focus on a COVID-19 response
Tapped into reserves (e.g., rainy day fund, board
designated reserves, etc.)
Experienced an increase in the demand for your
programs and services
Experienced a decrease in demand for your
programs and services
Experienced a decrease in earned revenue (e.g., fee
for service, contracts, etc.)
Experienced a decrease in contributed revenue
(e.g., foundation grants, individual donations, etc.)
Experienced reduced capacity (e.g., staff or
volunteer absences)

Yes, this has or
is happening

No, but I
expect this
to happen

No, and I
don’t expect
this to
happen

Don’t know/
N/A





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2. So that we can communicate your comments to your funder immediately, we will share all
responses to the following question verbatim, rather than read through them to remove
any identifying information in your written response. Please consider this as you comment
and if you want [Foundation Short] to be able to identify your organization, please use your
organization name in your response. Otherwise, we will not connect your response to your
or your organization’s name when we share comments with the funder.
As a result of COVID-19, what are the biggest challenges facing your organization or those
you serve? (You are not limited in the length of your response)

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. What are your other funders doing to support your organization’s efforts to respond to the
impact of COVID-19? (Please only select one option)
Experienced the following forms of supports:
Yes

No

Converting restricted grant to unrestricted funding





Accelerating payment schedules on grants





Increasing size of current grants





Providing supplemental grants





Extending the timeframe of current grant(s) without
penalty





Allowing goals of current grant(s) to shift





Waiving or making reporting deadlines flexible





Communicating one-on-one with you about the
effect of COVID-19 on your organization
Providing helpful information about their responses
to COVID-19
Other (please describe):
_________________________













4. So that we can communicate your comments to your funder immediately, we will share all
responses to the following question verbatim, rather than read through them to remove
any identifying information in your written response. Please consider this as you comment
and if you want IAF to be able to identify your organization, please use your organization
name in your response. Otherwise, we will not connect your response to your or your
organization’s name when we share comments with the funder.
Please describe how funders can best support your organization and those you serve in the
coming weeks and months. (You are not limited in the length of your response)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

5. Do any of the following characteristics describe your experience of IAF’s
response to COVID-19?
[Foundation Short]’s response...

Is clear
Is rapid enough to allow the
continuation of our most important
work
Addresses ways in which this crisis can
disproportionately affect historically
vulnerable or marginalized populations
Allows my organization to address the
needs of those who are at greater risk
as a result of COVID-19
Communicates a willingness to hear
from my organization

Strongly
disagree

Slightly
disagree

Neither
agree nor
disagree

Slightly
agree

Strongly
agree

N/A

1

2

3

4

5



1

2

3

4

5



1

2

3

4

5

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1

2

3

4

5

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1

2

3

4

5



INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION – BACKGROUND QUESTIONS
Please choose a recent grant from Inter-American Foundation (referred to as “the IAF” and “the Foundation”) to
keep in mind when answering the survey. Choose a grant you know well. If your organization received other grants
from the IAF for which you were not the main contact, other members of your organization may have been asked to
fill out the survey for those separate grants.

A. Which of the following best describes your organization? (Please check only one.)
❑ Base group: a grantee organization that is also the beneficiary of the grant
❑ Grassroots support group: a grantee organization that implements the grant to serve other
beneficiaries
❑ Co-funding partner: a grantee organization or foundation that co-funds grants with the IAF to
support other base or grassroots support groups
B. What country is your organization based in? (please select one)
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑

Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Haiti

❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑

Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
United States
Other (please specify):______________

INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION – ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
C. C1. Have you participated in any of the following grantee sharing opportunities? (If “Yes” is selected
for any of the options below, please display them in C2. If “No” is selected, do not show in C2, but
show them in C3.)
Yes

No

Grantee exchange within your own country

❑

❑

Grantee exchange across countries
Special events involving non-IAF grantees as well
as IAF grantees
Written stories or case studies shared in the IAF
journal or website

❑

❑

❑

❑

❑

❑

C2. Please rate the usefulness of the following grantee sharing opportunities in which you have
participated. (1 = Not at all useful, 7 = Extremely useful)
Not at all
useful

Extremely
useful

Grantee exchange within your own country

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Grantee exchange across countries
Special events involving non-IAF grantees as well
as IAF grantees
Written stories or case studies shared in the IAF
journal or website

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

C3. How useful would it be for you to participate in the following grantee sharing opportunities?
(1 = Not at all useful, 7 = Extremely useful)
Not at all
useful

Extremely
useful

Grantee exchange within your own country

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Grantee exchange across countries
Special events involving non-IAF grantees as well
as IAF grantees
Written stories or case studies shared in the IAF
journal or website

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

D. Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements according to your
experience utilizing the Interim Monitoring Tool (IMT).
(1 = Strongly disagree, 4 = Neither agree nor disagree, 7 = Strongly agree)
Neither
agree nor
disagree

Strongly
disagree

The IMT is useful for my organization
My organization continues to use the IMT
for projects other than those funded by the
Foundation
The information collected by the IMT is
useful in understanding whether my
organization is achieving the specific
results of the work funded by the grant
The information collected by the IMT is
useful in justifying decisions and activities
to local stakeholders
The information collected by the IMT is
useful in identifying other challenges or
opportunities that were not clear
beforehand
The information collected by the IMT is
useful in seeking and obtaining support
from other local or international sources

Strongly
agree

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

E. Please rate the usefulness of the following forms of support the IAF has provided to help you obtain
financial or non-financial assistance from other sources. (1 = Not at all useful, 7 = Extremely useful)
N/A – I have not
used/received this Not at all
type of support
useful

The IAF’s reputation to lend
credibility to your efforts
Suggested funders you should
contact
Introductions to other potential
funders in person, or via email,
letter, or telephone
Funded specialized fundraising
expertise for your organization as
part of the grant

Extremely
useful

❑

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

❑

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

❑

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

❑

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

F. How has working with the IAF affected your opinion of the United States?
1
Significantly
worsened
my opinion

2

3

4
Has had no
impact on
my opinion

5

6

7
Significantly
improved
my opinion

G. Please describe the biggest difference between IAF and other international development organizations
or agencies with which you are familiar. (You are not limited in the length of your response.)
❑

I am not familiar with any other international development organizations or agencies. (Skip
to question 49.)

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
ON ISSUES RELATED TO MIGRATION
H. Are the communities participating in your grant activities currently facing migration to other places in
your country or outside your country?
❑ Yes
❑ No (please proceed to question 49)
❑ Don’t know (please proceed to question 49)
I.

Which destinations best describe where migrants from your communities migrate?
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑

Somewhere else in my home country
Mexico
The United States
Other countries (please specify): __________________
Don’t know

J. Please check the reasons you are aware of that people have given for migrating: (please check all that
apply)

❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑

Violence
Reuniting with family member(s) in the United States
Reuniting with family member(s) in other countries
Lack of economic opportunity
Other, (please specify): ______________
Don’t know

K. To what extent, if at all, has your relationship with the IAF empowered you to address these issues
related to migration?
1
Not at all

2

L. Please explain why or why not:
__________________________

3

4

5

6

7
To a great
extent