Client overview
Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association is an industry-based nonprofit that works to restore Gulf of Maine fisheries and sustain Maine’s fishing communities for future generations. Their programs support community-based fishermen and local food access, including initiatives like Fishermen Feeding Mainers and other community-focused efforts.
Jill Harlow, Chief Operating Officer manages communications and fundraising campaigns, coordinating outreach to donors, partners, and coastal communities that care about sustainable fisheries and working waterfronts.
Challenges before Message Blink
Before using a unified CRM-based messaging app, MCFA (like many nonprofits) might face typical communication hurdles:
- Donor outreach and follow-up might be manual, inconsistent, or not scalable → hard to maintain donor engagement, especially for recurring or lapsed donors.
- Updates about programs (e.g. Fishermen Feeding Mainers distribution events), calls for donations, volunteer drives, or emergency appeals may not reach supporters promptly or broadly.
- Managing supporter data across channels (email, phone calls, spreadsheets) leading to fragmentation; hard to track who got what, when, and what their response was.
- High workload for staff emailing, calling, manually sending texts doesn’t scale well, especially for a small nonprofit staff.
- Low engagement rates and delays emails may get lost, calls may go unanswered; difficult to ensure reach and immediate action.
Given MCFA’s wide network – fishermen, donors, community members, food-banks, volunteers – these challenges could hamper their mission execution, outreach, and fundraising/awareness efforts.
The Solution: Message Blink for Salesforce SMS Messaging
Under the leadership of Jill, COO of MCFA, the organization implemented Message Blink, the best Salesforce Texting App to transform how they communicate with their donors, fishing communities, volunteers, and partners.
Why MCFA Choose Message Blink?
- 100% native to Salesforce
- Easy bulk SMS from Salesforce
- Real-time inbox for conversations
- Quick donor follow-ups and automated responses
- Compliance and opt-in tracking ideal for nonprofits
How MCFA Uses Message Blink?
1. Donor Engagement & Fundraising Campaigns
Jill and her team use Message Blink to:
- Send personalized donation requests
- Announce matching-gift and seasonal fundraising drives
- Share secure payment links from Salesforce
- Send instant thank-you messages after a donation
This helps MCFA build stronger donor relationships and increase repeat contributions.
2. Volunteer & Event Coordination
Message Blink enables MCFA to:
- Notify volunteers about upcoming events
- Send reminders and confirmations
- Quickly mobilize supporters for urgent needs
- Reduce no-shows for community programs
This has significantly improved event turnout and engagement.
3. Real-Time Updates for Community Programs
MCFA runs large community-impact programs such as food-security initiatives, distribution drives, and educational outreach.
Using Message Blink, they send:
- Program updates
- Impact stories
- Logistics-related announcements
- Emergency messages when needed
Supporters receive immediate, concise information leading to higher involvement and trust.
4. Internal Communication with Fishermen & Partners
MCFA also uses Message Blink to stay connected with:
- Fishermen working across various coastal locations
- Local food banks
- Schools and community partners
Coordinating through SMS ensures faster communication during time-sensitive operations.
Results and impact
- Increased engagement: Personalized SMS templates to appeals and thank-you messages helped MCFA deepen relationships with supporters and encourage repeat giving.
- Expanded reach: Two-way texting made it easier to connect with coastal communities and event participants who might not regularly check email.
- Operational efficiency: Running SMS from Salesforce reduced manual coordination and saved staff time on campaign management so they could focus on MCFA’s core mission.
Conclusion
The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association continues to expand its impact across coastal Maine and Message Blink plays a significant role in enabling fast, personalized, and effective communication inside Salesforce.
With automated messaging, real-time inbox features, and seamless CRM integration, MCFA now engages supporters more consistently while reducing operational strain on its team.