Overview
About Southern Oregon Head Start
Southern Oregon Head Start is a nonprofit organization that provides early childhood education and support services to children from prenatal through age five. A leader in the community serving over 1,100 children across 25 centers, SOHS focuses on school readiness, family well-being, and nurturing relationships, especially for families in underserved communities. Their mission is to prepare children and their families for lifelong learning and success through inclusive, compassionate, and high-quality care.
The Challenge
Attrition, Budget Limits, and Disconnected Teams
As a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting underserved families, Southern Oregon Head Start (SOHS) faced the ongoing challenge of maintaining adequate staffing levels. With limited funding for competitive compensation, coupled with the emotionally demanding nature of working with at-risk children, staff turnover rates had become a concern, reaching 45% at its peak.
In addition to retention, the organization recognized the difficulties associated with 380+ staff feeling isolated across its 27 centers. Many teams operated in smaller, independent locations with limited opportunities for interaction, which sometimes led to feelings of disconnection.
The Solution
Making Every Recognition Count—Even on a Budget
When the team discovered Awardco, they saw an opportunity to create connection, appreciation, and value without significant monetary investment. With the platform’s flexibility, they built a recognition program that aligned with their values—and most importantly, fit their budget.
Despite limited funds, SOHS designed a full suite of non-monetary and low-cost recognition programs:
- Employee of the Quarter (admin-approved nominations)
- Annual Values Awards (honoring integrity, inclusivity, and service)
- Service Awards (modest monetary recognition at major tenure milestones)
- Birthday Shoutouts (non-monetary and platform-driven)
- External Recognition (QR-code-based nominations from the public)
The Results
Connecting 25 Centers Through Shared Celebration
Awardco became more than just a recognition platform—it became a connection tool.
By spotlighting recognitions across Slack and the Awardco feed, teachers and teams from remote centers could see and celebrate each other’s accomplishments in real time. This bridged the geographical divide, giving employees a renewed sense of community and belonging.
Admin Relief and Culture-Building
Awardco has helped save 5–10 hours per manager per recognition cycle and nearly an entire admin role worth of planning time. With built-in nomination processes, a Slack integration, and creative campaign tools, the team can now recognize at scale while staying focused on the broader employee engagement strategy.
Retention Turnaround & Cultural Transformation
Southern Oregon Head Start saw immediate and meaningful results after launching Awardco. In just the first four months, employees sent over 3,000 recognitions, helping foster an inclusive culture rooted in appreciation and aligned with the organization’s core values. Despite operating with limited digital infrastructure, SOHS achieved an impressive 80–85% employee login rate. Most notably, their annual attrition rate dropped dramatically—from 45% to just 8% over two years. With each retained employee saving the organization up to $6,000 in hiring and onboarding costs, SOHS effectively offset their annual Awardco investment by retaining just six staff members—yielding an estimated over 8X return on investment. Additionally, every retained teacher is equivalent to 20 children served. In one year, SOHS saved 50 teachers, which is equivalent to 1,000 students.
.png)
