Employee Engagement Activities with Heifer International & Igloo

Igloo’s Digital Transformation Awards celebrate the inventive ways Igloo customers achieve real-world goals with their digital workplaces. For the Digital Workplace Engagement category, Heifer International wowed the judges with an all-encompassing employee engagement activity that reached every employee—no small feat for a global nonprofit with employees in 19 countries.

Learn how Heifer used their 80^th anniversary celebration as a way to strengthen brand, employee engagement, collaboration, connection to leadership, and more across over 1,000 employees by giving them a sense of ownership in the organization.

Here’s what Heifer had to say, in their own words:

The Celebration Picker Campaign 

Heifer International celebrated a milestone anniversary in 2024—their 80^th year as an organization. As a big anniversary like that deserves a big celebration, Heifer International wanted to give their employees a say in celebration activities. Enter the Celebration Picker, a tool designed to encourage employees to submit and upvote their favorite ideas. Leadership then reviewed the top-voted submissions, with winning ideas were brought to life as part of the 2024 celebrations.

The Celebration Picker was socialized in Heifer’s Digital Workplace, the Corral, as part of a larger 80^th anniversary area and invited staff to read about the larger 80^th anniversary campaign and submit ideas through a form. A video celebrated the launch of the submission part of the campaign, and the page detailed the entire process to create understanding and encourage submissions. Employees submitted ideas designed to engage not just their colleagues but also the organization’s supporters and partners.

Submitted ideas were then displayed as photo files and surfaced in a widget that allowed employees to vote by liking an image. The top ten vote-getters were then reviewed by Heifer’s leadership team, with three winners selected. The winning ideas were implemented as celebration efforts, with each being socialized in the Corral.

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The Impact of the Employee Engagement Activities

So, what impact did this have on engagement, both in the Corral and within the organization? Heifer reported three key positive impacts: 

Stronger Employee Engagement: By giving employees a significant voice in the celebration efforts, the campaign fostered a deeper sense of ownership and investment in Heifer’s mission. The enthusiasm and participation boosted morale, and led to a more positive working environment.

A More Connected Culture: While employees submitted ideas individually, the campaign created a shared experience that brought colleagues together around a common goal. By seeing and engaging with each other’s ideas, employees gained insight into diverse perspectives, fostering a deeper sense of connection. This reinforced Heifer’s values and encouraged a culture of innovation and shared purpose.

Greater Leadership Visibility and Engagement: By embracing employee-driven ideas, leadership demonstrated a commitment to inclusivity and belonging. This not only made the campaign feel more genuine but also reinforced Heifer as an organization that listens, values people, and integrates community-focused initiatives into its work.

“I’m grateful to work alongside such talented colleagues. The Celebration Picker gave everyone an equal opportunity to contribute ideas for this milestone, fostering inclusion and visibility with leadership. It was inspiring to read and upvote ideas in real time, ensuring every voice was heard—especially important in a remote work environment. I appreciate being part of a workplace that values our input and strengthens our sense of community.”

Emily Partridge, Celebration Picker winner.

About Heifer International

Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 52 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way, while caring for the Earth. Heifer currently operates in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, supporting farmers and food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. For more information, visit https://www.heifer.org. 

Learn how to create employee engagement activities that unite your employees.