Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Reviews

There is so much you can do with Raiser's Edge, it's a robust and powerful tool. It works "out of the box" without need for programming or customization per se (other than settings and configuration etc.) so you don't need to be a coder to set up and use. I particularly love queries to pull together lists of donors who meet certain criteria, which can then be used for mailing lists, reports, exports, etc. The acknowledgement letters are incredibly valuable, allowing variable data and personalized language, e.g. when a gift is designated to a particular program we pull in a paragraph about that program without our gift entry staff having to do any manual or extra work.

Can be a bit clunky, and not always intuitive (NXT web view is a huge improvement in those areas). The reports aren't pretty (again NXT is astronomically better there) and sometimes there isn't a report that will work for our needs so I have to set up with queries and exports. There is almost always a way to do what I need to do, but I sometimes have to go through some complicated digital acrobatics to get there.

Blackbaud's Raisers Edge is great software for donations management, including special events and memberships. It's very easy to use, and very easy to get information from, whether through any of the many canned reports, or through queries and exports. Support is extra, but well worth the cost, at least in the initial years after set-up.

The cost - upwards for just the donations management - is considerable. And things like the Special Events module and Membership and Tributes and Memorials modules are not included in the base package. Like most other software, a lot of thought needs to happen when setting Raisers Edge up. But seriously for every con that I could list, the customer support that comes extra with the annual maintenance, if purchases, offsets the con with quick answers and fixes, so that even the most complicated thing in RE is easily addressed with a quick phone call to support.

Batch entry. That's it. If ALL you do are massive fundraisers where you bring in a thousand donations of 10 bucks apiece in one day, then RE has the batch entry system for you.

Blackbaud's contracts all have clauses that prevent users from making derogatory statements or posting negative reviews. The contract allows them to lock you out, kick you off, charge for the remainder of the contract, blah blah blah. And they enforce it. Ask yourself why a decent software would need something like that? This is NOT a relational database, and if you understand anything about software...

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Raiser's Edge is the best donor database I've seen. It has comprehensive fields and capability to track projects, funds, and appeals. When we used RE, we had about 250 different appeals categorized and about 50 different funds. When running reports or queries, you could slice and dice the data pretty much any way you wanted. Query functions were huge for me. You can dig down into anything you want - all donations by xyz appeal during 10-11 timeframe and paid by check at a certain event? That's an option, for example, with the click and choose query. Huge added bonus if you use RE in conjunction with Financial Edge, Blackbaud's accounting system, as the two systems actually integrate (not export and import but a true integration).

The biggest obstacle we faced with RE was the pricing. Blackbaud prices you into tiers based on number of constituents, so if you keep old donor records "just in case", you end up accumulating all these records and data that you are paying for annually. If you can afford it, it's great. They are definitely shooting for the quality model not the low-cost model.

The most impactful web view pieces are those that the fundraisers use most often: viewing their portfolio and opportunities, actions that need follow up, and reports that have been built to help look at work completed. Lists are helpful to them for travel planning and calling. The Reports that are already built are great for a starting point.

Many of us use the database side (RE 7) more than the web view side still because there are so many areas that are not yet complete in web view. Roll out has been fast, though, so I'm excited to see what continues to grow. The areas we still use the most in the database side are query and export, adding constituents, adding gifts, and all work within funds. Those pieces still have some work needed on the web side to get to the sophistication we're accustomed to in database view.

Records in Raiser's Edge are very stiff - as in very difficult to customize. This can be good if you are starting out in it, as you can set a standard of how to keep data, and it doesn't give employees the opportunity to create messy records. Adding information is simple and easy.

Many features of Raiser's edge can only be accessed in the Data base view, which is way less user friendly, and requires you to open a whole different software. For example, to you want to add a new kind of relationship? Need to go to Database view. Additionally, Records are so not customizable, that if you are moving data from a different system, you're data could easily look like a huge mess if you don't fit them exactly into Raiser's Edges categories.

Constituent records Outlook plugin (quickly add emails to a constituent record) JustGiving integration is an exciting prospect Lists Reporting features - including the option to send out an automatically generated custom report to yourself or a colleague, for example every month or week Webinars and video demos of new features

Doesn't have all the functions of Raisers Edge 7 so we still needed to use RE7 in parallel New features take a long time to arrive Terminology doesn't always match Raider's Edge (for example "canvassers" in RE7 are fundraisers in NXT, "Attributes" vs. "Custom tags") Emails sent out via NXT should be automatically added to constituent's record Difficult setting up new users on the system

RENXT is a wonderful leap forward for those that are currently using RE7. First off, it is online, so you can login anywhere and on any device, which for me makes it far more useful to fundraisers. Ultimately, I am a big fan and I think it makes your fundraisers spend more time reaching out to key donors, rather than working on back end tracking and database work. Also, what I appreciate the most is that I do not have to hire people who have RE experience anymore, because it is so easy for them to immediately start working out of NXT. It opens up the candidate pool!

This is a general blackbaud critique, but their customer service is not always the best. They can be difficult to get in touch with and you sometimes have to wait for a while to get a question answered or problem fixed. I will say, we have not had any issues with NXT in particular, where we needed to call them though.

There is a lot of capability with NXT and its visually more digestible than classic Raiser's Edge.

Building reports is still challenging in NXT--better than classic Raiser's Edge.

Integrates with grant management through opportunities

Wish there was a more direct way to track grants. I find the back-end more confusing to use.

The Raiser's Edge is a very powerful database that can provide great insight into your organization's fundraising. It has the capability to track and report on anything you would ever need to look at for fundraising. The template reports are customizable, which is very helpful. My favorite feature is the query and export combo - I can pull out any piece of information I need to analyze and Raiser's Edge does a good job of getting rid of duplicate information for me. The dashboard feature is also good - you can create multiple dashboards to compare fiscal years, appeals, funds, recent gifts list, summaries, etc. You can also share your dashboard with other users so that everyone can be looking at the same thing.

Building custom reports from scratch (not using a template) can be challenging to create through Crystal Reports. However, you can usually find a template that you can customize to create a similar report, if not the exact report you want to write. Duplicate records can also be challenging in Raiser's Edge. When Constituents are uploaded to the database from a list or entered manually, Raiser's Edge...

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I use Raiser's Edge as our donor database and the data entry, reporting features are really updated. However, when they came out with NXT, it was a game changer. NXT is amazing! It has a very attractive interface and super user friendly. As soon as you search for a record, consecutive years and all information on the donor is clear to see and it lets you know which donors you should be reaching out to. You could assign donors to others to initiate contact. You could easily access information on your mobile device. It takes the Raiser's Edge data entry interface and completely gives it a makeover. You are easily able to review giving history and all donor information on one page and very clearly.

The only thing I don't like about NXT is that the consecutive years aren't always the same as in the donor records in the database version.

I've been using Raiser's Edge for 15 years. My current office purchased the NXT web view in 2015. This product helps our office achieve our fundraising goals in many ways. I like that when we purchased the NXT web view we still kept the database view. Now we have the best of both worlds. Most of our office now works exclusively in the web view and with it, they can now get immediate information by themselves that assists them in their work. The new features of the web view have greatly enhanced how we do business.

I really like this product and I have a hard time coming up with anything negative to say about it.

Blackbaud Fundraising includes Raiser's Edge, Luminate Online, crowdfunding features. The Fundraising tools integrate very well and it's user friendly and intuitive. We are able to create an attractive and easy to use donation form for our website. It allows you to easily track donor giving, pledges, create donation pledges and integrate with Raiser's Edge and other tools well. NXT is a new feature we purchased which is expensive however it's an attractive interface to view and track donor pledge level and upgrades.

Blackbaud products tend to be very pricey and offer a ton of features however you only use about half of them on regular basis. It could be quite a challenge to create crowdfunding pages., definitely multiple steps. Sometimes the dashboard giving and queries show different numbers so there's some inconsistency. Their NXT new tool is amazing however it's pricey. It's great for major giving officer.

We are a higher ed institution and we have moved from Banner to Raiser's Edge to NXT. What we saw right away was that NXT is very intuitive and easy to use. Our frontline gift officers love that they can use it on their phones, computers, tablets, and laptops, and that it's just a website away. Pulling lists is a lot easier and more accessible than the database query and the built-in mapping feature is widely used. It is a very clean and easy interface, which has made it a clear winner with our frontline staff.

Some very basic components are missing, which can be very frustrating. For instance, you can view an list of your Opportunities (Proposals) and a list of your Portfolio assignments, but not a list of them together. You also can't filter lists by looking for missing values (e.g., Prospect Status is blank), which creates some headaches. You very much have to adapt your processes to the database, rather than adapting the database to your processes. That can create some serious headaches during conversion, but overall it will save time.

I work a lot on the database side of Raiser's Edge, but NXT is super user friendly for those on your team that need information at their finger tips but aren't "database administrators".

There are a few functionalities that cannot be done in NXT and must be done in the database, and a few that do not report clearly (i.e. soft credits).

Relatively easy to use. Great functionality as a constituent database and donor giving software. Definitely top of the line.

Multiple modules needed for credit card processing, events, education/alumni. Each module is additional cost. Conversioncost could be high if converting away from Raiser's Edge due to its complexity compared to other providers. Customer support can take a long time to get through via phone. Sales really pushes to move you RE-NXT, which is cloud-based and costs several thousand more than server-based RE.

The data is in an easy to use format, especially for non-technical people. In addition, the list and analyze features provide an easy way to view specific information easily. Our staff really likes the ability to move tiles around, the mapping feature, and integration with outlook.

The integration with Outlook doesn't allow the ability to change a completed date and add the name of a solicitor when creating an action. It does not allow searching or lists for fund, campaign, membership, or event records.

Raiser's Edge is a powerhouse for the management of donor data. It is easy to track a donor's contributions and see their giving history at a glance. I especially like the ability to identify each donor with a constituent code, which makes it very convenient to pull reports on specific groups of people who donate (like volunteers, board members, or staff). With the ability to see giving trends in multiple ways, data analysis is much more comprehensive and quicker to review than with other similar software types I have used.

Certain custom reports or queries can be difficult to design for the desired output, requiring help from Customer Service. Unfortunately, the wait time to speak with a live customer service representative is always VERY long. The online chat option can work in some instances, but not always. It would be nice if there were more representatives available to help via phone. The product is also very expensive and there are additional costs to add new components, even modifications like changes to the online interface. Every new development for the product comes with a high price.

Our the years we have used Raiser's Edge it has continued to grow and evolve with broader and impactful criteria that aid in fundraising. NXT is user- friendly much more so than the original Raiser's Edge.

It would be helpful if there were video tutorials. The knowledgebase is not user-friendly. It is unable to assist in finding quick and clear answers in creating a list specific to our constituency. Again, available video tutorials would be a great addition to the product.

Let's face it, the base model is the industry standard with all the bells and whistles you'll need. Here's what Raisers Edge does well: Exports, Queries, complex reports, and storing gift data just the way I like it (as the head of fundraising) and just the way my CFO likes it (who knew we could agree!).

Problems are the price, the cobbled-together addons essential for modern fundraising, and service. Here is where RE has gone wrong: they offer addons that don't work well with the base model of RE and the sales people and customer service people will not admit that they weren't intended to work well. It's obviously clunky programming!

Easy to use from the start. Works well on mobile devices. Allow fundraisers to use a talk-to-text app to input contact reports for meetings. Blackbaud keeps increasing the functionality and roll out new features. All of our gift officers are happy with this product and use it daily to manage portfolios.

This is not a heavy work system for database managers. Still no events management in this version. Attachments added to records in NXT cannot be seen in database view.

It has made coordinating with our satellite staff and fundraisers much easier. I like that it's interface is easy enough for everyone from novice to pro.

I really would like for the gift entry in NXT to be more robust. I see how having everything in one place would be beneficial, but, there's some things that we do in the database view that we simply cannot do in NXT yet.

RE NXT is very easy to navigate and colleagues who have little or no experience with the database view are able to find the information they need without a hassle. I like that NXT offers suggestions and specially prepared reports that provide useful information for reigniting lapsed donors and gauging capacity for future asks. I also love the visual analytics offered, as they help to segment and illustrate the entire scope of our constituent base rather than just looking at spreadsheets.

There are some limitations as to how much information can be added to lists in NXT, making it easier to generate more complex lists in the database view. I also think it would be beneficial to offer a complete guide of all of the training and webinars available as a benefit of NXT, as our team has not taken advantage of many useful resources because we have not been aware of them.

The Raiser's Edge has an incredible amount of features from extensive reporting to in-depth donor records. One specific fixture that my organization finds extremely useful is the ability to search for donors using any piece of information in their record.

The Raiser's Edge has a steep learning curve and requires quite a bit of training to fully grasp all of its features. Just a slight warning before venturing into this program, patience is required.