The Challenge

At the start of the project, TV Käfertal found itself at the beginning of a comprehensive evaluation. On the one hand, the club leadership wanted to assess member satisfaction regarding the sports-related aspects of the club; on the other, they aimed to critically examine their own communication strategies and their effectiveness. A key focus was distinguishing between the needs of regular members and those of volunteers. For this reason, the club leadership planned to conduct an extensive member survey at the beginning of 2019.

The Data Foundation

To gather as comprehensive an opinion as possible, a digital member survey was chosen. This required creating an online questionnaire where members could provide meaningful answers to relevant questions. Additionally, the survey design ensured that members and volunteers—across all their roles—were directed to questions tailored to them.

After over 150 members of TV Käfertal participated in the survey, the CorrelAid team analyzed the results, visualized them, and described them in the context of the survey.

The (anonymized) member data from the club’s records also helped paint a clear picture of the sociodemographic structure of the membership.

The Approach

In collaboration with the club leadership, the key themes and questions for the member survey were defined at the end of 2018. Leveraging the CorrelAid team’s social science expertise, an online survey tool was selected, and a meaningful catalog of questions and answer options was designed. Extensive testing ensured members were directed to questions relevant to their roles in the club. Particular attention was paid to the clarity and ease of use of the questionnaire, given the age distribution within the club.

Following a successful survey phase, the team focused on presenting the data in an accessible way. Statistical analyses summarized and visualized the results. In early summer 2019, the findings were delivered to the club in a nearly 30-page report.

The Impact

The survey results significantly helped the club—and especially its board—to reevaluate their decisions and organizational structures. For instance, the survey confirmed that the club magazine, *Turnerbote*, was considered an essential part of the club and should be retained. However, it also became clear that the club would not be able to recruit enough instructors from within its ranks in the long term. As a result, the board decided to prioritize searching for instructors outside the club and reduce efforts to recruit internally. This allowed the club to adapt its development strategies.

Furthermore, the board emphasized their desire to conduct regular evaluations of club structures and other specialized topics in the future. In the coming years, the conversion of former military grounds in Mannheim will create a new urban district adjacent to the club, presenting entirely new challenges. The club aims to address these proactively and expressed interest in pursuing further projects with CorrelAid. The successfully completed project with CorrelAid ultimately enabled the club to make data-driven decisions that will sustainably guide it toward a successful future.