Southface Case Study: A Holistic Wellness Challenge With 85% Participation

Southface Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to a sustainable future for all. After remote work changed how its team connected, Southface used YuMuuv to run a 45-day holistic wellness challenge – from steps and outdoor time to cooking at home and even flossing. 85% of staff joined, and every survey respondent said they would take part again.

At a Glance

• Organization: Southface Institute, sustainability nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with programs in Sarasota, Florida
• Team: 35 employees
• Program: a 45-day team wellness challenge in October–November 2024, funded through Cigna's wellness funding
• Result: 30 of 35 employees (85%) took part; 82% rated it 4 out of 5 or higher and 100% of respondents would join again

Background

For nearly 50 years, Southface has used advocacy, education and services to improve health, the environment and economic opportunity. Cassidy Statler, Technical Project Manager, manages sustainability programs such as the GoodUse grant matching program, which helps nonprofits make energy-efficient upgrades, and helped launch the Resilience Incubator, a shared workspace for environmental nonprofits in Sarasota. She and her colleagues on a Culture-Building Subcommittee looked for a wellness initiative to reconnect employees after the pandemic.

The Challenge

• Team interaction beyond departmental silos.
• An inclusive, flexible challenge that suited different activity levels.
• Using available funding for wellness through the insurance provider, Cigna.
• Easy access and motivation so people would actually take part.

How Southface Ran the Challenge

• Opt-in sign-up: participation was voluntary, and 30 of 35 staff joined.
• Holistic daily activities: participants could log steps and physical activity, outdoor time, meditation and mindfulness, healthy eating and cooking at home, reading and learning, hydration – and even flossing, by popular demand.
• Team competition: employees were split into teams to boost engagement.
• Incentives: every participant received a $100 Massage Envy gift card, with extra prizes for the overall points winner, an MVP and a random draw among engaged participants.

Want to build a similar mix? See whole-person wellness and our non-fitness challenge ideas.

Results

• 85% participation: 30 of 35 employees joined.
• Healthier habits: participants reported drinking more water, tracking their steps and building mindfulness habits.
• Social engagement: the chat and group discussions encouraged friendly competition and camaraderie.
• Cross-team connection: employees felt more connected to colleagues – even those who were quieter in the chat.
• Survey feedback: 82% rated the challenge 4 out of 5 or higher, and 100% of respondents said they would take part again.

Lessons and Next Steps

Southface also shared what to refine. Some participants found the chat slow at times, and employees without fitness trackers had to log activities manually, which some found cumbersome. (YuMuuv syncs automatically with many devices – see device integrations.) The team also wants to encourage quieter participants to join discussions.

For future challenges, Southface is considering seasonal challenges aligned with work cycles, tiered incentives for continued engagement, more automatic tracker connections and better team collaboration tools.

Key Takeaways for Small Teams and Nonprofits

1. Use the funding you already have – insurance wellness budgets can pay for incentives.
2. Go holistic so everyone finds something they can do.
3. Give everyone a reward and add a few extra prizes. See the rewards guide.
4. Survey participants afterwards to plan the next challenge.

Read more case studies or book a demo to plan a challenge for your team.