How NACG Connects and Empowers Those Who Help Gifted Students Thrive
NACG At a Glance
Organization: National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
Industry: Education / Nonprofit
Staff Size: 6
Products: Higher Logic Thrive Community + Marketing, Volunteer Manager
About NAGC
Gifted and talented children often experience the world differently, intellectually advanced yet navigating unique social and emotional challenges. The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) exists to support these students by empowering the adults who guide them: teachers, counselors, psychologists, parents, and advocates.
As the nation’s leading nonprofit in gifted education, NAGC provides energizing professional learning, impactful research, and inspiring advocacy – all designed to ensure every child has equitable opportunities to develop their gifts and talents.
“Gifted students don’t necessarily need extra academic help, but they do need support in other areas of life outside of school,” said Meagan Roloff, Senior Director of Membership and Operations. “We bring together the professionals who care deeply about helping these children thrive, both in and beyond the classroom.”
Most NAGC members are K–12 teachers who pour their energy into creating enriching learning experiences, often with limited funding and recognition. Without dedicated federal funding for gifted education, programs rely heavily on local support, meaning members spend much of their time advocating why gifted students need just as much help as every other type of student.
Challenge: Outdated Systems Limiting Connection
Before adopting Higher Logic Thrive, NAGC faced a major engagement challenge. Despite having a member community, most members didn’t even know it existed. Those who did were unsure how to use it, citing a dated interface and confusing navigation.
This disconnect threatened more than convenience, it risked isolating the very people NAGC exists to support. Without a thriving community, members lost a critical space to share insights, find encouragement, and access practical strategies they could use immediately in their classrooms.
Internally, NAGC’s small team also juggled too many tools, managing communications through Constant Contact while maintaining their community elsewhere. This created inefficiencies and manual work.
Solution: Choosing a Trusted Partner in Higher Logic
When it was time for a change, NAGC turned to Higher Logic Thrive, seeking a modern, integrated platform that could unite their community and marketing efforts under one roof.
Roloff was already familiar with Higher Logic’s reputation from previous roles and knew it offered the right mix of sophistication, reliability, and association expertise that NAGC needed.
“We didn’t just want a community tool, we needed a marketing solution, too,” said Roloff. “Higher Logic gave us both, fully integrated.”
Why Higher Logic Thrive Stood Out
- All-in-one integration between marketing and community
- Modern, intuitive experience that felt familiar
- Proven association expertise, time-tested experts, not a new or untested vendor
- Future-proof technology to grow with NAGC’s mission
“We didn’t want to be the guinea pig for another vendor. We wanted a platform that truly understands associations, and Higher Logic checked every box.”
Switching to Higher Logic Thrive also meant eliminating Constant Contact, reducing costs and consolidating NAGC’s tech stack.
Implementation: Smooth, Simple, and Stress-Free
Rolling out a new platform can be daunting, but NAGC’s experience was the opposite.
“It was wonderful,” Roloff shared. “I was expecting a lot more to fall on my plate, and it didn’t. It was by far the smoothest integration of any vendor setup I’ve ever gone through.”
The Higher Logic team handled the heavy lifting, making the process seamless for staff and frictionless for members, and making the time saved for the staff well worth the cost.
Results: Engagement, Efficiency, and Emotional Connection
A Platform That Saves Time and Builds Impact
Since implementing Higher Logic Thrive and Volunteer Manager, NAGC’s small team has been able to do more with less.
- Fewer manual tasks: No more spreadsheets or mail merges
- Fewer errors: Automated uploads and synced lists
- More time for members: Freed capacity to focus on meaningful engagement
“We don’t have to manually upload lists or prompt our network groups like before,” said O’Keefe. “We save so much time and reduce stress across the team.”
Volunteer Manager: Personalized Member Involvement
The Volunteer Manager has transformed how NAGC connects members with opportunities. Instead of mass emails or manual outreach, staff can now easily match members’ interests to available roles, creating a personal and rewarding experience.
“Having the volunteer pool has been fantastic,” Roloff said. “It makes members feel seen and remembered, like we truly know them on a personal basis.”
Engagement Soars
With its modern design and familiar feel, the new community quickly came to life. Members began connecting organically, sharing ideas, resources, and encouragement without staff having to “seed” conversations. NAGC quickly noticed:
“Members are enjoying how frictionless it is,” said O’Keefe. “It’s easy, fun, and they figured it out fast. Seeing them connect like that has been incredible.”
Results from NACG Engage
54%
of NACG members now know how to get to the online community (up from 35%)
66%
of NACG members now know how to join a SIG or targeted Network (up from 55%)
54%
of NACG members now know how to send a message in the community (up from 37%)
Only 39%
of NACG members don’t use the community (down from 54%)
The Human Impact: Supporting Those Who Support Gifted Kids
The true success of this transformation isn’t just in metrics, it’s in the emotional ripple effect. By creating a stronger, more connected member experience, NAGC has amplified the impact of every teacher, counselor, and parent working to help gifted children thrive.
“Our members aren’t in it for the money,” Roloff shared. “They do this work because they believe in these kids. Higher Logic helps us give them the tools, community, and confidence to keep going.”
Now, NAGC can reach members more meaningfully; sharing timely research, promoting advocacy, and offering a sense of belonging that reminds every member: they’re not alone in this mission.
Looking Ahead: Growth, Innovation, and Responsible AI
NAGC is focused on continued membership growth and deeper engagement, especially within its special interest groups. The organization plans to leverage their community features to expand professional learning programs and event participation.
The team is also exploring new capabilities like learning and credentialing modules and a dedicated mobile app to meet growing member demand.
Meanwhile, they’re beginning to integrate AI for brainstorming and outlining, using it responsibly and transparently to maintain the authenticity their members trust.
“AI is evolving faster than anyone expected,” Roloff said. “We owe it to our members to use it responsibly and keep things genuine.”
Conclusion: Investing in Members, Empowering the Future
By adopting Higher Logic Thrive, NAGC has done more than modernize its technology, it has strengthened the heartbeat of its mission.
The platform has become the bridge connecting passionate educators and advocates who change lives every day. With more time, better tools, and deeper member connection, NAGC can continue doing what it does best: helping gifted children reach their full potential.
“We’re finally able to invest in the right tools so we can keep investing in our members,” Roloff said. “Higher Logic helps us do exactly that.”
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Higher Logic would be happy to talk about how you can improve your online community experience and better engage members— just like NACG. Reach out and let us know what you’re struggling with!
