Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Volunteer Research Analyst
💰 $0 - Volunteer / Unpaid
ResearchNonprofitData AnalysisSocial Impact
🎯 Role Definition
The Volunteer Research Analyst supports research, evaluation, and data-driven decision-making for nonprofit, academic, or social impact organizations. This role contributes analytical support, research coordination, and insight generation to help organizations measure impact, improve programs, and inform strategic initiatives while gaining hands-on research experience.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Student Research Assistant
- Data or Research Intern
- Program Support Volunteer
Advancement To:
- Research Analyst
- Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Analyst
- Program or Impact Analyst
Lateral Moves:
- Policy Analyst
- Program Coordinator
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Support research projects by collecting, organizing, and validating qualitative and quantitative data.
- Conduct literature reviews and secondary research to support program design and evaluation.
- Assist in the development of research questions, hypotheses, and analytical frameworks.
- Clean, organize, and maintain datasets to ensure accuracy and usability.
- Analyze data to identify trends, insights, and performance indicators related to program outcomes.
- Develop reports, summaries, and presentations to communicate research findings.
- Support impact measurement and evaluation initiatives.
- Assist with survey design, administration, and response analysis.
- Maintain research documentation, data dictionaries, and methodology notes.
- Collaborate with program staff to understand data needs and operational context.
- Support grant-related research, reporting, and evaluation requirements.
- Monitor key metrics and indicators aligned with organizational goals.
- Assist in data visualization and dashboard creation as needed.
- Support ethical research practices and data privacy requirements.
- Participate in research planning meetings and working sessions.
- Respond to ad-hoc data and research requests from team members.
- Assist in quality assurance reviews of research outputs.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives through data-driven insights.
- Contribute to knowledge management and research repositories.
- Help translate complex data findings into accessible insights for non-technical audiences.
- Support dissemination of research findings through presentations or publications.
Secondary Functions
- Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
- Contribute to the organization’s data strategy and research roadmap.
- Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into research and analysis requirements.
- Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within research or analytics teams.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Basic to intermediate data analysis skills.
- Proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets.
- Familiarity with data cleaning and validation techniques.
- Ability to conduct literature reviews and secondary research.
- Experience with survey tools or basic statistical analysis.
- Basic data visualization and reporting skills.
- Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods.
- Attention to data accuracy and documentation.
- Ability to learn new tools and methodologies quickly.
- Understanding of ethical research and data privacy principles.
Soft Skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Analytical and critical thinking abilities.
- Attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Curiosity and willingness to learn.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Time management and reliability in a volunteer capacity.
- Adaptability in mission-driven environments.
- Passion for social impact or research-driven work.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
Currently pursuing or completed Bachelor’s Degree
Preferred Education:
Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Social Sciences
- Public Policy
- Data Analytics
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range:
0–2 years of research, academic, nonprofit, or analytical experience.
Preferred:
Prior experience with research projects, internships, or volunteer roles in nonprofit, academic, or policy-focused environments.