Blackbaud Altru vs. Blackbaud Fundraiser Performance Management

Well suited for smaller organizations that want to centralize many systems. Smaller organizations will have less constituents to manage and fewer events (our organization has 100,000+ constituents, daily programs/events, and a large donor base). Many areas within Altru are not updated to be functional for 2020. Because of this, we do not use the merchandising feature, the volunteer portal, or marketing communications. It does a little bit of everything "okay enough" to be better than having separate systems. It's restrictive in many areas, but being able to do SO much in one database outweighs the negatives! It is 100% necessary to have a data manager who spends all of their time in Altru doing data cleanup, researching and writing policies and procedures, training new users, keeping staff up-to-date on new processes, creating queries and running reports, creating workarounds for "unfixable" issues within the database.

I think there are better charitable relationship management platforms out there. BFPM serves a purpose, but it is an incomplete product for the hefty price tag it comes with. Certain aspects are billed as proprietary, like the MG EVI ratings, but they are inconsistent and often incorrect. BFPM has barely been updated in the decade I have been a user, which leads me to believe that the Blackbaud team is not innovating or devoting resources to enhancing/improving this product. It could stand a refresh to bring the entire product into the year 2022.

Incentivized

• Ticketing and tracking many different types of admission sales including group, facility rental, individual tickets, and class registration.
• Membership management, including membership card mailing, recurring memberships, and renewal reminders.
• Being an all-encompassing database rather than forcing you to use multiple databases.
• Great customer service and client support, including ongoing updates to better the system.
• Has a merchandise inventory management system.

• User-friendly interface
• Accessible from anywhere
• Multi-level search and query functions
• Streamlined prospect data pages

Incentivized

• Query system not user-friendly for management with limited database background.
• Limited company-to-user support outside of an online community of users. No long term account managers for program.
• No email analysis tools for eblasts.
• Limited merchandise capabiity for shop use, though the program does allow third party programs to work with it.

Incentivized

• "MG EVI" scores are a sham
• Doesn't seamlessly translate over to Banner in certain areas
• Clunky 'new tab' functionality quickly floods entire browser window.

Incentivized

They are always available and very knowledgable. Many times I am able to come up with a solution before they've finished troubleshooting just by having talked through it with them. I really appreciate the Chat feature to answer simple questions in a timely fashion. The training I received was top notch and very detailed.

Incentivized

We switched from Raisers Edge in 2012 due to the need to have all processes in one database. Group Sales/Rentals had to use a separate database for their sales than the Members and Donors department. We also could not sell tickets for events and programs in one space. Being able to have all of these in one database is why we chose Altru.

BFPM has the advantage because it is designed to be user-facing and user-friendly. It is a simple website to learn to use and navigate, but that does not mean it is flawless. It helps me and my colleagues engage with the database in a more straightforward manner, without having to learn and remember various codes and queries.

Incentivized

• It has become very tedious to account for registrants in each session of a class or camp, because you have to "sell" them into each session in order to have an accurate class roster.
• It is very easy to process payment and entry fees to our Museum and programs.
• It is easy to retrieve accurate information and records of patrons.

Incentivized

• MG EVI is not the end-all-be-all it was sold as
• Still requires use of Banner for certain info
• Helps streamline data entry by allowing gift officers to enter their own contacts.

Incentivized