We do a lot of field surveys in areas with poor internet and limited budgets. We’ve been using paper forms and it’s slow and messy. I heard about KoBoToolbox being free and good for offline work, but is it really suitable for a small nonprofit like ours? How do we get started?
KoBoToolbox is exactly the kind of tool designed for your situation. It’s a free, open-source platform built by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative for field data collection, especially in challenging environments. If your team uses Android phones, you can collect data completely offline and sync it later when you have internet.
Key Features for NGOs
| Feature | Why It Matters for Your NGO |
|---|---|
| Works Fully Offline | Collect data in remote villages, camps, or areas with no mobile network. Data saves to the phone and uploads automatically when back online. |
| Simple Form Builder | Create digital surveys with skip logic (e.g., “If answer is ‘No,’ jump to question 10”) without needing to code. You can use familiar formats like Excel. |
| Multiple Question Types | Capture GPS locations, photos, videos, and audio directly in your survey. Perfect for monitoring, verification, and rich qualitative data. |
| Data Security (SSL) | Data is encrypted during sync. You control who can see the information, which is crucial when working with vulnerable communities. |
| Instant Analysis & Maps | View submissions in real-time, generate summary charts, and plot all data points on a map to see geographical patterns immediately. |
How to Start Using It (Step-by-Step)
- Create Your Free Account
- Go to kobotoolbox.org
- Click “Sign up” and register. The free tier is very generous for nonprofits.
- Build Your First Survey (“Form”)
- In your account, click “+ New” to create a project.
- Use the drag-and-drop form builder or import an Excel/Word document of your existing paper form.
- Add a “GPS (line,point,area)” question to automatically record where each interview happens.
- Test your form thoroughly before sending it to the field.
- Collect Data in the Field
- For Android phones: Install the “KoBoCollect” app from the Google Play Store.
- Log in with your account, download the form to the phone, and it’s ready for offline use.
- For any phone/tablet with a browser: You can also use the web link (via Enketo) if you have internet.
- Analyze Your Data
- As submissions come in (sync when online), view them in the “Data” tab.
- Click “Reports” to auto-generate charts and summaries.
- Click “Maps” to visualize all your collected data points geographically.
- Export and Use Your Data
- Export all data to Excel, CSV, or PDF for further analysis or donor reporting.
- You can also export all photos and media files in one ZIP folder.