Sample Communication Audit Report

ST. SIMON TEMPLARS GREEN GUILD

5/1/2014 Internal Communication Audit Report

Findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on an audit

of internal communication completed for the St. Simon Templars

Episcopal Church Green Guild.

Conducted by: Jillian Westerfield

St. Simon Templars Green Guild

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St. Simon Templars Green Guild I N T E R N A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N A U D I T R E P O R T

Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 2

Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 2

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 3

RESEARCH SETTING ............................................................................................................. 4

METHOD .............................................................................................................................. 5

Sample ................................................................................................................................................... 5

Data collection ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Questionnaire Survey Development .................................................................................................. 5

MEASURES ........................................................................................................................... 5

FINDINGS............................................................................................................................. 6

CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................... 9

RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................................... 9

POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY ........................................................................ 10

POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THIS STUDY .................................................................. 10

WORKS CITED .................................................................................................................... 11

APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................... 12

Cover Letter ....................................................................................................................................... 12

Survey ................................................................................................................................................. 13


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

St. Simon Templars Green Guild is a volunteer group within a large Episcopal church. As one of

the most diverse groups in the church, the guild is a good model for the larger congregation. The guild

leader observed a disparity in the demographics of people attending various guild events and wanted

to discern whether current communication is effectively reaching all members. This study asks the question

How do guild members perceive communication of events?

Using anonymous, hard-copy surveys distributed to 15 people present at a regular guild meeting,

this study collected data that revealed email to be the most popular form of communication across the

board, followed by the worship bulletin. The study further concludes that members wish to receive more

information about save-the-date notifications, interfaith activities, and volunteer opportunities.

Recommendations

Designate email to be the primary channel for guild event communication.

Use worship bulletin to reinforce notification of the events members are most interested in hearing

about. In particular, this should include save-the-date notifications, interfaith activities, and

volunteer opportunities.

Additional marketing communication training for guild leader.

Further research into best use of social media platforms.


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INTRODUCTION

Throughout the English-speaking world, many churches have faced both declining membership and

associated financial woes in recent decades. This largely reflects a generational divide, as post-World

War II generations have been less likely to participate in organized religion. While multiple factors may

have contributed to this decline, Villanova University economics professor Charles E. Zech has identified

decreased trust in institutions as one factor (Freedman).

With this in mind, religious institutions would be wise to seek ways to bridge this divide and to

maintain and build trust within their own organizations. In a 2009 collaboration of U.S. and Australian

researchers, it was established that a wealth of literature in the business and management fields credits

trust as a top factor in high performance organizations (Thomas, Zolin, and Hartman 303). It is also well-

known that good communication creates an atmosphere in which trust may flourish. However, Thomas,

Zolin, and Hartman further examined the relationship between quality and quantity of information and

trust levels. In doing so, they found that at higher levels of an organization, quantity of information is

critical to trust. At lower levels, the quality of information was more important to trust maintenance

(Thomas, Zolin, and Hartman 305). Most importantly, from a perspective of wanting to increase member

participation, it was determined that when we attempt to predict ones level of involvement, openness is

a key factor. (Thomas, Zolin, and Hartman 303).

Furthermore, an Australian study into declining church participation and marketing efforts

concluded that church leadership must make an effort to ensure it understands the needs of current

members if it is to effectively seek new ones (Mulyanegra, Tsarenko, and Mavondo 77). A communication

audit can be an invaluable step in achieving this goal.

By auditing the congregations perceptions of current communication, the church can identify both

its strengths and opportunities for improvement. A well-designed audit will yield the type of information

that Thomas, Zolin, and Hartman discovered is critical to organizational health. Leaders will be able to


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make informed decisions when it comes to allocating resources and foster the trust necessary to guide

their churches through coming challenges.

RESEARCH SETTING

St. Simon Templars is the oldest continuous Episcopal Church west of the Mississippi and the

largest church in the Diocese of Central Texas. As a large church, St. Simon Templars benefits from a

number of active lay-led guilds, but also faces communication challenges. The Green Guild is one of the

most diverse groups within the church, and as such is a good representation of the church as a whole. The

guild was formed in 1995 as an extension of the previous gardening guild, and the age of members

ranges from 14 to 92. Despite growth in guild membership in recent years, participation in guild activities

has remained static. Most events are well attended either by people under 50 or over 50, but rarely

both. The guild uses multiple means of communication ranging from print bulletins to Facebook groups.

While the guild exists primarily to promote environmental awareness and activism as a spiritual practice,

it is also proud of its role as a diverse group and would like to know why the generations are not

interacting more.

While it is possible there are multiple factors contributing to the disparity in generational

interaction, the guild leader has anecdotal evidence that leads her to believe guild activities may not be

communicated effectively across generational lines. To determine whether this is in fact a variable, it is

best to determine how members of the group are receiving communication.



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METHOD

Sample

The sample for this study included 15 members of the Green Guild. Members are volunteers from

within the congregation and share equal status. The guild leader was not included in the sample.

Data collection

Data was collected using hard copies of a survey that were distributed during a guild meeting

and returned the same day.

Questionnaire Survey Development

Survey questions were developed evaluate members perception of guild communication

surrounding events, as well as to determine which methods members prefer. A review board examined

the surveys prior to distribution to ensure neutral language and relevant questions. When the surveys

were administered, participants were informed of the intended use of the information. Participants were

further informed of the anonymity of the survey.

MEASURES

Collected data was entered into an Excel spreadsheet. Formulas were set to determine the mean,

difference in mean, and standard deviation.


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FINDINGS


Newsletter is used "rarely" by guild as a whole (2.6), while email is used "often to very often" (4.6).

Members currently receive "some" information about save-the-date notifications (3.4), but would like to

receive "very much" (4.8), for a difference in mean of 1.4.

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

Facebook Email Twitter Newletter Worshipbulletin

Frequency of Use

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

save the date - current save the date - want

Save-the-date Notifications


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Members currently receive "some" information about volunteer opportunities (3.14), but would like to receive

"very much" (4.93), for a difference in mean of 1.79.

Members currently receive "some" information about interfaith activities (3.33), but would like to receive "very

much" (4.87), for a difference in mean of 1.53.

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

volunteer - current volunteer - want

Volunteer Opportunities

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

interfaith - current interfaith - want

Interfaith Activities


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Members currently receive "some" information about home conservation tips (3.29), and would like to receive

"some" (3.64), for a difference in mean of 0.36.

Members currently receive "some" information about kids activities (3.27), but would like to receive "much"

(4.33), for a difference in mean of 1.07.

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

currently want

Home Conservation Tips

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

currently want

Kids' Activities


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Members agree that communication about Earth Art Night (4.20), Interfaith Energy Counsel (4.27), Recycle

Races (4.07), and Creek Clean-up (4.00) motivates them to attend. For Earth Day, responses fell between

neutral and agree at 3.80.

CONCLUSIONS

Email is the most popular means of communication, followed by the worship bulletin. Facebook,

Twitter, and the newsletter are all relatively unpopular on average.

Members would like to see more save-the-date notifications.

Members would like to see more volunteer opportunities.

Members would like to see more interfaith activities.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Green Guild may have over-extended itself in an effort to communicate using every possible

channel. There is a high standard deviation for Facebook (1.23) and Twitter (1.23), indicating that

members use it either very frequently or not at all. Email is both the most popular form of communication

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

Earth Art Night Earth Day Interfaith EnergyCounsel

Recycle Races Creek Clean-up

Motivational Communication for Events


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and the one with the smallest standard deviation, so it is recommended that email be designated the

primary channel for guild event communication.

Since the worship bulletin is also relatively popular but the space is limited, the worship bulletin

should be used to reinforce notification of the events members are most interested in hearing about. In

particular, this should include save-the-date notifications, interfaith activities, and volunteer opportunities.

This will also help address members desire to receive more information on these events.

If resources are available, the guild leader may benefit from additional marketing communication

training to make sure emails are concise and informative.

Further research is also recommended to determine whether social media may be developed as a

communications tool for purposes outside the scope of this study. While social media platforms are not the

ideal way to distribute event information for this group, it is possible other benefits exist. For example,

Facebook and Twitter may be useful as community engagement tools or to attract new members.

POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY

The greatest limitation of this study was the sample size. With only 15 participants, it would not have

been possible to maintain anonymity while collecting demographics data on age or gender. Furthermore, the

guild does not keep official rolls, so it is unknown how many people consider themselves guild members and

the sample size may not be sufficiently representative.

POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THIS STUDY

This study provides valuable information to help the guild focus limited volunteer resources in a

way that meets members needs and expectations. Furthermore, the survey can be scaled up for use in the

larger congregation. Religious institutions such as St. Simon Templars have unique challenges since the

health of the organization is heavily dependent on volunteer participation and the volunteers are also the


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clients the group attempts to serve. In this setting, it is especially critical to communicate effectively. St.

Simon Templars may help avoid volunteer burn-out by not overwhelming the members with unwanted

information or forcing them to use inconvenient forms of communication. Effective communication is a key

component to maintaining the vibrant, thriving culture St. Simon Templars has developed over many

decades.

WORKS CITED

Freedman, Samuel G. "Congregations Face Financial Trials as Giving Declines." New York Times 25 Sept.

2010, late ed., sec. A: 19. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.

Mulyanegara, Riza Casidy, Yalena Tsarenko, and Felix Mavondo. "Church Marketing: The Effect Of

Market Orientation On Perceived Benefits And Church Participation." Services Marketing Quarterly 32.1

(2011): 60-82. Business Source Complete. Web. 23 April 2014.

Thomas, Gail Fann, Roxanne Zolin, and Jackie L. Hartman. "The Central Role Of Communication In Developing

Trust And Its Effect On Employee Involvement." Journal Of Business Communication 46.3 (2009): 287-

310. Business Source Complete. Web. 23 April 2014.


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APPENDIX

Cover Letter

Dear Green Guild Members,

We are conducting a study of communication methods within the guild regarding

guild events. The study will include a survey and a sample of interviews. We hope

the study will help us ensure that you are receiving adequate information using

the channels you find most convenient.

The survey is anonymous, so please do not write your name on it. It should not

take more than 5-10 minutes to complete the survey. When you are finished,

please return it using the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope.

Surveys are due by March 15th.

Thank you for your help,

Jillian Westerfield


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Survey

St. Simon Templars Green Guild Communication Survey

Part I

The Green Guild uses several communication channels. Please rate how often you use

each of these channels. Use the following scale:

1=very rarely 2=rarely 3=sometimes 4=often 5=very often

1. Facebook 1 2 3 4 5

2. Email 1 2 3 4 5

3. Twitter 1 2 3 4 5

4. Newsletter 1 2 3 4 5

5. Worship Bulletin 1 2 3 4 5

Part II

Please use the following scale to rate the amount of information regarding each topic

you currently receive. Then, rate how much you want to receive.

1=very little 2=little 3=some 4=much 5=very much

Information Currently Receive Want to Receive

7. Save-the-date notifications 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

8. Volunteer Opportunities 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

9. Interfaith Activities 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

10. Home Conservation Tips 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

11. Kids Activities 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

Part III

Please use the following scale to rate how much you agree or disagree with the

following statements:

1=strongly disagree 2=disagree 3=neutral 4=agree 5=strongly agree

12. Communication about Earth Art Night motivates me to participate. 1 2 3 4 5

13. Communication about Earth Day motivates me to participate. 1 2 3 4 5

14. Communication about Interfaith Energy Counsel motivates me to participate. 1 2 3 4 5

15. Communication about Recycle Races motivates me to participate. 1 2 3 4 5

16. Communication about Creek Clean-up motivates me to participate. 1 2 3 4 5


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Sample Communication Audit Report