Surveys and assessments can be powerful tools for understanding how people are doing, measuring the impact of your work, and guiding next steps for care or engagement. These mechanisms are powerful inputs for your Impact Dashboard. Whether you're running a one-time event or a long-term program, surveys like Pre, Post, and Check-Ins help you measure growth over time.
This article will help you:
Understand which type of survey to use and when
Access sample surveys to get started quickly
Learn how Gloo uses the Human Flourishing Index to assess well-being
Write strong survey questions that yield actionable insights
📋 Types of Surveys and When to Use Them
Each type of survey serves a different purpose in your journey of impact.
Here's how to think through what you need:
Survey Type | When to Use It | Purpose |
Pre Survey | Before your program or engagement starts | Measures a person's starting point; captures baseline data |
Post Survey | After the program or experience ends | Measures growth or change; shows your impact |
Check-In Survey | At regular intervals during a program | Tracks progress in real time; surfaces needs and opportunities for support |
🧪 Sample Surveys
You can customize your own surveys in Gloo, but here are sample templates to get you started. Each includes questions aligned with personal growth and the Flourishing Index framework.
Each sample includes:
Human flourishing questions (see below)
Self-reflection or short answer prompts
🌱 About the Human Flourishing Index
Gloo uses the Harvard Human Flourishing Index, developed by Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, to help measure well-being in a research-based way. The index covers six dimensions of human flourishing.
The Six Dimensions of Flourishing
Dimension | What It Measures |
Happiness & Life Satisfaction | General sense of life satisfaction and emotional well-being |
Mental & Physical Health | Self-reported health and functioning |
Meaning & Purpose | Sense of purpose and significance in life |
Character & Virtue | Moral and ethical self-assessment |
Close Social Relationships | Strength and quality of key relationships |
Financial & Material Stability | Security in basic needs and finances |
Questions Used in Pre and Post Surveys
Each question is answered on a 0–10 scale, where higher numbers indicate greater flourishing.
Flourishing Dimension | Survey Question |
Happiness & Life Satisfaction | “Overall, how satisfied are you with life as a whole these days?” |
Mental & Physical Health | “In general, how would you rate your physical health?”
"How would you rate your overall mental health?" |
Meaning & Purpose | “I understand my purpose in life.”
"Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?" |
Character & Virtue | "How often do you feel you have connected with God or personally experienced His presence?"
"How much growth would you say you have experienced in your spiritual life in the past year?" |
Close Social Relationships | “I am content with my friendships and relationships.” "My relationships are as satisfying as I would want them to be." |
Financial & Material Stability | "How often do you worry about safety, food, or housing?"
"How often do you worry about being able to meet normal monthly living expenses?" |
These questions appear in both the Pre and Post surveys so that you can compare growth over time.
✅ How to Write Strong Likert Scale Questions
Likert scale questions ask people to rate their level of agreement or experience on a numeric or word-based scale (e.g., 1 to 5 or “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”).
Tips for Writing Good Likert Questions:
Be specific – Make sure the statement is clear and not open to multiple interpretations.
✅ “I feel a strong sense of belonging at this organization.”
🚫 “This place is good.”Focus on one idea per question
✅ “I have someone I trust to talk to when I need support.”
🚫 “I trust people and feel good about myself.”Use consistent scales (e.g., always 1–5 or 1–10 throughout the survey)
Avoid leading language – Don’t imply what the “right” answer is.
🚫 “Don’t you think the program was helpful?”
Common Scales to Use:
Scale Type | Example Options |
Agreement | Strongly Disagree – Disagree – Neutral – Agree – Strongly Agree |
Frequency | Never – Rarely – Sometimes – Often – Always |
Satisfaction | Very Dissatisfied – Dissatisfied – Neutral – Satisfied – Very Satisfied |
Numeric | 0 (Not at all) to 10 (Completely) |
✍️ How to Write Strong Short Answer Questions
Short answer questions let respondents share deeper, more personal insights. These are especially useful for uncovering motivations, feelings, or nuanced experiences.
Tips for Writing Good Short Answer Prompts:
Ask open-ended, focused questions
✅ “What are you hoping to gain from this experience?”
🚫 “Say anything you want.”Avoid “double-barreled” questions – Stick to one topic per prompt.
🚫 “What was helpful and what didn’t work?” (Break into two separate questions)Give context or framing if needed
✅ “Think about your experience over the last month. What has been most meaningful to you?”Keep it optional when appropriate – Not everyone is ready to share deeply.
Strong Examples:
“What has been the most meaningful part of this experience so far?”
“How has your perspective changed since starting this journey?”
“What do you feel you still need support with?”
Short answer responses are a goldmine for stories, testimonials, and needs identification—just be sure to respect privacy and use insights responsibly.
✅ Next Steps
Review the sample surveys above
Identify the Flourishing dimensions you want to focus on
Use the question-writing tips to customize your own Pre, Post, and Check-In surveys
Launch your survey in Gloo and start learning from the responses