Thank you Steve!
I wanted to share a proposed approach for how we move forward with evaluating our technology stack-particularly around community, membership management, and overall system alignment.
After looking at our current pain points and the various options on the table, I don't believe a full "rip and replace" of Higher Logic is the right immediate move. At the same time, it's clear that we have some real gaps we need to address-especially around engagement, member structure, and how we manage relationships across the organization.
With that in mind, I'd like to propose a measured, dual-track approach over the next 6–12 months:
1. Pilot a new community experience using Circle
Rather than replacing anything outright, we test Circle with a smaller group:
- Board of Directors
- Committees (Technology, Membership, etc.)
- Potentially a targeted member segment (e.g., consultants or Intacct group)
The goal here is to evaluate:
- Engagement quality
- Ease of use
- Adoption and real interaction (not just content storage)
2. Keep Higher Logic in place for now (transitional year)
We continue to use Higher Logic for:
- All Discussions Posts
- Member directory (Needs work)
- Resource/content library (Could be getting better)
But begin to reduce reliance on it for:
- Active engagement
- New feature investment
This allows us to maintain continuity while we continue data extraction and avoid disruption to members.
3. Introduce a CRM / membership management layer (system of record)
In parallel, I believe we should evaluate implementing a centralized CRM such as HubSpot (or similar), to serve as our system of record for:
- Member data (individual + firm-level)
- Sponsorships and partner relationships
- Communications and segmentation
This would help address one of our biggest challenges today-having data and processes spread across multiple systems.
The key idea here is not replacement-it's separation of roles.
- One system to manage data and relationships
- One system to drive engagement and connection
I'd really value the committee's thoughts on:
- Whether this phased approach makes sense
- Suggested groups for the Circle pilot - I would recommend all committees, board, etc.
- Technical considerations (SSO, integrations, data flow)
- Any concerns with running systems in parallel during a transition period
My goal is to take a thoughtful, low-risk approach that lets us test what actually works for our members while building toward something more scalable.
Thanks all-looking forward to the discussion.
------------------------------
Anne Sawyer
90 Minds Inc.
Executive Director
anne.sawyer@90minds.comCA
https://90minds.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2026 11:19
From: Steve Iwanowski
Subject: Meeting Agenda for Wednesday, March 25th at 4pm EST
Uploaded the latest GlueUp proposal (1st yr = $9050, Annual = $5020)
------------------------------
Steve Iwanowski, NextStep Technology Advisors, aka DSD Lancaster PA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
------------------------------