Raiser's Edge NXT Review
Updated May 22, 2018
Raiser's Edge NXT Review
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Using Raiser's Edge NXT
6 - Currently Raiser's Edge NXT is utilized by our Development Department, which handles fundraising and related financial tracking.
1 - Our IT department currently supports the Development Department with any NXT or Raiser's Edge related questions or issues. It's important for someone to have prior experience with database software, if not directly with NXT itself.
- Solicitation assistance through wealth-based analysis
- Donor prospect research
- Documentation related to interactions with constituents and organizations
- The software's action item lists make for a great reminder system with proper upkeep
- Event planning
- Improved consistency with documentation on the relationships with our donors
- Faster list-building for more "in the moment" decisions
Overall Satisfaction with Raiser's Edge NXT
Raiser's Edge NXT is currently being used by Hospice Austin's Development Department for fundraising. As a non-profit organization, it is important that we are able to record gift and donation information in a way that is easy to browse and retrieve. Raiser's Edge NXT's ability to also provide analytical wealth information and keep our donor's information current is also extremely valuable to us.
The current feedback structure for NXT is easy to use, and interactions with Blackbaud have been productive and transparent. They use input from the various organizations that make up their user base to continually improve the product.
The current feedback structure for NXT is easy to use, and interactions with Blackbaud have been productive and transparent. They use input from the various organizations that make up their user base to continually improve the product.
- Interface is intuitive and attractive
- The system feels responsive and information loads quickly
- As a browser-based client, Raiser's Edge NXT offers mobility and the convenience of being used on mobile/tablet devices
- Does not effectively replace traditional Raiser's Edge software - most data entry is still required to be performed from the database software view
- Lists cannot currently be exported to other file formats to be viewed outside of the client (i.e. Excel, Notepad, Word, etc)
- Some information, such as donor action items, does not actively update both ways across NXT and the traditional database - for example, adding media to an action item on a donor record does not upload the media to be viewed in the database view
- Operational Efficiency
- Increased revenue from new donors
- Increased revenue from existing donors
- Increased scalability due to cloud deployment
As a result of implementing use of Raiser's Edge NXT, it is undeniable that our organization's efficiency has improved dramatically. The ability to access our Raiser's Edge database's information on the go has helped employees that need to maintain relationships with donors by allowing them to access information about them when not at their desk. This has ultimately led to noticeable positive trends in donations to our organization from both existing and new donors.
Our organization has most recently benefited from Blackbaud's 'Success Services' system, in which an expert in the field will work with your organization on a personal level to evaluate your revenue and expenses in order to maximize profits. The professionals are courteous and knowledgeable in their fields of expertise and have always been able to answer our questions regarding best practices. The work that they do with other non-profit organizations is invaluable when we have the ability to access this wealth of experience from one person.
I have not used any other product that is similar to Raiser's Edge NXT.
Evaluating Raiser's Edge NXT and Competitors
- Price
- Product Features
- Prior Experience with the Product
- Existing Relationship with the Vendor
- Positive Sales Experience with the Vendor
The features of the software were most important when we made the decision to upgrade/renew our contract for Raiser's Edge to include NXT. We were provided with several demonstrations of the product with the opportunity to try it before making our final decision.
As always, it would be ideal to explore additional options before making our purchasing decision. However, given the research that we were able to do, I feel comfortable that we made a good decision when renewing a contract with Blackbaud.
Raiser's Edge NXT Implementation
- Implemented in-house
Not sure - NA
- Data migration was the biggest challenge, but Blackbaud was very involved and helped make sure we had backups in place in the event that something went wrong.
Raiser's Edge NXT Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response | None |
During our initial data migration from a previous version of Raiser's Edge, we received constant support from Blackbaud to help make sure nothing was lost or misplaced within our database. From several weeks before to several weeks after, we had an agent assigned specifically to us that was very easy to get in contact with. She was able to answer all of our questions in a very timely manner.
Using Raiser's Edge NXT
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar | None |
- Building lists based on various criteria for constituents and gift records
- Searching the database
- Adding action items to constituent records
- Uploading media attachments to constituent records
- Exporting lists created within NXT as opposed to the Raiser's Edge database
Yes - The mobile interface is great. It's very easy to use and designed with mobile devices in mind. The addition of this functionality has had a great impact on our documentation consistency.