Find out how Martha’s Table, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., used Speakap to strengthen internal communication and bridge the culture gap created by their hybrid workforce. All while improving employee engagement.
About Martha’s Table
Martha’s Table is a non-profit dedicated to supporting children, families, and communities in Washington, D.C., with essential services like education and access to food. Spread across three locations, they’re all about creating opportunities for growth and fostering a community of care.
The Challenge:
How can Martha’s Table strengthen communication to ensure essential information is shared effectively across the organization despite the complexities of operating across three locations and managing a hybrid workforce?
The transition to remote work during the pandemic highlighted opportunities to enhance connection and improve information flow. Leadership identified a few areas to address:
- Communication gaps: Ensuring timely updates reach all employees, including frontline team members, to keep everyone informed and aligned.
- Clarity and consistency: Streamlining communication to reduce uncertainty and make it easier for employees to stay updated and engaged.
- Integrated tools: Moving beyond email and scattered platforms to create more cohesive, inclusive communication channels.
Leadership knew that if these issues weren’t addressed, it could undermine organizational cohesion, alignment on priorities, and their overall mission.
“ Without clear and streamlined communication channels, important updates were not consistently reaching everyone, creating an environment that felt less coordinated.”
Delal Salah, Internal Communications Manager at Martha’s Table
The Solution:
One app to bring everyone together
To tackle these challenges, Martha’s Table introduced MT Connect (developed by Speakap), to provide a centralized communication platform. The organization shifted its communication strategy to focus on building relationships and engagement, rather than just pushing out information.
Key reasons Speakap was the perfect fit:
- User-friendly platform: Speakap’s interface made it easy for everyone, regardless of tech skills, to stay connected.
- Real-time updates: Employees received timely updates on their devices, ensuring important information wasn’t missed.
- Engagement insights: Speakap’s analytics allowed leadership to track engagement and identify areas for improvement.
- Interactive content: Fun, engaging content like trivia and wellness campaigns was added to the app, helping to foster team interaction and build a sense of community.
“We reframed MT Connect as a culture-building tool, which helped us shift from just sharing information to creating a space for meaningful interactions and connection.”
Delal Salah, Internal Communications Manager at Martha’s Table
To drive meaningful engagement within MT Connect, the team took several strategic steps:
- Training and support: Employees were provided with clear training on how to use the app and why it would improve communication across the organization.
- Engaging content: By incorporating trivia, wellness challenges, and team member recognition into the platform, Martha’s Table created a space that went beyond work updates, making it more appealing for employees to use.
- Early adopters at various levels quickly embraced MT Connect, showcasing its potential to break down silos and hierarchies while fostering communication on an equal playing field. The leadership team reinforced this by regularly engaging with the platform and posting updates, setting an example and encouraging widespread adoption across the organization.
- Integrated communications framework: Alongside Speakap, a comprehensive internal communications framework was introduced, positioning MT Connect as a core element of the strategy. Its purpose and expectations were clearly defined, and new features were integrated to enhance functionality. This was complemented by additional tools, like for example weekly wrap-ups.
The Results:
A 93% activation rate and 53% boost in engagement
The results speak for themselves. MT Connect has an impressive 93% activation rate. Moreover, between 2023 and 2024, Martha’s Table saw a 53% increase in engagement on MT Connect, with daily active users growing from 15% to 20%, a 34% year-over-year growth.
Other key wins:
- 85% more posts: The number of posts rose from 852 in 2023 to 1,574 in 2024, reflecting increased team participation.
- 24% more unique users: The number of unique users grew from 21 to 26, highlighting greater adoption across the workforce.
MT Connect has also become a crucial tool for building a strong internal culture at Martha’s Table. The app is now a space where team members can connect, celebrate each other’s successes, and share important updates, creating a more collaborative work environment.
“Since using MT Connect, we have seen a 93% activation rate and a 53% boost in engagement. MT Connect has transformed our internal communication for the better. It’s allowed us to bridge the gap between our 3 locations and build a culture where every team member feels connected and valued.”
Delal Salah, Internal Communications Manager at Martha’s Table