What do you like best about the product?
It provides an easy-to-navigate interface for both instructors and students.
What do you dislike about the product?
While the platform is customizable, making these changes can sometimes be time-consuming
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I can access a centralized view of student information, grades, and progress alongside other institutional data.
What do you like best about the product?
The easy navigation and simplicity of making changes
What do you dislike about the product?
I would like to be able to have scanned student records stored without having to designate them as 'tests'
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Storage of data
What do you like best about the product?
The processing of payments is hugely helpful as well as the reports available.
What do you dislike about the product?
Dislike the reconciliation process between Tuition Management and General Ledger as there always seems to be someting missing and can be difficult to identify.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Tuition Management takes care of processing payments and applying to family accounts, billing and sending reminders. This, in turn, allows staff to take care of other tasks.
What do you like best about the product?
What I like about Blackbaud is that is accurate in their information.
What do you dislike about the product?
It can be costly because there is an expensive cost.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
the program is a little expensive to have
What do you like best about the product?
The Invoice Process is Smooth, Quick and Easy.
What do you dislike about the product?
Least Helpful to me would be Credit Card Processing, Our University uses and Outside Company to process all incoming Credit Cards. What I dis like most would be the Slowness and Spinning or Bouncing Green Ball
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Moving Queries into Web View from Database view is making my life so much simplier, I will not have to go back and forth between NXT and Database
When you pull up our giving page, we have the ‘make a gift' button that opens up the form right on the page. It looks so much sleeker than a link that takes donors to another website or page. It’s just much more visually appealing.
We chose Blackbaud Grantmaking because it allows us to keep our clients’ funds and grants accurately and clearly separated. When compared to the other systems we were using, Blackbaud was the obvious choice for handling multiple funds, ensuring data integrity and client satisfaction.
The prescriptive recommendations allow me strategically set up our approach to fundraising for short-term and long-term planning, said Moore. I know we made the right choice in investing in this technology. Not only do we feel empowered by the software and excited about the future, but I also feel like I’m a part of the Blackbaud team.
What do you like best about the product?
Over my last 30 years of experience working in General accounting, I can say that this is one of the best softwars to work with reporting and easy Queries that can provide you all the reporting you need! It is very exciting that recently has upgraded in NXT to have more functionality epecially under the reporting side.
What do you dislike about the product?
Our transition from Database view to FE NXT, but this is temporary.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The reporting aspect and queries.
What do you like best about the product?
I like that the NXT component of Raiser's Edge allows for more up-to-date tech connections (via cloud APIs) while we can still have other staff working off the Raiser's Edge desktop app to pull the more granular data for us.
What do you dislike about the product?
I wish that Raiser's Edge NXT offered a higher caliber of built-in tools (email, reporting, etc.) that were on par with their competitors (salesforce). We've found the built-in tools lacking, forcing us to spend extra on other tools and then having to set up integrations between the different tools and NXT as possible.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Raiser's Edge NXT allows us to manage our donor-base through an easily accessible CRM and also to process online & recurring gifts all in one place.
I have nothing but love and appreciation for Blackbaud University. I would not be who I am as an advancement professional without BBU. I have learned so much from them, including topics like query, import, and export, and have taken over 100 hours of classes since starting my learning journey in August of 2023. Being able to take a live class with an instructor, play in a sample database and actually do the things we talk about, and ask questions as they come up is so much better than just reading text with pretty pictures on a screen. I want to be able to make mistakes and troubleshoot them live in a sandbox without impacting real data. My import class alone gave me the solution I need for an addressee project my department is working on in which we're planning on removing the Mr. and Mrs. titles from records. Learning that there's a way to uncheck the mark as editable box via import was a gamechanger! Thanks to these classes, I have gained the confidence and knowledge to work within my organization's database and make small changes without having to wait for someone else to do it for me. I even introduced using the Benefits button for tracking thank-you gift requests for our end of the year annual giving challenge instead of using Attributes. Changing small things makes a huge difference.
In my last two job searches, interviewers have specifically mentioned my Blackbaud certifications. Keeping my PRO certification updated is a great way to show how I'm keeping my knowledge current. Especially now with the pace of updates in Raiser's Edge, staying fresh with University courses are a must so a database manager can keep their team up to speed. Employers like to know they have an in-house database expert and having the credentials (and the training behind it) has set me apart from other candidates.
I really enjoyed the vast library of courses and content. I also thought that there was a good variety of times and dates for each course especially in BST. I liked that the courses were split by user type as well which helped the team when choosing their courses. The tutors were all really helpful and friendly and generally answered most questions that were raised on the call but would also take some away and answer seperately.
Blackbaud University courses not only enhanced my proficiency with Blackbaud products, but my knowledge of best practices in fundraising and data management. When I started with Blackbaud I had never experienced the benefit of training on how to use a database, nor had I had relevant training in philanthropy. Blackbaud courses gave me insight and training into every topic I could imagine, from the basics of data entry to best practices with the Blackbaud Certified and Pro Learning Paths – to the confidence to propose and implement data clean up and new ideas at my organization with the learning paths Best Practices for Marketing and Fundraising and Database Administrator. Blackbaud University has not only made my organization’s data and fundraising more effective, exceeding our 10% annual fund increase goal and starting our new campaign set for success, but improved me as a professional and gave me skills that I can take with me wherever the future leads.
Firstly, I appreciate the option to have both live, instructor led classes and self-paced e-learning. I appreciate learning with a group, hearing questions I wouldn't have come up with myself, and being able to ask specific questions of the instructors. Instructors have always been really helpful, offering to answer specific questions after the main class is taught. I also like the self paced e-learning courses because I can do them any time, not just when classes are streaming, and because sometimes I can refer back to them when I am stuck. I think both types of classes have helped me develop a better understanding of the software I use - not just what I do with these products but how and why things are the way they are. I love having the sample program to work in, knowing my data won't be affected by me trying new things and learning new skills. I have used Blackbaud University to introduce coworkers to our organization's programs. I usually send them a series of "Fundamentals" courses so they can learn how to navigate a program, and then introduce them to our specific uses. This saves me (and them!) so much time. Being able to get the basics down before throwing them into our live database is a huge help. Beyond that, taking a certain number of classes and earning certifications lead me to being part of "Blackbaud Champions", which has offered invaluable insight into how other organizations use these programs, I get to test and provide feedback for new features or products, and sometimes just have a little fun with people from all sorts of organizations!
I began my role as an experienced database administrator, but with no experience with fundraising or Blackbaud Raiser's Edge. In a matter of months, I had passed my Professional Level Blackbaud Certification Exam and become a nonprofit database consultant. That was only possible because of the dedicated teachers and community of Blackbaud University. Classes were easy to complete and taught me all the nuances I would've missed if I was learning on my own. I also avoided the inevitable trial-and-error period of learning a new software, which was very important for my organization. I'm grateful to Blackbaud University for changing the trajectory of my career!
By dedicating time each week, especially during slower periods in the office, I was able to gain skills and knowledge through courses on Blackbaud University. The courses were information filled and did not monopolize weeks or even full days for most. You could go along at your pace and really get great help from it. While I am definitely still learning I am able to say through Blackbaud University courses I am now a greater asset to my institution and able to do tasks that normally I would rely on others for their assistance. It has increased my productivity and the range of tasks I can now handle which has been as asset to my team and school.
I have found the Blackbaud University courses extremely helpful when it comes to learning the ins and outs of Blackbaud Altru and Blackbaud Integrated Payments. Not only have I been able to figure out different features of the product that I would have struggled to use otherwise but I've then been able to pass along that knowledge to my coworkers. Since I've taken almost all of the courses, we've been able to quickly get statistics on our visitors, contact those we might not have been able to find before and categorize constituents to make mailings easier. The classes I feel like were the most helpful were the Query 1 and 2 courses because without the instructions I would have never been able to efficiently use the Query feature. Overall, I would say that Blackbaud University has helped my organization improve our productivity, accuracy and quality of work.
When I started to work at my organization as the Database Manager, we had just started a contract to use Raiser's Edge NXT and Blackbaud Grantmaking and these systems were new to everyone (including me!). Blackbaud University courses helped me learn how to utilize both systems and then be able to share that learning as we implemented the systems across departments. The instructor led trainings have been extremely valuable to me as those best support my learning style. Also, having an expert available to answer questions and clarify topics when needed has been incredibly helpful.
Blackbaud University has been instrumental in enhancing my proficiency with Blackbaud products, particularly through their comprehensive courses on Blackbaud Altru® and data management. After completing the Advanced Altru Reporting course, I gained a deeper understanding of data analytics, which allowed me to create more impactful reports that directly inform our membership strategies. For instance, I applied what I learned by developing targeted outreach initiatives based on member engagement data, resulting in a 15% increase in membership renewals over the last quarter. Additionally, the knowledge I've gained from Blackbaud University has significantly improved our organization's overall performance. By implementing the best practices for data cleanliness and reporting learned in these courses, our team has streamlined processes, leading to greater efficiency and more informed decision-making. What I value most about Blackbaud University courses is their practical approach to learning. The courses are not only informative but also relevant to the day-to-day challenges we face in the nonprofit sector. This combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application empowers me and my colleagues to make a more significant impact within our organization and better serve our community.
Blackbaud University helped me take my game to the next level with the tips and tricks I learned in classes. The Workflow and the Marketing: Welcome Series / Organizational Best Practices courses were instrumental in my ability to quickly initiate, maintain and analyze a Welcome email series for new donors. The information went beyond the basics of setting up a workflow and included practical advice based on research as to what information to include, how to structure the messages, and the timing of the emails. Any fundraiser would appreciate the Best Practices series which provides evidence-based advice and explores how various functions can be used to enhance a fundraising effort such as Giving Days, Donor Retention or Moves Management. Courses are also tailored to the role/position as well as the level of proficiency so that the content that was suggested for me was meaningful and applicable to my work. The courses were especially helpful when I was transitioning to web view. Without the Insights course, I would have been lost when I set up reports in web view. What I valued most was the instructors. They were great at engaging the class, explaining the material and making sure that no student was left behind. They provided a contact email in case I had questions later when I applied the training to my tasks. Overall, I have had an excellent experience with Blackbaud University.
Coming in to a newly-created position at a school newly implementing several Blackbaud products, Blackbaud University helped me gain proficiency in the products with which I wasn't as familiar in day-to-day tasks, so that I could support the teachers and staff as they learned the new systems. Certification in products also validated my competence, and gave others confidence in my knowledge and ability to help. I am now known as the Blackbaud lady (or czar, or czarina) at my school!
bbcon is so insightful. I love being able to walk away with new technologies and resources that I can take back and apply to my work.
bbcon is empowering. It’s welcoming and accessible, and I leave feeling like I have a community to lean on when I need to problem-solve or reflect on how I can incorporate what I’ve learned into my work.
What I’m most looking forward to from Blackbaud moving forward is the AI features that help answer questions without needing to ask me. It’s a great innovation for our work.