Item: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT
Rating: 9
Author: Nicole Pelletier Holt, bCRE-Pro

Overall Satisfaction with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Raiser's Edge as a part of our private fundraising strategy. It is used for recording gifts, stewarding donors, cultivating prospects, reconciling with our finance department, and is being used as a project management tool for our grants department. Raiser's Edge is our primary communications tool for reaching out to donors, prospects, and friends.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Webview of NXT is helpful for front-line fundraisers to access and act on donor information.
Opportunity records are helpful project management tools for cultivating major donors and grant application processes.
Reporting feature provides quick and easy overview of relevant metrics.
Extensibility available through connected apps and Microsoft Power Platform is very helpful for data hygiene and automating administrative tasks.

Cons

Development of the webview of NXT has been somewhat uneven, but it seems to be picking up now.
Reduction in key functionality in database view has not always been done in tandem with feature expansion in WebView, further exacerbating some bifurcated processes.
I do wish there were more options for grouping households.

Most Important Features

Gift processing (currently more available in database view than webview).
Ability to customize our data points using custom fields.
Ability to group constituents by a given metric.
Robust reporting options.

Return on Investment

NXT has made data more actionable to people outside the DBA role.
Linkages to Microsoft Power Platform have allowed NXT to be a part of a robust project management system for our grants team--reducing the time spent on mundane tasks.
Being able to carefully segment our list allows us to speak to distinct audiences of supporters.

Data Intelligence

We have some predictive analytics models as part of our subscription, which does help narrow prospect lists.

Training Types Used

Online Training

Online Training

We have new team members who are using Blackbaud University to get up to speed on how to use NXT overall, and it seems to be working well. I started with Raiser's Edge long before NXT, and online tutorials and have found user groups have been the most helpful for my transition to webview.

Alternatives Considered

Constant Contact, Salesforce CMS, Feathr and Emma by Marigold

Raiser's Edge NXT has an advantage because it is configured to be used by fundraisers out of the box, with no developer required. Integrated solutions reduce the need to export/import data. That said, the out-of-the-box email marketing tools are somewhat lacking--we now use Feathr in conjunction with RENXT, which is helpful as there is a data sync between the two tools.

Key Insights

Do you think Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT's feature set?

Yes

Did Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Microsoft Power Automate, VolunteerHub, Feathr

Likelihood to Recommend

Raiser's Edge is probably the most robust constituent management database for medium-sized nonprofits. It is particularly well suited to getting actionable information to users who are not in a DBA role. The webview interface is simple to use and understand, and it integrates with Microsoft Power Platform in ways that can automate some tasks & ensure data integrity.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Feature Ratings

Using Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

Users and Roles

8 - Gift processing, donor relations management, grant writing & management, department leadership.

Support Headcount Required

2 - We have two people serving in a DBA roll. Skills needed include a knowledge of information architecture, familiarity with relational databases, and understanding how team members will use the data collected so that we can be the most efficient in coding information and reporting trends.

Business Processes Supported

Donation tracking and reporting
Moves management and donor stewardship
Donor segmentation for direct fundraising

Innovative Uses

Connecting Actions to MS Planner to include a larger group in project management around grant reporting without manually tracking things in more than one place.
Integrating with MS Power Automate and Power Apps to make donor acknowledgements easier to process
Connecting data to Power BI for customized data dashboards.

Future Planned Uses

As we develop and adapt to new processes, there will be opportunities to explore other automations.

Likelihood to Renew

We have used RE for a long time, so moving to another CRM would not be done lightly. There are a lot of data and processes tied into RENXT that would be difficult to migrate to/integrate with another tool. And I am not sure that another CRM would be able to meet our needs without developer support.

Evaluating Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT and Competitors

Products Replaced

Key Differentiators

Other

The choice to adopt RE7 occurred before I was hired, but I can say that cloud solutions, scalability/extensibility, and ease of use are all valid reasons to remain with RENXT.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

I'm not sure I would.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Support

Support Rating

When connected with a support person, there is often help and follow-up. Chatbots slow this down somewhat. I often refer to users' groups before support for timely, real-world experience answers and opionions.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support cares about my success	Slow Initial Response

Robust reporting and integrations with intuitive user interface.