Conducting focus groups and asking participants the right types of questions.

Focus groups are ideal for obtaining qualitative research about your target audiences to gain a better understanding of how they feel about issues and test messaging. The most important aspect of conducting a focus group is to have them run by an organization that not only understands research methods but also has extensive experience in non-profits  and in particular your focus — whether that be fundraising, advocacy, labour or political issues.

Stakeholder interviews are used to gain insight into the perceptions of a wide range of potential target audiences and are often part of a contextual analysis. Stakeholder interviews are usually conducted at the beginning of a communications, engagement or strategic planning process. These interviews inform the process and are used in developing other research methods such as focus groups and polling questions.