NXT - A software your fundraisers will actually use
Updated May 24, 2018

NXT - A software your fundraisers will actually use

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

Our organization has been using RE for a long time. Naturally, we were very interested in NTX, especially for our frontline fundraisers, and we were one of the first organizations to start using it. All RE users at our organization have access, though it's primarily used by our frontline fundraisers. One of the major things they like is how it can be accessed on the go from their cell phones. They can easily look someone up or make updates from the field. It's also a lot more "user-friendly" than RE and easier to train someone on, though the functionality is different. I don't think it replaces RE, plenty of things still need to be done in the main database, though most of that would be more on the operations/database administration end. However, it's a great addition, and perfect for your fundraisers to use both in the office and on the go--and there are plenty of great visuals and tools to help assign tasks, view progress, and track goals.

Pros

  • RE is very complex, and can be overwhelming. Not everyone needs to do all the things. NXT puts all the things front line fundraisers need at their fingertips, which makes them more likely to use it and is easier to train people on who've never used RE before.
  • NXT makes it easy to look people up when you're in the field. You can access it from a phone, and you're not limited to viewing, so you can update records while information is still fresh.
  • NXT has a lot of beautiful visuals and makes assigning and managing and assigning constituents easy, which is a must when you have multiple fundraisers.

Cons

  • NXT is not a replacement for RE, it's an extension, you still need RE for the back end operations.
  • The way you log into NXT is different from RE and can be confusing at first.
  • While they have lots of visuals there is still much more room for them to grow in this area.
The online training s are interactive and the instructors usually stay after to answer org specific questions. However, the trainings can get long.
There's nothing quite like Raiser's Edge NXT out there. RE isn't the cheapest on the market, and there can be a high learning curve, however, NXT takes the best of RE and makes it easy to use for the day-to-day things fundraisers use it for. If you have multiple fundraisers it can be a really great tool.
Raiser's Edge NXT is perfect for an organization that has fundraisers that are out in the field and need to access information from their phones and laptops. Its easier functionality and accessibility also increase the likelihood of it actually being used in a timely manner by fundraisers and enables them to easily look up and add things themselves so they don't need to call in from the field asking for information.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Training

Raiser's Edge generally has excellent training, and NXT is no exception. Trainers are energetic, enthusiastic, patient and often will stay behind after to help you with specific tasks and answer organization-specific questions. They are their to help and it shows. They also often encourage participants to share solutions with each other--it's always nice to know how other organizations do things and see if any tricks others have learned along the way work for you, and conversely share your tips and tricks with others.
If you don't have access to training, their website offers a ton of resources including user guides, articles, and trainings that you can use to figure everything out. There are also some great forums out there.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Support

RE support is great. They are generally very helpful and knowledgeable.
ProsCons
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
Yes
We have a premium training/support package. The online chat support is great -- often it's the instructors of the online classes that you're chatting with and they are really good about helping you find a solution to your problem, even if it's org-specific.
Yes - We were in one of the first groups to have NXT. They were great about responding to bugs/ideas to make the program better. A lot of the updates they roll out are based on what their users are asking for.
Support is always very helpful, even when you have odd-ball questions. The support reps are often out-of-the-box thinkers trying to help you get the results you need for your org.

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