Hi everyone
I wanted to share a clear update and recommended path forward following our recent Technology Committee discussion regarding our community and membership platforms.
After impressive due diligence by the Steve, Todd and Robert for the past 6+ months - evaluating available options, the committee does not believe we are in a position to fully replace Higher Logic at this time. While we explored alternatives, no single platform currently meets our combined needs for membership management, community engagement, and operational continuity without introducing significant disruption and within a comfortable time frame. Many thanks to Steve, Todd and Robert for all of the time and effort trying to figure this out for us.
So, with that, I we all agree that maintaining the status quo is not sufficient.
Key Factors Driving Our Direction
1. Higher Logic Roadmap (CRM + AI)
With the expected rollout of enhanced built-in salesforce CRM and AI functionality over the next 1–2 months, we have a meaningful opportunity to evaluate whether Higher Logic can better support our evolving needs. Since these capabilities are included in our current plan, it is both practical and strategic to assess them before making a larger transition decision.
2. Underutilization of Current Capabilities
We also recognize that we are not fully leveraging Higher Logic today. Over the past year, we have been in a holding pattern, which has limited engagement and prevented us from maximizing existing features.
Moving forward, this will require a more intentional effort to activate the platform-particularly around engagement tools, community structure, and content.
3. Introducing Circle as a Complementary Engagement Layer
Circle | The complete community platform
In parallel, we propose piloting Circle (Professional plan) with a focused scope:
- Board collaboration (potentially replacing Slack)
- Committee and working group engagement
- Select pilot groups
Initial impressions are very positive. Circle offers a more modern, intuitive, and interactive experience that is especially well-suited for smaller, active groups. It also provides strong capabilities for:
- Live discussions and events
- Video and content sharing
- Resource and library organization
To maintain flexibility during this evaluation period, I will begin with the monthly plan at $199/month. If the pilot proves successful, we can transition to the annual plan at $2,188/year.
While there is some concern about potential platform fragmentation, the committee believes a targeted, limited rollout is a low-risk way to test its value. We will start with the Board and Committees which are much more interactive and social groups anyways and move out from there if it feels right.
4. Recommended Approach (Next 12 Months)
Based on the above, we recommend the following path:
- Renew Higher Logic for one year (with a focus on negotiating terms)
- Actively evaluate new CRM and AI capabilities as they launch
- Re-engage with Higher Logic to better utilize existing functionality
- Pilot Circle for board and committee use as a complementary tool
This approach allows us to maintain stability while actively testing and learning.
Bottom Line
We are not standing still-we are taking a measured, strategic approach:
- Short-term: Stabilize and optimize Higher Logic
- Mid-term: Evaluate CRM/AI enhancements and improve engagement
- Parallel: Pilot Circle as a modern engagement layer
- Long-term: Make a more informed platform decision based on real usage and data
I welcome your feedback, especially as we prepare for renewal discussions with Higher Logic.
Thank you,
Anne
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Anne Sawyer
90 Minds Inc.
Executive Director
anne.sawyer@90minds.comCA
https://90minds.com------------------------------