Maine Lobstermen's Association
Starting with an Assessment to right-size the tech stack
Highlights
Pain Points: Fragmented technology systems causing data trust issues, inefficient membership and donation management, unreliable recurring payments, and inadvertent automated emails after previous unsuccessful CRM implementation attempts
Solution: Technology assessment revealing Neon One as optimal platform instead of client's initial Salesforce request; phased implementation prioritizing core pain points while preserving functional existing tools
Outcome: Centralized, reliable system managing memberships and donations; staff confident in data quality and equipped to independently manage and expand the system over time
Tech Stack: Neon One CRM with integrated membership management, donation processing, and email marketing
Services: Technology Assessment, Implementation (platform setup, data migration, form configuration, process documentation), and staff training
Finally getting it right:
"Our organization has struggled with implementing an effective membership/donor software. We needed to get it right. Pedal Lucid listened carefully to our needs, presented us with options for solutions, and expertly guided us through the tedious implementation process. We are now up and running and forever grateful to the Pedal Lucid team for getting us there!"
The Challenge
The Maine Lobstermen's Association represents the interests of Maine's lobster fishing industry, managing memberships, fundraising, and advocacy for their community. But behind the scenes, their technology systems were failing them.
MLA relied on a patchwork of tools—Microsoft Access for member records, Wix for their website and email marketing, and filling gaps with spreadsheets. The fragmentation created serious problems: staff had to utilize multiple sources to manage data, recurring membership renewals were unpredictable, and simple tasks like generating reports or acknowledging donations required navigating multiple systems.
The Access database, while trusted for data integrity, required manual processes. But MLA stuck with it because previous CRM implementation attempts had failed to meet expectations. When they reached out to Pedal Lucid, they had a solution in mind: build them a Salesforce system and replace all their existing tools. They needed to get this right this time.
Finding the Right Solution
Rather than immediately beginning a Salesforce build, Pedal Lucid pushed back. Before committing to any platform, the team recommended starting with a structured technology assessment.
The assessment evaluated multiple nonprofit-specific tools against MLA's specific requirements. But equally important, it examined what was actually working in MLA's existing toolkit. The findings challenged initial assumptions: while Wix had failed as a CRM tool, it was functioning well for their website, store, and event management. Rather than wholesale replacement, MLA could take a more focused approach—addressing critical membership and donation pain points first while keeping tools that served them well.
This phased approach allowed MLA to build a right-sized tech stack without unnecessary complexity or implementation costs they weren't positioned to capitalize on. The team identified what needed to work seamlessly in the new system versus what could remain in Wix, optionally supplemented with a periodic export/import process across systems.
Neon One emerged as the recommended platform—a significantly better fit than the Salesforce system MLA had initially envisioned. It offered out-of-the-box membership functionality, responsive vendor support, competitive pricing, and room to expand into features like SMS (appealing to their younger members), member portal, integrated events, and even a store when MLA was ready. The platform could track individuals who might simultaneously be members, donors, state lobster license holders, and board members, while managing the relationship between MLA and the Maine Lobster Community Alliance (MLCA), which has a shared supporter base.
Implementation with Purpose
The Pedal Lucid team focused implementation on core functionality: migrating historical contacts, memberships, and donations from Access; setting up automated forms for one-time and recurring transactions; configuring email marketing; and establishing processes for managing external data sources such as an annually refreshed list of lobster license holders.
Given MLA's previous unsuccessful CRM implementations, building internal capacity was as important as technical configuration. Weekly check-ins maintained momentum while the team worked alongside MLA staff on data cleanup, system testing, and hands-on configuration tasks they'd need to repeat independently—like building email segments, creating users, and managing imports. The goal was getting MLA's team comfortable with the system early and often.
When challenges arose—from data formatting issues to questions about tracking board member terms—the team worked together to find solutions. The Pedal Lucid team also pushed back when scope began to creep toward "nice-to-haves," keeping MLA focused on launching core functionality they could build upon rather than attempting to solve every problem at once.
The Results
MLA successfully launched Neon One with staff now able to trust their data, generate reports with confidence, and effectively manage both memberships and donations using a mix of streamlined processes and automation.
The phased approach delivered exactly what MLA needed: by keeping Wix for the website, store, and events where it functioned well, MLA addressed their most critical problems without the risk and complexity of wholesale technology replacement. They have a process for importing data to Neon One when needed—a practical stepping stone before deciding whether to eventually consolidate additional functions or continue with a multi-system approach that works.
MLA's team gained the confidence and capability to manage their system independently. They understand how their data flows, can troubleshoot issues, and have a foundation they can expand—adding SMS messaging for their younger members, deeper QuickBooks integration, or moving events into Neon One as their needs evolve.
This project succeeded where previous CRM attempts had failed. By starting with assessment rather than assumptions, preserving what worked while fixing what didn't, and building a right-sized solution MLA could actually use and maintain, Pedal Lucid helped the organization finally achieve the reliable, trustworthy system they needed.