Resources

Here are free resources to help you with Raiser’s Edge. No login or questions must be answered first, but please consider joining Bill’s email newsletter list (form is below right). He promises practical, useful content in every newsletter for both fundraisers and database staff, including notices when new resources are added to this page.

2024 Presentations

  • bbdevdays 2024 presentation with Ellen Smith: Just Because You Can, Does It Mean You Should? Evaluating When to Build a Customization and Proceeding Thoughtfully DOWNLOAD
  • aasp webinar on keeping or deleting data
  • bbcon 2024 presentation 1: Keep or Delete Data?  Latest Thoughts for Consideration DOWNLOAD
  • bbcon 2024 presentation 2: Optimizing Gift Entry Flow DOWNLOAD
  • aasp 2024 Summit presentation with Isaac Shalev on keeping or deleting data DOWNLOAD

Name Formats and Addressees & Salutations

Bill presented at both the Association of Advancement Services Professionals and Blackbaud conferences in September and October 2023 on name formats and addressees and salutations to address changing cultural norms and expectations for communications, reports, and lists.  Here are the resources he promised to share.

  • Slides from his aasp Summit conference presentation not specific to any database and with an emphasis on DEI DOWNLOAD
  • Slides from his bbcon presentation specific to Raiser’s Edge DOWNLOAD
    • A pre-recorded version of this presentation is available to watch on Bill’s YouTube channel.
  • Sample Policy and Procedure documentation for name formats DOWNLOAD

Raiser’s Edge NXT

  • Raiser’s Edge NXT – Moving to and Mastering the Next Generation of RE (bbcon presentation slides) DOWNLOAD
  • Raiser’s Edge NXT Pricing – To Delete or Not Delete Constituents DOWNLOAD
  • Raiser’s Edge NXT: What’s Called What? DOWNLOAD
  • Why Database Managers Should Use Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT Web View (bbcon 2021 presentation slides) DOWNLOAD

Non-Technical Resources for Fundraisers and Fundraising Leadership

In addition to chapter 8 of Bill’s book about Raiser’s Edge:

  • Bill’s bbcon 2022 presentation on Mastering Fundraising in RE NXT: watch it on YouTube and get the slides with additional material not covered in the presentation DOWNLOAD
  • The interview of Bill on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership podcast on the “Three Technology Traps All Nonprofit Leaders Must Avoid”
  • Reports from Raiser’s Edge for a New Head of Fundraising DOWNLOAD

Role of the Database Manager

In addition to chapter 8 of Bill’s book about Raiser’s Edge (pages 203-216):

  • Managing the “Manager” Part of Database Manager in the Fundraising Profession Today (bbcon 2019 presentation slides) DOWNLOAD
  • Why Database Managers Should Use Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT Web View (bbcon 2021 presentation slides) DOWNLOAD

Raiser’s Edge Security

In addition to chapter 8 of Bill’s book about Raiser’s Edge (pages 208-210):

Bill presented a free webinar series in partnership with Blackbaud in March and April 2021 on Security in Raiser’s Edge. The recordings are no longer available, but the other resources from the series are below.

Resources from webinar 1, Creating a Culture of Security, on March 23, 2021, with Ashley Wyand from Blackbaud’s cybersecurity team:

  • Raiser’s Edge NXT: What’s Called What? DOWNLOAD
  • Adding and Inactivating Users in Raiser’s Edge NXT DOWNLOAD
  • Bill’s slides from the presentation DOWNLOAD

New resources from webinar 2, Understanding Security in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, on March 30, 2021:

  • Bill’s slides from the presentation DOWNLOAD
  • This presentation discussed a move then in progress from what it called “Not Azure” and “Blackbaud Hosting Services” (with database view login directly from blackbaudhosting.com) to Blackbaud ID (with database view only available through the web view). In December 2021 that process was completed, so all access to the database view must be through blackbaud.com using Blackbaud ID where multi-factor authentication must now be used.  Blackbaudhosting.com no longer functions.  The term “Blackbaud Hosting Services” is today being used more broadly to refer to all the Blackbaud environments where RE is hosted: Azure, Boston, Vancouver, etc. Otherwise, the content of this presentation is still accurate and applicable.

New resources from webinar 3, Deep Dive into Raiser’s Edge Security Options, on April 6, 2021:

Policy and Procedure Documentation

In addition to chapter 8 of Bill’s book about Raiser’s Edge (pages 211-215):

  • Blackbaud Conference presentation available on YouTube
  • Policy and Procedure Documentation (bbcon presentation slides) DOWNLOAD
  • Documentation Example 1 — Process for Generating Direct Mail Files DOWNLOAD
  • Documentation Example 2 — Annual Report Process DOWNLOAD
  • And see Chapter 8 and Appendix C of Bill’s book on Raiser’s Edge

Constituent Codes

In addition to chapter 2 of Bill’s book about Raiser’s Edge (pages 37-40):

  • Best Practices in the Use of Constituent Codes (Blackbaud K12 Conference 2019 presentation slides) DOWNLOAD
  • “Former” Constituent Codes? (post to fundsvcs) DOWNLOAD

Removal of Microsoft Applications from Blackbaud Hosting

In December 2021, Blackbaud announced they would be removing Microsoft applications like Word and Excel from the Blackbaud hosting environments on February 28, 2022. Bill has prepared his perspectives and recommendations on this change in a question-and-answer format to help with this transition. You can find that information here.

Also see the January 2022 newsletter on learnings from January on preparing for this change.

Other Topics (Gift Entry, Mailings, and Campaigns)

  • How Would You Enter THIS Gift? (slides from bbcon 2018 presentation about soft credits, DAFs, etc.) DOWNLOAD
  • Getting the Best Success with Mailings from RE (slides from bbcon presentation about Mail) DOWNLOAD
    • Also see chapter 4 of Bill’s book about Raiser’s Edge
  • Preparing Raiser’s Edge for a Capital Campaign – Gift Management DOWNLOAD

“We are so fortunate to have you as a resource, and I’m really glad that you were able to be part of our project team. I really think there’s no way we’d have been as successful in completing these conversions and implementing RE NXT had it not been for you.

“Your genuine interest in wanting to understand our organization, along with your guidance, wisdom, expertise, and patience were vital to our project being a success. I most appreciate how you truly became part of our team; helping us get into all the nitty-gritty details that we needed to address in order to strategically set up and effectively utilize our new database for long-term success.

“I think it’s rare to find a consultant who really cares as much as you do about the long-term success of the organizations you are helping. I’m so confident in how our database has been configured and in our staff’s ability to effectively use it.

“I’m certain I would not have this level of confidence, especially in my own abilities as database manager, had our conversion and implementation assistance been limited solely to that of Blackbaud’s trainings and resources. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done to help us. Seriously, anyone doing a database conversion needs to have you on their team.

“There’s so much to learn in RE NXT and the numerous tips and insights you were able to give us that we didn’t get from trainings are why I know our database is set up so well. I really don’t know how we could have done it without you.”

Director of the Annual Fund & Donor Analytics
Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area

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