Research Participation for Communities

Research For Good helps community and membership organizations create another way for people to support the organizations they care about: by participating in research.

Members and supporters complete surveys and other paid research activities. Research For Good provides and operates the participation opportunities and pays the organization for successful participation.

The organization remains the center of the relationship. It decides how participation is presented to its community and how the value generated through participation is used.

Another Way for People to Contribute

Traditional fundraising usually asks people to contribute money, purchase something or attend a fundraising activity.

Research participation creates another option.

A member or supporter can choose to spend some of their time participating in research. That participation generates revenue for the organization without requiring the individual to make a cash or credit card donation.

This can be particularly useful for people who want to support an organization but may be unable or unwilling to contribute money. It can also provide an additional way for existing donors and active members to contribute.

Participation does not need to replace existing fundraising. It can operate alongside donations, events, memberships, merchandise and other programs that already work.

How Community Participation Works

The organization introduces participation to its own community through its existing website, member area and communications.

Members who choose to participate enter Research For Good research opportunities from the organization’s authenticated environment. Research For Good manages the research participation, matches people with available opportunities and validates completed activity.

After participating, members return to the organization.

Research For Good records successful participation and pays the organization. The organization decides how the resulting value fits its community and fulfills any member benefits it has chosen to provide.

The community organization remains the member’s home throughout the process.

For a more detailed explanation of the underlying model, see [How Research Participation Works].

The Organization Controls the Call to Action

Participation works within the relationship the organization has already established with its community.

The organization decides when, where and how to invite people to participate. Participation can be introduced through the organization’s website, member communications, campaigns or other existing channels.

Research For Good does not need to build a separate relationship with the organization’s members or turn them into members of an RFG program.

This allows participation to be presented in a way that makes sense for the particular community. A historical organization, membership association, local publication, arts organization or community nonprofit may each introduce participation differently.

The underlying activity remains the same: members participate in research, and Research For Good pays the organization.

What Can the Organization Do With the Value?

That is up to the organization.

Some organizations may use participation primarily as a fundraising activity, allowing the revenue generated by members to support the organization’s mission, programs or a specific community objective.

Others may choose to return some or all of the value to participating members through benefits such as gift cards, merchandise, perks, drawings, recognition or existing member rewards.

The two approaches can also be combined. Participation can generate value for the organization while giving members a visible reason to participate.

Research For Good does not require organizations to adopt a particular rewards model. Wherever practical, organizations can use the systems and processes they already have.

Participation Can Be Ongoing

Research participation does not need to be organized as a short fundraising campaign.

Research opportunities are available on an ongoing basis, so an organization can make participation a continuing part of its community rather than asking supporters to respond only during a particular fundraising period.

Organizations can also focus participation around particular goals or campaigns when that makes sense—for example, supporting a program, funding an improvement, or reaching a community fundraising objective.

This makes participation complementary to event-based and donation-based fundraising rather than a replacement for them.

Member Privacy and the Community Relationship

The organization retains its members, relationships, communications and user information.

Members begin participation from the organization’s authenticated environment. Research For Good normally receives a persistent, opaque identifier rather than using a member’s name, email address, phone number or other directly identifying information as the participation identifier.

Members are not required to join Research For Good as a separate membership program.

Research For Good is responsible for the research participation and its outcomes. The organization remains responsible for its member relationship and for any value or benefits it provides to members.

What Kinds of Organizations Can Use Participation?

Participation can be appropriate for organizations that already have an identifiable community of people with whom they maintain an ongoing relationship.

That can include membership and professional associations, cultural and historical organizations, local and community media, affinity groups, clubs, conservation organizations, alumni communities, civic organizations, nonprofits and other organizations with engaged supporters or members.

The important characteristic is not a particular type of organization. It is the existence of a real community and an established way to communicate and interact with its members or supporters.

Does the Organization Need New Technology?

Not necessarily.

Research For Good’s approach is to first determine what the organization already has: its website or application, authentication, member identification, communications and any existing mechanisms for providing benefits or rewards.

Those capabilities can often be reused.

The objective is to add research participation to the organization’s existing environment, not require the organization to adopt an entirely new community, fundraising or rewards platform.

Research For Good provides the participation requirements and works with the organization to establish the appropriate connection.

About Research For Good and SaySo Rewards

SaySo Rewards (saysorewards.com) is a brand of Research For Good, Inc. (researchforgood.com), a U.S.-based market research company. 

Research For Good provides research technology, opportunities, matching, validation and partner services. SaySo Rewards is used for participation-facing experiences and resources.

Together, Research For Good and SaySo Rewards support research participation across digital environments while allowing participating organizations to retain their own brands, communities and relationships.

Learn more about Research Participation with Research For Good and SaySo Rewards.

For additional questions about privacy, implementation, participation and value, see Participation Frequently Asked Questions.