Support for projects that strengthen poor and marginalized communities, such as this program that provides livelihood opportunities for women at Jesuit-run Hayden Hall in India, resonates the most with supporters of Canadian Jesuits International. Photo: Jenny Cafiso/CJI
Canadian Jesuits International’s (CJI) work among poor and marginalized people in the Global South who struggle for social justice remains the major reason why people support CJI, according to a new survey conducted by the organization.
On January 11, CJI invited its supporters to participate in an online survey to gauge their opinions on its communications and events, among other topics.
For most of the respondents (66.9%), the desire to “support poor and marginalized people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in their struggle for a just society,” is their primary motivation for supporting CJI, the survey shows. It was also the top reason cited in a previous survey in 2021.
“My faith: was the second most common response (53.1%).
“We are grateful to our network of faithful supporters across Canada who believe in the work that we do and who are committed to help us build a world of justice and peace,” said CJI Executive Director Jenny Cafiso. “We are grateful to the Jesuits and the thousands of women and men in Africa, Asia and Latin America, who fight every day for a better life with a generous and courageous heart. They are the ones who make this work possible. “
Here are other highlights:
- There is a high commitment among CJI supporters.
- There is a high demand for CJI to host online events. Most respondents (79.3%) indicated that they would be interested in attending online events and webinars to hear a speaker from the Global South. The second preference (37.2%) is for in-person gatherings that will feature speakers from the Global South; and the third, to help raise awareness for the work of CJI with family, friends, and colleagues (21.4%).
- Sixty-eight or 46.9% of the total respondents took the time to offer comments and suggestions about the communications they receive, with 22% adding positive comments to their feedback (They find the newsletters “informative, thoughtful, enlightening, and inspiring.”) and a few offering suggestions ( e.g. stop printing newsletter and use other “cost-effective” means).
- CJI needs to do a better job of communicating the impact of donor support, as fewer people than in the last survey (2021) cited good stewardship of resources as the main reason why they give to CJI. i
- Respondents gave top marks to CJI’s e-newsletter blasts and updates via Mailchimp. This may be due in part to the fact that most respondents were those who receive CJI news electronically.
- Only an average of 29% of respondents rated CJI’s social media platforms or availed of the option to skip the question if they didn’t think it was applicable to them. This could mean they are not active on such platforms. Of all the platforms, CJI’s Facebook account was the most popular, with 33% of 38 respondents giving it a rating of 5 (very useful).
A total of 145 people responded out of a survey population of 3,684, or 3.9%, which is above a minimum sample of 100 (a maximum sample would be 368, or 10%). A minimum sample provides “a rough, but still useful idea,” about people’s opinions.
Using Survey Monkey’s sample size calculator, the survey size of 145 and a confidence level of 95% will have a margin of error of + or – 8%.
The survey was designed to find out how effective its communications have been, why people support CJI, and what kind of events they would be interested in. The responses could help inform CJI’s future communications as well as initiatives.
Supporters were invited to participate via a short article in both the Winter 2024 print and electronic newsletters, as well as through social media.
