We Asked, You Answered: Level’s 2025-2026 Sponsor Survey

In Their Own Words: The Impact and Value of Level’s Prison Education Program

2025-2026 sponsor survey

Executive summary

Level launched its sponsorship program in December 2024, for the first time allowing families and supporters on the outside to enroll their incarcerated loved ones in our education program for people in prison. Sponsors enroll through a form on our website and pay a fee to offset the costs of distributing our educational materials. 

We conducted our first comprehensive sponsorship program survey in December 2025 in collaboration with Stand Together Foundation, using Customer First Measurement^TM. Customer First Measurement is a design principle for ensuring extant measurement tools like monitoring, evaluation and feedback are responsive to the people being served. We implemented Customer First Measurement because we wanted to mitigate institutional bias and generate results that reflect what truly matters most to our customers. 

The survey opened on December 15, 2025 and closed on January 15, 2026. The survey included five quantitative questions (including three core Customer First Measurement metrics developed by Stand Together Foundation), four qualitative questions, and three demographic questions. All questions were optional and respondents were allowed to answer some or all according to their preferences.

The survey was distributed by text and email to 491 sponsors who had enrolled by December 15th, 2025. We offered a chance to win one of three $50 Visa gift cards, an enticement and appreciation for completing the survey. We collected 159 total responses, representing a 32 percent response rate. 

On quantitative measures, sponsors indicated approval of Level’s program and the service they receive, with a sponsor’s length of time in the program correlating with an increase in ratings on all core Customer First Measurement metrics.

Across open-ended responses, sponsors presented a dual picture: deep gratitude for the mental and relational benefits the program provides, coupled with a strong desire for program expansion and logistical reliability. While many emphasized that the program successfully keeps their loved ones occupied, builds hope for reentry, and provides peace of mind, systemic mail barriers and a hunger for wider curriculum offerings represented the primary challenges.

What we heard and what we’re doing

For sponsors, there is a clear link between their loved one having a fruitful educational journey and making a successful transition after release. Sponsors view acquiring and developing skills and earning certificates as the functional tools required for future employability and preventing recidivism. Sponsors generally view Level’s program as supporting their goal for their loved one to learn, grow and come home prepared to pursue a brighter future together.

Since this survey closed in January and our team ran its initial analysis, we have made significant progress in addressing the two main needs expressed by our sponsors.

Sponsors’ suggestions for improvement focused most heavily on expanding our content offerings. Historically, creating and publishing new content has been challenging from both a funding and production perspective. Level prioritizes creating accurate, accessible, high quality educational content that is tailored to an audience of currently incarcerated learners. This has necessitated close coordination between subject matter experts (typically those who have experience with justice-involved communities), content writers who can properly align with Level’s pedagogical needs, graphic designers, and more.

With the recent availability of customizable AI tools, however, we have been able to significantly reduce the cost and timeline for drafting and editing new content. By carefully vetting the sources we use and working closely with our subject matter experts throughout the process, we have reduced costs and shortened production timelines significantly while ensuring our content remains comprehensive, accurate and relevant to our audience.
We also heard and addressed sponsors’ concerns about logistical reliability and communication. Logistical failures – specifically, the delay in turn-around time or outright non-receipt of materials – are primary triggers for sponsor distress, especially in the absence of proactive follow-up communication. Conversely, reliable material delivery directly facilitates feelings of hope and relational connection.

An operational limitation of our program is that once our mail is delivered to a facility, we have no direct control over when, how, or whether it is ultimately given to the recipient. Our system automatically notifies sponsors when content is shipped to their loved one, and some sponsors proactively notify us when some days or weeks pass and their loved one hasn’t received the expected material. This survey revealed, however, that many sponsors were not reaching out to us in those cases.

To address this issue, we developed an automated protocol for preemptively verifying with new sponsors that our initial delivery to their loved one was received after three weeks. Once a first delivery is successful, the chance of a future disruption in service is significantly reduced. Implementing this protocol should not only reassure sponsors that our team is attentive to their loved one’s access to our program, but also quickly reveal the rare cases where we are unable to serve a learner so that a refund can be issued in a timely manner and organizational resources can remain focused on actively participating learners.

Quantitative results

In addition to the three core Customer First Measurement metrics – Net Promoter Score (NPS), Net Transformation Score (NTS) and Net Empowerment Score (NES), all of which have a possible range from -100 to 100 – we also asked sponsors to identify the benefits they expected themselves and their loved ones to receive by participating in our program. (See Appendix for the full set of questions.)

Of the three scores, our NPS was the highest, indicating that a significant majority of sponsors would recommend our program to others. The other two scores, NES and NTS, were lower but still positive. The open-ended responses revealed that some sponsors found it confusing that we were asking about our program’s impact on them (as opposed to their loved one in prison), exemplified by this comment: “It just really has nothing to do with me. It’s totally for my loved one & helping him.” This suggests that, unless or until there are features of our program that target sponsors’ needs independently from their loved ones’ needs, metrics like NTS and NES and questions about benefits that sponsors experience directly may provide little utility in assessing the quality and impact of our program.

Customer First Measurement scores from all sponsors / survey respondents

We hypothesized that we would receive higher scores from more experienced sponsors whose loved one had participated in our program longer. Families and supporters of people in prison are accustomed to their needs being disregarded, not only by our carceral system but also by many of the entities that operate adjacent for-profit and not-for-profit services. For this reason, we expected sponsors who had experienced repeated cycles of service in our program and witnessed our team meet or exceed expectations to rate our program more highly. To test this hypothesis, we correlated responses with the number of educational modules their loved ones had completed.

Customer First Measurement scores from 35 experienced sponsors whose loved one completed four or more educational modules

Customer First Measurement scores from 116 new sponsors whose loved one completed three or fewer educational modules

As shown above, our hypothesis was confirmed – all three Customer First Measurement metrics are higher for sponsors who have experienced more cycles of service in our program.

We also asked sponsors to identify the benefits they expected from our program, for both themself and their loved one. We drafted a list of potential expected benefits based on comments we had received from sponsors throughout the first year of the sponsorship program and included an option to select “other” and describe a benefit we didn’t define.

For their loved one, the top benefit expected by sponsors is “improved mental well-being,” followed closely by “time spent productively.” The third and fourth benefits most identified by sponsors are “certificates for activities towards rehabilitation” and “career exploration.”

For themselves, the top benefit expected by sponsors – by a significant margin – is “a positive thing to focus on with my loved one.” The second and third most frequently expected benefits are “investing in our shared future” and “connecting with my loved one,” respectively.

Qualitative results

We asked respondents three open-ended qualitative questions about how they would improve Level’s program and how they define success for themself and their loved one. (See Appendix for the full set of questions.) Below are the common themes that emerged across the responses.

“Learning new things” and gaining skills

42 responses | Positive

The most frequent theme identifies success as the acquisition of knowledge, new skills, and tangible achievements like certificates. Sponsors value “expanding his knowledge base” and see these educational achievements as tools for personal growth and future utility.

“More courses” / “A greater variety”

41 responses | Gap

This is the most prominent request for improvement, with participants asking for a broader selection of educational materials, curriculum topics, and college-level content. Sponsors specifically requested more variety and longer modules to keep their incarcerated loved ones engaged during lockdowns and over long sentences.

“Coming home” and successful reentry

36 responses | Mixed (optimistic & risk-focused)

Success is heavily defined by the eventual transition back to society, including gaining employment, starting businesses, and staying out of prison. Participants framed this both optimistically as a “fresh start” and cautiously as the need to “avoid recidivism.”

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts”

32 responses | Positive

Consists of broad expressions of gratitude for the program’s existence and specific praise for the staff. Sponsors described the team as “stellar” and “timely,” often noting that the program provides a “speck of hope” in otherwise “atrocious” environments.

“Getting him home” and providing support

31 responses | Mixed (aspirational & struggle-based)

Sponsors frequently define their own success by the release or legal progress of their loved one, as well as their own role in facilitating that journey. This ranges from aspirational goal-setting to the active “struggle” of surviving without them.

“Nothing” / “Everything is great”

29 responses | Positive

It is notable that when explicitly asked how they would improve our program, instead of simply skipping the question, a subset of sponsors took the time to indicate that they had no suggestions for improvement and to express satisfaction with the program as it currently exists. These responses ranged from brief notations like “N/A” to statements affirming that no changes are needed.

“Peace of mind” and “staying grounded”

29 responses | Mixed (achieved state & active struggle)

Success is often described as an internal state of emotional or mental stability while navigating the “insanely difficult season” of a loved one’s incarceration. Some report feeling “comfortable,” while others describe “keeping my head above water.”

“Keeping his mind active” / Productive use of time

28 responses | Positive

Sponsors equate success with the immediate mental and emotional benefits of the program, such as “staying positive” and avoiding institutionalization. Having “something structured to do” helps maintain a healthy mind.

“Investment in self development”

22 responses | Positive

Many sponsors define success through their own external milestones, such as finishing college, starting a business, or finding a job. These personal achievements are often linked to building a foundation for the family’s future.

“Better communication” / “Follow up”

18 responses | Gap

Sponsors suggested improvements in how the organization interacts with them and their incarcerated loved ones. Requests included better customer service, “offer tracking,” more frequent follow-ups, and additional features for sponsors to better engage with their loved one’s progress in the program.

“He never received his education material”

17 responses | Gap

Sponsors expressed frustration and heartbreak regarding logistical failures, specifically materials not reaching the student after Level shipped them. Some blamed Level for a lack of “follow up,” while others attributed the issue to the “facility” or “prison operator.”

We are grateful to the sponsors who took the time to complete this survey and to speak so thoughtfully and openly about their experiences – positive and negative – with our program. We believe that outcomes are improved when families, friends and other supporters on the outside are included in the educational advancement of people in prison. This feedback is the foundation upon which we build a better program, and we are honored to be a part of the persistent, resilient community engaged in this vital work.

Appendix: survey questions

1. How likely are you to recommend Level to someone in a similar situation to you? (Net Promoter Score / NPS) 0 (Not at all likely) – 10 (Extremely likely)
2. What is one thing you would do to improve Level? (open-ended)
3. What benefit do you most expect your loved one to get out of Level’s program right now? Select all that apply.
   1. Improved mental well-being
   2. Career exploration
   3. Technical knowledge
   4. Documentation of personal and / or professional development
   5. Time spent productively
   6. Vocational skills for resume-building
   7. Other (please describe)
4. What do you think success looks like for your loved one right now? (open-ended)
5. Because of my experience with Level, I feel more confident overcoming challenges in my life. (Net Empowerment Score / NES) 0 (strongly disagree) – 10 (strongly agree)
6. What benefit do you most expect from Level’s program right now? Select all that apply.
   1. Connection with my loved one
   2. A positive thing to focus on with my loved one
   3. Less worry about my loved one’s release
   4. Investing in our shared future
   5. Other (please describe)
7. What does success look like for you right now? (open-ended)
8. How much has Level improved your life? (Net Transformation Score / NTS) 0 (Not at all) – 10 (An extreme amount)
9. Anything else you’d like to tell us? (open-ended)
10. What is your zip code?
11. What is your race / ethnicity? (select one or more)
    1. White  
    2. Black or African American
    3. Hispanic or Latino
    4. American Indian or Alaska Native
    5. Asian or Asian American
    6. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander  
    7. Other (please describe)
    8. Prefer not to say
12. What is your gender? (as you identify – select only one):
    1. Female 
    2. Male  
    3. Nonbinary
    4. Other (please describe)
    5. Prefer not to say