Most cultural and civic institutions don’t have high-quality data on participants. For many, collecting demographic data sounds intimidating, expensive, and complicated.

It isn’t easy to capture this data. We know that firsthand. It’s expensive to work with consultants to design scientifically-valid survey methods. It’s confusing to figure out how to ask sensitive questions about race or class with perfect strangers. And most of us are trying to capture data with staff and volunteers who don’t have backgrounds in research or data analysis.

But capturing good demographic data is worth it. It can smash assumptions and stereotypes. It can change conversations with trustees and funders. It can help fuel smarter decisions and more inclusive programs.

And so we came together—the OF/BY/FOR ALL team and researchers from Slover Linett Audience Research—to write this toolkit.

We wrote this kit to give you a free, simple, step-by-step guide to collecting high-quality participant data. You can use it to create a plan, build a survey, and start collecting data right away.

What gets measured gets done. When you measure demographic data, it accelerates your ability to make positive, inclusive change.