FAQs

Evidence & Frequently Asked Questions

How does it work?

Set a kindness goal - either daily or weekly
Write a short bit of thanks or praise to someone
Keep the habit, feel the benefits. It costs nothing to try.

Do others need to be on Gracefill?

Not at all—because our app is focused on giving rather than receiving, it doesn’t require a “critical mass” of users for you to fully utilize our service to create impact.

If the recipient of your gratitude isn't currently on Gracefill, you write your message as normal and then you'll be asked to notify the recipient over email or your preferred messaging app. We make this a seamless one-step process, with a pre-written invitation that includes teaser text of your message that's automatically sent over your preferred channel. Then, your gratitude message appears as normal in the Gratitude Given section of your profile and counts towards your gratitude goal. Once your recipient signs up for free on Gracefill, they can "claim" the message by using the claim code provided in our pre-written invite to read the message in full in their profile.

What are benefits of practicing gratitude?

Individuals who keep a habit of expressing gratitude report improved physical and mental health, relationships, happiness, mood, and life satisfaction, as well as reduced feelings of envy, narcissism, and materialism. Studies on practicing gratitude also show improvements for:

Physical and mental health, including reducing stress and improving sleep
Romantic and platonic relationships
Symptoms of depression
Students’ social connections and kindness levels
Gratitude levels (and well being) of a adolescents and one's children
Job success as it relates to boosting feelings of happiness
Developing other virtues such as humility, patience, and wisdom

For more information on gratitude benefits, we recommend Dr. Summer Allen’s study of studies “The Science of Gratitude” prepared for the John Templeton Foundation by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley.

What are benefits of gratitude messages?

Studies have demonstrated that gratitude letters increased kindness, social well being, a desire to invest in relationships, and reciprocated gratitude. These effects were in addition to demonstrating the aforementioned benefits associated with gratitude journals and other gratitude interventions (increases in happiness, life satisfaction, and mental health and reductions in depression levels).

People who were asked to write a gratitude letter once a week for three weeks were significantly happier, less depressed, and more satisfied with their lives at the end of the intervention. (Toepfer, Cichy & Peters, 2011)
Participants who wrote and sent gratitude letters significantly underestimated how surprised recipients would be at their gratitude, overestimated how awkward recipients would feel, and underestimated how positive recipients would feel. (Kumar & Epley, 2018)
Participants who wrote a detailed letter thanking someone for their specific act of kindness expended more effort in performing a kind act daily for three weeks. (Layous, Nelson, Kurtz & Lyubomirsky, 2017)
Gratitude letters prompted emotional catharsis, a desire to invest in professional relationships, greater use of gratitude in leadership roles, and sparked reciprocated gratitude from staff and students. Gratitude was also drawn upon to deal effectively with conflict. (Waters & Stokes, 2015)
Participants assigned to any digital gratitude intervention experienced improvements in state gratitude, positive emotions, negative emotions, elevation, connectedness, support, and loneliness, relative to controls. Relative to all other conditions, participants assigned to text their benefactors showed the biggest boosts in social connectedness and support. (Walsh, Regan, Twenge & Lyubomirsky, 2022). (The Gracefill platform acts as a text solution in that it's a 1-on-1 message, but spreads this practice further by normalizing it on a social platform.)
Participants who witnessed expressions of gratitude exhibited more pro-social behaviors to both the giver and the recipient of the gratitude. (Algoe, Dwyer, Younge & Oveis, 2019).

Does gratitude affect happiness?

As in the above FAQ, numerous studies have linked gratitude to happiness (particularly Toepfer, Cichy, & Peters, 2012). But our favorite summary comes from a TEDx talk by Shawn Achor, author of “The Happiness Advantage”, among other books. We recommend watching the full video, but here are some of our favorite moments:

75% of job successes are predicted by optimism levels, social support, and ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat (8:17, while citing Hom and Arbuckle, 1988; Estrada, Isen and Young, 1997)
Your brain at positive performs significantly better (31%, he cites) than at negative, neutral, or stressed (10:14)
“Writing one positive email praising or thanking someone in your social network can reverse formulas of happiness and success and, in doing so, not only create ripples of positivity but create a real revolution.” (11:56)

How should I start practicing gratitude?

A gratitude practice starts with a more complete awareness of people and circumstances. Accept the negatives before focusing on the good you have received from your relationships. Then, honor the good you recognize with a simple & sincere message of thanks to show your recipients that they matter.

Reflect first. Focus on the positive influence of this person. What’s an important memory of them, or of something they did or said? How would your life be different without them? What makes them special and important to you?
Be specific. Address the person by name and describe what they’ve done or how they make you feel, and how this has impacted your life.
Don’t overthink it! A positive thought shared is far better than one never expressed. Research shows that receiving gratitude is a far more positive, and far less awkward, experience than a giver expects. Write your message as though you’re speaking to the recipient - you don’t have to use beautiful words, or even perfect spelling or grammar.

Does practicing gratitude help everyone?

Like all treatments, results vary depending on the individual. While studies continuously support the benefits of a gratitude practice on average - especially ones that involves letters to others versus simple gratitude lists - studies have also found that certain individuals do not realize benefits as well as others.

For example, it may be harder to focus on the positive during a challenging time and gratitude may feel like it's highlighting the negative when it's forced. This potential for negative side effects has been referred to as "gratitude shaming" or "toxic positivity". Certain individuals with symptoms of depression may also be more susceptible to difficulties with practicing gratitude; please consult a medical professional if this applies.

Does it cost anything?

We're committed to not selling ads, not selling your personal data, and not selling ourselves to outside investors. So, after your 30-day free trial, we’ll charge 50 cents a month for you to continue your habit of giving gratitude to others.

How do memorial profiles work?

Those you love and those who’ve impacted you aren’t limited to the living, and your gratitude isn’t either. That’s why we create communities and spaces that celebrate loved ones who’ve passed.

For these sacred spaces, gratitude received is available for all to see (unless you tag it as private).

You can also honor the legacy your loved ones left in your words and you may may upload their art, writing, quotes, recipes, videos, photos, audio, and favorite charities.

What’s expected of me?

If you’re interested in joining us, we’re a habit-based service. Like a gratitude journal, we’re meant to be used at a regular time and day—whether that occurs daily or weekly.

What are the legacy plans I see on the app?

You may also ensure your legacy of gratitude continues by creating a lightweight plan for your loved ones.

Billions of dollars are tied up in state probate courts rather than reaching the hands of millions of beneficiaries. The quickest and easiest way to avoid this is to create a legacy plan. Gracefill helps with completely free legacy plans that collect high-level guidance critically important in estate settlement to be shared only with those you specify.

What inspired Gracefill?

We were impressed by the extensive benefits of positive psychology and gratitude messages, but we were inspired to take action when we connected the science with our personal experiences, especially with Mr. Rogers and our beloved dog, Atlas.

In his public appearances, Mr. Rogers had a habit of asking audiences to reflect on individuals who loved them and helped them become who they are. Almost instantly, this short prompt drove the crowds to tears of joy. We were inspired by the power of this simple, directed reflection and wanted to spread it as far and wide as possible.

Another inspiration arose from our founder’s three-legged Pit Bull, Atlas. While walking Atlas, Michael saw the deep humanity and love present across the political spectrum. Spiritualist yoga instructors and mechanics touting conservative bumper stickers showed the same humanity and kindness. They were equally likely to meet Michael with “bless you” and Atlas with a treat or some belly rubs.

The prevailing narrative today is that we can no longer connect with, or show kindness to, individuals who hold beliefs different from our own. But cross-cultural studies show humans all share universal values of holding respect for, and doing good to, others. In our most foundational human beliefs, we are alike and allied. We hope Gracefill helps more individuals see this truth.

P.S.
Atlas isn't quite a fox, but we made sure the resemblance is there. We chose to represent Atlas this way because foxes are naturally social and cooperative, but among other canines, they're also quite shy. Gracefill shares a similar blend of social and shy. We’re all about promoting positive social interaction, but we also recognize that doing so online is more introverted than complimenting someone in person.

FAQs for Schools

Gracefill is on a mission to eliminate bullying and social isolation through the direct and consistent practice of empathetic acknowledgement.

By sharing gratitude messages, students gain the personal benefits of practicing gratitude while also spreading goodwill, reducing social isolation, and fostering positive relationships. This energizes and enhances SEL curriculums through practice exercises that build student communities into more gracious and welcoming places.

How does Gracefill for Schools fit into school curriculum?

We have four recommended practices for teachers, counselors, or SEL instructors to guide their students:

SEL practice exercises - Schools with formal Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum can use Gracefill as an interactive activity to practice lessons that build empathy, relationship skills, and social awareness.
Hands-off leaderboards - Teachers may do a one-time introduction to Gracefill wherein students are guided through their first message with the help of handouts. From there, teachers may incentivize gratitude messages on Gracefill without disrupting existing curriculum by posting a leader board of students who are sending the most messages.
Daily or weekly classroom exercises - Homeroom, health, or other teachers can introduce a routine of composing messages as part of a warm-up or wind-down of class activity for the week.
Targeted student interventions - Research shows that, relative to other forms of interventions, students tasked with performing kind acts show improvements in peer acceptance, which is an important factor for academic outcomes and likelihood of being bullied. In addition, assigning Gracefill to those who have engaged in bullying behavior can build a sense of understanding and build a bridge with the target student.

What are benefits of students sending gratitude messages?

Students who sent gratitude messages demonstrated improved outcomes in mental health, personal/social well being, and SEL competencies after 6 weeks. (Bono, Mangan, Fauteux, Sender, 2020)

Studies have demonstrated that gratitude letters increased kindness, social well being, a desire to invest in relationships, and reciprocated gratitude. These effects were in addition to benefits associated with gratitude journals and other gratitude interventions, such as increases in happiness, life satisfaction, and mental health and reductions in depression levels. ‍

How are students assigned? How does the program work?

All students are assigned to a teacher for moderation and coaching at the start of the program, but teachers and principals may subsequently adjust assignments through the Settings > Classroom Manager section of our application.

If a student ever loses a teacher assignment, they will not be able to send a message. This is to preserve safeguards against problematic behavior. All messages sent by students are automatically scanned by Google's AI-powered Gemini service to detect the sentiment of the message. If a message is detected as negative sentiment, or even neutral, it is held to be reviewed and either approved or rejected by the assigned teacher before being sent. If a message is rejected, the message is not sent and the sender's profile is temporarily frozen from sending new messages so the teacher may instruct the student on inappropriate behavior before the student continues.

Student messages can be seen by other students only in the "Gratitude Given" section of a sender's profile. This deliberate design decision focuses attention on giving activity, rather than comparisons on activity that students have received. If a student desires, they may mark a message as private, which hides the message from their Gratitude Given view, but does not hide the content from teachers or administrators.

Students may also choose to send gratitude messages to teachers, staff, or administrators, but they have no access to view profiles or activity of non-students. In addition, each school and workplace is a closed environment. Staff and students can only see and interact with others in their specific school or school network.

How do teachers schedule activity & how do streaks work?

Assigned teachers set a messaging schedule for their students, which affects how student streaks are tracked. For example, if a teacher chooses a schedule of Mondays at 10am, then students will be considered "on streak" if they send a message weekly before 10am. They will be in a "warning" state if they do not send a message by the following Monday and will be off streak if they still have not sent a message by the third scheduled message time.

This works similarly if a teacher chooses multiple messages per week. If a teacher chooses Tuesday and Thursday, then a student who does not send Tuesday's message by Thursday will be in a "warning" state and will be "off streak" if they still haven't sent a message by the following Tuesday.

How should students start practicing gratitude?

A gratitude practice starts with a more complete awareness of people and circumstances. Encourage students to accept the negatives before focusing on the good they have received from their relationships. Then, encourage them to honor the good they recognize with a simple & sincere message of thanks to show the recipient that they matter.

Reflect first. Focus on the positive influence of this person. What’s an important memory of them, or of something they did or said? How would your life be different without them? What makes them special and important to you?
Be specific. Address the person by name and describe what they’ve done or how they make you feel. How has this impacted your life?
Don’t overthink it! A positive thought shared is far better than one never expressed. Research shows that receiving gratitude is a far more positive, and far less awkward, experience than a giver expects. Write your message as though you’re speaking to the recipient - you don’t have to use beautiful words, or even perfect spelling or grammar.

What if my school also has a Gracefill for Teams program for staff recognition?

If a school also registers for a Gracefill for Teams program, then teachers and admins get a second view in their application. This allows them to participate in the Gracefill for Teams program with the rest of the staff. For more information on Gracefill for Teams, please see its dedicated FAQ page.

What does Gracefill for Schools cost?

Simple, transparent, and straightforward pricing: $2 per participant per month, with a $250 annual minimum.

IT isn't needed to start. Gracefill avoids risk to your enterprise systems by not connecting to your database or APIs. You only need an email list to get started - we'll take care of the rest.

FAQs for Teams

Gracefill for Teams is a program to bolster peer-to-peer recognition at work. It facilitates expressing gratitude to recognize colleagues for helping each other, demonstrating team values, and furthering the mission of the organization.

Our program provides a platform to publicly acknowledge and appreciate colleagues for completing a project or special achievement, acting as mentors or guides, and acknowledging life events - such as birthdays, anniversaries, new homes, marriages, or graduations.

How does Gracefill for Teams work?

All colleagues are encouraged to support a positive team environment by recognizing each other with the following best practices:

Consistency - Everyone is encouraged to find a time to recognize colleagues once per week.
Timeliness - Sending appreciation within a few days of recognizing the value of others reinforce a culture of showing appreciation for one another.
Specificity - Ask yourself how someone's contributions have helped you or others specifically? How did their actions make you feel?
Fairness - Don't overlook colleagues who contribute in quieter ways. Gracefill messages may be sent to multiple recipients to recognize all contributors.

What are benefits of teammates sending gratitude messages?

The highest performing teams give twice as many compliments relative to criticisms (Losada and Heaphy, 2004 ). In addition, Shawn Achor, author of “The Happiness Advantage”, cites a number of studies in his TEDx talk on the connection between happiness, gratitude, and productivity:

75% of job successes are predicted by optimism levels, social support, and ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat (8:17, while citing Hom and Arbuckle, 1988; Estrada, Isen and Young, 1997)
Your brain at positive performs 31% better than at negative, neutral, or stressed (10:14)

How should teammates start practicing recognition and gratitude?

Peer recognition embraces a more complete awareness of colleagues and their circumstances. It's important to accept complications before focusing on the good in others. Then, honor the good you recognize with a simple & sincere message of thanks to show the recipient how valuable they are.

Reflect first. Focus on the positive influence of this person. What’s an important memory of them, or of something they did or said? How would your team be different without them? What makes them valuable?
Be specific. Address the person by name and describe what they’ve done or how they make you feel. How has this impacted your team?
Don’t overthink it! A positive thought shared is far better than one never expressed. Research shows that receiving gratitude is a far more positive, and far less awkward, experience than a giver expects. Write your message as though you’re speaking to them - you don’t have to use beautiful words, or even perfect spelling or grammar.

How should teammates start practicing recognition and gratitude?

Reflect first. Focus on the positive influence of this person. What’s an important memory of them, or of something they did or said? How would your team be different without them? What makes them valuable?
Be specific. Address the person by name and describe what they’ve done or how they make you feel. How has this impacted your team?
Don’t overthink it! A positive thought shared is far better than one never expressed. Research shows that receiving gratitude is a far more positive, and far less awkward, experience than a giver expects. Write your message as though you’re speaking to them - you don’t have to use beautiful words, or even perfect spelling or grammar.

How do streaks work?

Each team member gets to set a weekly message schedule in Gracefill's settings menu. If an employee sends a message before that time, they'll be "on streak". An employee will alternatively be in a "warning" state if they do not send a message by the following scheduled message date, and will be off streak if they still have not sent a message by the third scheduled message time.

What happens for schools that also have Gracefill for Students program?

If a school also registers for a Gracefill for Students program, then administrators and teachers designated as student moderators get a second view in their application. This allows them to participate in the Gracefill for Students program with the student body. For more information on Gracefill for Students, please refer to its dedicated FAQ page.

What does Gracefill for Teams cost?

Simple, transparent, and straightforward pricing: $2 per teammate per month, with a $250 annual minimum.

Your IT department isn't needed to start. Gracefill avoids risk to your enterprise systems by not connecting to your database or APIs. You only need an email list to get started - we'll take care of the rest.

About Us

Our Approach: Gratitude Messages Every Week