Item: Blackbaud Luminate Online
Rating: 7
Author: Amy Barker

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We currently use Blackbaud Luminate Online as our online giving platform, as well as for eNews emails and marketing emails. We have a healthy sustainer program, and Blackbaud Luminate Online handle our sustaining gifts with ease.

Pros and Cons

Recurring/Sustaining Giving Management
Online Donation Forms
Email Marketing

Blackbaud Luminate Online is a big, complex, sometimes overwhelming system.
Takes a lot of training to get to a comfortable point with it.
Has not changed much for UE in the past decade.

Most Important Features

Sustaining Giving
Email Marketing
Online Giving

Return on Investment

It allows us to maintain and grow our recurring donors
It allows us to stay in touch with donors
It allows us to segment emails to send to donors

Alternatives Considered

Raiser's Edge

We use them at the same time. It's apples to oranges.

Key Insights

Do you think Blackbaud Luminate Online delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Blackbaud Luminate Online's feature set?

Yes

Did Blackbaud Luminate Online live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Blackbaud Luminate Online go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Blackbaud Luminate Online again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

Well suited for: Healthy sustainer program, with a need to grow. Heavy email senders. Heavy online donation form usage. (many forms, complex forms)
Not great for: Very small shops, it takes a lot of training to set it up well, and may be too much for some.

Users and Roles

5 - Marketing
Database Admin
Fundraising
Direct Mail

Support Headcount Required

1 - Me. I'm the one with the longest experience, and tend to be the person people come to first.

Business Processes Supported

Email Marketing
Recurring Giving
Donations Online
Direct Mail tie ins via email

Likelihood to Renew

Support Rating

It is hit or miss. If you get the right person, it is amazing. Otherwise, it could take a while.

Blackbaud Luminate Online Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Kept well informed Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response	Poor followup Escalation required Need to explain problems multiple times

Premium Support

No. Not in the budget.

Exceptional Examples of Blackbaud Luminate Online Support

We recently had to get help getting PayPal added in as an option. We were connected to Will Hull, who is a Blackbaud Luminate Online SUPER STAR. He was so helpful, and while it took quite a bit of time, effort, and work, we were able to get it done. He REALLY knows his stuff and is so helpful.

Usability

It is very complex and not easy to just use effectively right out of the gate.

Usability Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Like to use	Unnecessarily complex Difficult to use Requires technical support Slow to learn Feel nervous using

Easy Tasks

Managing/updating recurring gifts
Refunding donations
Adding constituents

Difficult Tasks

Query (query hasn't really changed in I don't know how long. It's clunky and not great.)

Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions

Yes, but I don't use it

Very, very powerful. More than a little complicated.

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with Blackbaud Luminate Online