In the world of employee engagement platforms, it’s easy to assume that more visibility into Employee Resource Group (ERG) membership drives participation and fosters connection among members. But what if visibility makes someone feel unsafe? What if it prevents them from joining? How can an impact-forward employee engagement platform support Belonging in a way that is also both safe and inclusive? These are the questions the Deed product team has been asking ourselves as we continue to evolve Deed’s Communities feature.
Deed Communities
Deed’s Communities feature was built to solve a common challenge: helping employees find kindred spirits and take action together. Whether based on identity, location, team, or shared interest, Communities create space for meaningful connection and collective impact.
Unlike traditional employee groups, Deed Communities are fully integrated with volunteering, donations, and social impact campaigns—making it easy to participate, track engagement, and celebrate progress, all in one place.
Why Belonging Still Matters
In my Belonging & Effectively Engaging Employees in 2025 webinar earlier this year, I shared data showing that only 41% of employees feel they can bring their whole selves to work, a significant decline from just a few years ago. And when people don’t feel like they belong, the ripple effects are real: lower engagement, reduced productivity, and serious harm to mental health, especially for marginalized groups.
That’s why updates to Deed’s Communities, including anonymous membership, Ally tags, and private communities are critical tools for inclusion and trust. They create space for people to engage on their own terms, to feel seen when they want to be, and to contribute meaningfully without fear.
Belonging isn’t just a feeling; it’s a measurable driver of wellbeing and business performance. And it’s something we intentionally design for every day.
🙌 What’s New in Deed Communities
🔒 Anonymous Membership
Employees can now join and participate in Communities without being publicly listed—ensuring safer engagement, especially for identity- and interest-based groups.
🤝 Ally Tags
Users can now show visible support as an “Ally” without claiming group identity, fostering respectful solidarity and inclusion.
🕵️ Private Communities
Create invite-only, hidden groups for more sensitive topics or targeted audiences. Full configurability gives admins and users the control they need.
Privacy That Empowers Participation: Anonymous Membership
For many users, especially those exploring their identity or navigating sensitive topics, being publicly listed in a group can be a risk. We've heard this firsthand from employees in LGBTQIA+ communities and others across a spectrum of identity- and interest-based spaces. The feedback was clear:
“I want to follow along and support, but I don’t want my name listed as a member.”
To meet this need, we’re introducing anonymous community membership.
This update allows employees to join and engage with a Deed community, receive updates, attend events, and explore resources, all without being publicly identified. For these employees, it’s not about hiding. It’s about having the agency to choose when and how they show up.
This small change can make a big difference: it invites participation without requiring exposure.
Respectfully Showing Up: The Ally Tag
At the other end of the spectrum are users who do want to be seen, but not in a way that oversteps.
We’ve often heard interest from people who care about a cause or identity group but don’t identify with it themselves. They want to show support, but not misrepresent themselves. Enter the Ally tag.
By giving users the ability to self-identify as an "Ally" when they join a community, we’re creating space for visible solidarity, without blurring the line between lived experience and support. This tag is only a small visual cue, but a meaningful gesture of clarity and respect.
Private by Design: Invite-Only Private Communities
Another critical aspect of safe participation is control over who’s in the room.
That’s why we’ve also introduced the option to create private communities—groups that are invite-only and not discoverable to users outside of them. Whether it’s an employee resource group with sensitive discussions or a space for emerging leaders, private communities ensure that members feel secure and the group’s boundaries are respected. Private communities can also support both “anonymous” and “ally” membership.
This update gives companies the flexibility to support diverse community needs while empowering grassroots leadership at the employee level.
What’s Next for Communities on Deed
Anonymous membership, ally tags, and private groups are just the beginning. We’re continuing to expand what’s possible in Deed Communities, with features designed to make participation easier and more meaningful, and help employees become and remain more connected.
Coming soon:
Enhancements to our existing Slack integration will better support and stimulate community conversations, and streamline updates, meeting users where they already are. We are looking into ways to enhance our existing Microsoft Teams integration as well.
Pinned resources enable group leaders to highlight important documents, tools, and links for easy access.
Community “Actions” are bite-sized good deeds that users can participate in directly from the community page to support causes or connect with one another.
The same goal shapes all of these features: to make effective Belonging not just possible, but effortless.
Let’s Build Community, Thoughtfully
At Deed, we’re helping organizations foster a sense of belonging through thoughtful tools that prioritize people. Whether you're facing challenges with engagement, visibility, or inclusive design, let’s talk about how we can help.
If you’re already a Deed client, whether you’re actively using Communities or not, reach out to your Partner Success Manager or contact us directly to learn more or request a demo.
If you are not yet a Deed, client, we’d love to show you what’s possible.