The King County Nonprofit Employee Engagement Survey Report compiles responses collected from 928 full-time and part-time employees representing 167 organizations.

Reading it will give you a better understanding of how people feel about their jobs, how likely they are to remain with their current employer, factors that lead to high employee engagement, ways to attract and retain staff, and methods for improving overall happiness in the sector.

The Employee Engagement Survey was open to anyone who works for a nonprofit organization located in King County or that serves people in King County. The survey link was available online and was shared in 501 Commons and King County newsletters, targeted emails, blog posts, and social media. During the campaign, 7,516 nonprofit employees were emailed an invitation to participate. Information about the survey was shared with coalitions, funders, and businesses that provide services to nonprofits.

Download the Employee Engagement Survey Report

While survey participants are from nonprofits with a broad array of missions and sizes, care should be taken to avoid assuming that the survey results represent all King County nonprofits.

Here are some notes about whose perspectives were gathered:

• The 928 survey respondents represent organizations ranging from fewer than five employees to more than a thousand employees from various nonprofit sectors. 43% are from organizations with 100 – 999 employees. One-fifth (20%) are from much smaller organizations with 6 – 25 employees.
• 69% of survey respondents identified as female, 19% as male, 4% as non-binary, and 6% prefer not to say. 57% percent of participants identified as heterosexual and 27% LGBTQ. Notably, 16% preferred to not say or did not answer the sexual orientation question, a high percentage of participants (although that number is lower than 19% in 2023).
• The racial makeup of respondents is aligned with the 2020 census figures for King County. American Indian/Alaska Native comprise 3%, Asian Americans comprise 23%, Black/African Americans comprise 9%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders comprise 1%, and 52% are white. 10% of participants indicate two or more races.While this is higher than census data, the survey included the additional options Hispanic/Latino (separate on the census) and Middle Eastern or North African.

Please email info@501commons.org if you have any questions about the survey. Please put "Employee Engagement Survey" in the subject line.

If more than 5 employees in your organization participated in the survey, you can receive a customized report for your organization. Contact us at info@501commons.org.