2005 survey elicits helpful Viewpoints

A year ago, CPJ invited its supporters to share its viewpoints with staff and board, regarding CPJ in general and communications in particular. We received a gratifying 804 responses and your comments, support and challenges have helped tremendously in planning this past year and will continue to do so. Thank you! for taking the time to fill out the survey. Here is a summary of the results:

Who responded to the survey

Gender: An equal number of women and men responded.

Relationship: Respondents span CPJ’s five decades of life, from our longest members to those who just met us last year. The bulk of the respondents met CPJ in the 1980s and ’90s. *

Age: More than half of respondents were 56 or older, with the largest group in the category 56-65.

Geography: More than half of respondents live in Ontario (56%), followed by equal numbers in Alberta and British Columbia at about 17% each. There were 15 or fewer respondents in each of the other provinces, 9 from the United States, and 1 from Australia.

Education: CPJ respondents are highly educated; 42% with graduate level education.

Income: The majority are of “middle income,” with 65% having incomes $25-100,000. Those of lower income reminded CPJ not to forget them, and some reported that they have difficulty getting Internet access. (Half filled the survey out on the Internet and half responded by mail.)

Religion: Respondents used 35 different descriptions of religious affiliation. Most were Christian, but responses included Jewish, Buddhist, Sufist, Atheist and Raelian. The largest group of Christians belong to the founding community, the Christian Reformed church (46%). Catholics make up the second group (14%). Next came Anglican and United Church members, then Presbyterian, Mennonite and Baptist.

Affiliation: Over 90% of you belong to a local church or parish. Apart from church and church agencies and local actions like food banks, the best overlaps of affiliations are: Amnesty International (32%), World Vision (31%), Council of Canadians (22%), Kairos (20%), and Project Ploughshares (19.5%).

Politics: Most respondents were politically unaffiliated. Of those who disclosed political affiliation, most supported the NDP, then the Conservatives, Liberals, Greens and Christian Heritage parties.

What you said

the Catalyst: There was a clear call to retain the printed format and not go online, or at least not exclusively. Those of you without computers told us you can feel left out or bypassed.

A move to Ottawa?: Respondents indicated that if such a move supported CPJ’s work, you were for it, but we shouldn’t move just to move.

Staying connected: Most respondents pay “some attention” to CPJ. Respondents are interested and aligned, but disengaged. That’s less true if you’re older. B.C. supporters in particular feel distant.

Activities: Respondents like everything CPJ does and want it to keep it up. Rated higher than 90%, however, are: representations to Parliament, conveying CPJ positions to politicians, informing members of the federal agenda, research on policy alternatives, writing for print/media interviews, and focussed lobbying on specific issues.

Issues: The top three most highly valued issues in past work were: poverty/child poverty/economic justice, refugees and aboriginal issues. The three issues that emerge as future interests are: poverty/economic justice (with less emphasis on child poverty), the environment and refugees. Many of you also noted how much you value election time resources.

Membership: The respondents can be divided into two groups, each with its own profile.

• Established: Likely been with CPJ longer, likely older, more likely to give financially and place CPJ in the middle of their list of donations, see CPJ’s role as taking the lead on issues and priorities, has less need to be involved, and highly values that CPJ works from a Christian context.
• Emerging: Newer to CPJ, younger in age, likely to be women, likely not Christian Reformed, has less income but makes CPJ a very high giving priority, wants to be involved and active in CPJ itself and in using CPJ materials, connects with CPJ through email and the Internet, results and issue oriented. CPJ issues and insightful analysis are the draw.

Conclusions

What you have here are the “big picture” results of the survey. The findings tell CPJ we’re lucky to have such committed members.

The age of our membership is on par with similar organizations so that wasn’t a surprise. Nor was finding two broad groups within the supporting community with somewhat differing ways of looking at the organization and its work.

So many of you gave really helpful feedback about the Catalyst, the website and Ola! and we’re still taking that into account, but hope you’ve noticed changes already that reflect some of your concerns, while retaining what you most like.

Your frankness about your own views and your willingness to engage CPJ where you meet us – and where you find distance – has given board and staff food for thought. We’ve begun some long-term developments based on your comments and you’ll begin to see that during the next year.

Once again, thank you!