Item: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT
Rating: 9
Author: Sara Niemiec

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

My organization is a private high school which operates similarly to a small college. We use RE-NXT for our fundraising efforts. RE-NXT makes it so easy for our gift officers to find the information they need about their prospects quickly and efficiently. List generation is a breeze and so easy to share. Attachments are easy to access as well.

Pros and Cons

The Work Center for our fundraisers gives a fantastic snapshot of past due actions and overdue pledges. Clicking on the number brings up a detailed list with the ability to add Actions straight from the list.
NXT's ability to customize dashboards and insights gives me the ability to report on statistics that my team needs. The visuals are compelling and helpful.
List generation is incredibly easy. The filters are easy to use, and one the list is made, can easily be exported or shared.

The tribute module is only available in database view.
I'm not a fan of having to manage table entries in RE-NXT view. It was recently moved over from database view, and finding what I need is difficult.
The volunteer module needs to be managed in database view. You can't do anything with it starting in RE-NXT.

Most Important Features

Custom dashboards and insights
List generation
Fundraiser work center

Return on Investment

Having everything in one system means that information is much more likely to be up to date. We hardly get any returned mail from the post office when we pull lists.
Our gift officers can easily pull up donor information on their phones while out on a visit, giving them the edge they need to close a gift.
Information tiles on a person's record that are easy to reorganize and collapse per the needs of each user makes finding pertinent information quick.

Data Intelligence

Having a section in the fundraiser work center titled "Needs attention" with a recommendation listed below each constituent helps our fundraisers plan out who needs to be contacted and who's at the top of the priorities list. Having the "Add action" button in the exact same place, as well as the contact information makes follow-up easy. You don't have to click somewhere to get what you need. It's right there.

Training Types Used

Online Training

Online Training

The live online training is absolutely fantastic. Being able to watch live instructors explain various topics, have me try things out in a sample database environment, and ask any questions helped solidify my understanding. The trainings are offered at multiple times, so I can sign up for trainings based on my schedule. The PDF handouts they give us free up my eyes and hands to listen to the instructor and get some practice in rather than focus solely on writing everything down so I won't forget later.

Alternatives Considered

Salesforce.org Nonprofit Cloud

RE-NXT is much more user friendly than Salesforce. Navigating the software took so many more mouse clicks and the pages were visually confusing. I will say that discontinuing or updating pledges/payment information on pledges was much easier, but that was the only good aspect of using Salesforce. Recording actions and constituent information updates was a bear.

Key Insights

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

Yes

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?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

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

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Finalsite Messages, Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT

Likelihood to Recommend

I think this product is well-suited for educational institutions, both at the private high school level and the higher education level. It covers a lot of ground in terms of recording information, and you have a lot of ability to tailor the software to your needs. I think there's some room for growth in terms of recording DEI information. Organizations who have very small staff may not want to consider this product because they might not have the time to take advantage of all the capabilities NXT has.

Highly Recommend. It's the best product I've used.

Overall Satisfaction with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT