Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Reviews

Pros

This is a powerful CRM service/software. We've expanded our utilization over the years, but I still know there are areas we don't even scratch the surface of when it comes to compiling information on donors and potential donors. A few years ago we made the leap to RE:NXT, placing our data in the cloud -- it's wonderful to be able to access data from wherever I am, whether I need a phone number or address, or some data on donation history.

I've been a Raiser's Edge user for 20+ years, and I have to say I can't imagine keeping track of our donors without it. From historical data to personal notations, you can keep so much info here (even uploading photos, documents, etc.).

With RE:NXT we have integration between the CRM and our web site donation forms. They're easy to build and drop in to the coding for the site.

Cons

We've felt that there are a couple of things in the EVENTS module that we wish worked better for us/our organization, but that's a small hiccup when it comes to the functionality and quality of BB fundraising.

Pros

What I like most about this product is that as a fundraiser, I have many tools that keep me organized and remind me to thank our donors.

Cons

My co-worker who uses this software for only adding donations has a very difficult time with it. She says it takes way too many steps to add donations. It is also frustrating that you have to create a new record for someone who has been memorialized by a gift. It seems odd to add someone into your record base that is deceased and there is a cap on the number of constituents you can have in the database without having to pay more. The reporting pages are confusing and difficult to understand how to set up a goal and see our progress toward it. There are many things like this that we come across that are frustrating to us.

Pros

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.

Cons

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 file structure, then that explains why RE is so flawed: If someone hits all of those categories, they will appear three times. Ask for their phone or email and they are now listed six times. Process to get rid of dupe listings of the same name loses all of the field access with the exception of addresses - because it's not relational that's the only way they can do it. Raisers Edge NXT has been designed to hide the 'background' so you have less access to work-arounds, but in order to do that they have had to 'assume' what fields are really important to us to be able to export from a specific query. RE is designed to archive a ton of information, it is simply not designed to use it or get it out. Support is dismal, and most support staff have never been users; not customizable; clunky, slow; embedded Word is out-of-date and difficult to update; proprietary e-mail communication tool extremely limited; nothing is intuitive; research analytics and events modules are extremely weak. A waste of money.

Pros

I use both database view and NXT. I like the powerful queries and reports.

Cons

Sometimes a query can be difficult to run based on what has been entered in the database.

Pros

Although I do not use NXT often due to my job requirements, I find much easier to use rather than the original Raiser's Edge platform. It is more modern looking and has easy to use WYSIWYG is simple and comprehensive. After not using the site for a while, I am able to pick up without much issue.

Cons

you cannot do all functionalities on NXT that you can do on Raiser's Edge. it can be somewhat limiting.

Pros

What I like most about the software is the ease of use.

Cons

What I like least about the software is that it can be slow to update when I enter changes or gifts.

Pros

Integration with onsite systems made it easy to use.

Cons

Hard to train other users on how to use with our systems.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

Reasons for Switching to Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

Pros

The ease of use of the webview for frontline fundraisers is one of the best things for our team.

Cons

Response to customer service requests can be spotty, at best.

Alternatives Considered

Pros

RE NXT is a quick, web based way to look up the basics of a constituent.

Cons

In addition to making the details of a gift easier to access quickly, I would like to see more customization of the displays in NXT. For example - what each user needs to see in the search results or top display bar varies by position and function.

Pros

Ease of access is great, very user friendly and visually appealing/easy to use

Cons

Some reporting and query functions are difficult to navigate

Pros

The interface is a lot friendlier to the average user than the database view, making it easier to use for our employees that don't like working in databases as much. It also introduced certain features that were missing from the main database, which added some new tools to manage data and keep our information clean. The analytics is my favorite addition; while some dashboard tools exist in Raiser's Edge, in NXT they are fully thought out and allow for excellent reporting and visual depictions of our progress.

Cons

It's still an in-development product, so while this could be great for some organizations it's not at the point where it's great for all organizations. Despite the fact that it's user-friendly and many of our staff members prefer to use it, the lack of certain features from the main database make it hard for them to convert completely, and they feel that switching between the two views of the same system is a hassle. While it's understandable that the extra add-ons would take a back seat to the development of the main features, with our membership module missing it does make it hard for our organization to shift most of our staff over to it from the main database view. There are also some things that don't synchronize properly between the two systems yet, which sometimes makes database maintenance feel like we're checking in two different databases for information.

Pros

I believe Raiser's Edge allows you to track a lot of informaiton in its constituent-relationship database and I like that it has products which it speaks to easily, i.e. a financial product (Financial Edge) and an Internet option (NetCommunity.) I enjoy having the subscription that we have which allows us access to unlimited online and phone questions/issues and also unlimited online training. Very pricey, but worth it, because of the complexity of the system. Blackbaud makes a habit of buying out a lot of their competitors which makes them "the only game in town" in some aspects, but also allows them to take the best of their competitors products and incorporate them into Raiser's Edge, etc. I am most excited about their new product launching July 1, 2015 called RE NXT. This is a cloud based application which will be a great asset to any non-profit focused on major and principal gifts. The only caveat at this point is that non-profit has to have its RE environment hosted by Blackbaud in order to purchase this product.

Cons

The customer service leaves a lot to be desired. They often do not get back to us when we have issues with RE; they seem to focus most of their customer service toward "hosted" clients (and we are not hosted at the present time); we still have cases open with them and unresolved since November 2014 (and this is now April 2015); they do not exude the "customer is always right" attitude and they are a very expensive product. Also be careful with their pricing, different customers pay different costs for the same service/products. There also seems to be a lot of hidden costs when purchasing new products or modules from Blackbaud for the RE so make sure that you delve into that with your customer representative if you are looking to purchase anything from them.

Pros

ease of use on the road. organized into easy to see tiles. ability to upload things by dragging. ability to get lists easily

Cons

inability to create most custom lists. would like lists to be provided by fund. would like all contact information to be able to be shown for donors in one line with name, ID, phone, email and exclusions. need to make very complex queries to accomplish and extract data from the database view. not user friendly for regular office employee. expensive program that our office does not even know how to fully use. would like more individualized training and support to learn all the aspects of what we pay for. however we have a database manager that does this but acts as a gatekeeper.

Pros

The ease of use which makes training co-workers much quicker and more easily understandable. The various modules make database management more effective (specifically EVENTS).

Cons

My biggest complaint with Blackbaud is customer service. Prior to the new procedures, I was able to call and speak to a human being and explain my issue. Currently, I can only get a CSR via CHAT, and that is only if someone is available at that time. Even during times where someone is supposed to be available, I frequently receive a message to try again later. When I CAN get a chat session, I find the CSRs are not as knowledgeable as they should be. I also find the CSRs have a hard time comprehending exactly what I'm asking and usually give up and find another way to get the information. In addition, while the standard reports typically give me the information I need, there are some that are sorely lacking and we are presently not in a position to create new ones (time and resources limitations) so we will piece together numerous reports.

Pros

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.

Cons

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.

Pros

Visuals is based on permission and search button on the top of the browser is useful. Tiles are collapsible and dashboard is easy to view. Comparing to the database view, opening a new browser tab is useful when doing some comparisons between screens. Data Health (Deceased/Email/Duplicate Finder) is a great feature in web view. We use it all the time. The availability of ResearchPoint on dashboard is great feature for prospect management team.

Cons

RE NXT is a web view that is not as fully integrated as the database view. List, import and reporting are not adequate as the database view. Although SKI API is available, not all of the data point in database is available.

Pros

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".

Cons

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).

Pros

The software is great for constituent management and tracking donors and gifts for non profits.

Cons

The vendor fees are extremely high. Once you commit to their software, they have you. It is near impossible to leave. They used to have great customer support. Their staff was always knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile to help you with their product. Now you never hear from your account executive unless you contact them and then they pass you off to one of their assistants. Their assistants push you into buying products you do not need and then when you do purchase a product from them and sign the agreement to purchase, you cannot get answers. We purchased an add on module, we contacted them and we were passed to the assistant to our account executive. The assistant got the paperwork signed and it has been over a month and the add on product has still not been activated in our database. I have emailed and called the account executive assistant because we cannot talk to the account executive, i have talked to customer support and have been passed around. This is not the first time I have had this SAME experience from the new Blackbaud. New leadership appears to be clueless to the horrible experiences from their staff.

Pros

The data is well organized, easy to pull, and easy to export. Although this is the only major database software I have used personally, I have heard multiple comments from others that Raiser's Edge is so much easier and more efficient than other software types on the market. Our organization has been using Raiser's Edge for over 15 years, and we are well pleased with its capabilities and performance.

This software manages everything fundraising related - donor profiles, biological data, giving history, mailing histories, event attendance and seating, EFT and automated credit card transactions, memberships, to-do tasks, alumni information, online giving forms and email blasts (with the optional Online Express module), etc. BlackBaud has an easy-to-access support system if you need help, as well as training, blogs, free webinars and videos so that beginners can easily learn the system.

Cons

BlackBaud is a little over-priced on some of its data cleansing services, like EmailFinder and Deceased People Finder. We often get the same service for much cheaper through our mailing house vendors.

Pros

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT is an efficient and effective way to manage a donor database. It's user friendly for front line fundraisers, and the reports are helpful in retaining current donors and moving new donors through the moves management process.

Cons

While it is user friendly and has some really good aspects, there are still some restrictions on data viewing that could be improved. But Blackbaud is working on these to improve the overall experience.

Pros

It's an easy to use product that is definitely easy on the eyes. It provides good data.

Cons

It could be that it's user error for our database services, but the outputs are not as advanced as I thought they would be for a product that's supposed to be what "everyone" uses. Spouses need to be linked - you should have that option in Actions as well to "update" to the partner as well if you enter in a contact report.I want to get training through Blackbaud University but you have to pay to learn anything. BOO. :(

Pros

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.

Cons

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.

Pros

I like how it displayed and gave a good overview of donations. Very easy to navigate and access that information.

Cons

Unless you enter a name specifically as it is entered, it is hard to find. In fact, often it took me much longer to find a client then it should have.

Pros

Really powerful donor management software for large organizations or organizations that want lots of customization and add-ons such as wealth screening.

Cons

For a small non-profit, it is overkill. It's expensive and we didn't need much of what it offered. When we did need something that was different than their base offering, it would have been cost prohibitive for them to implement it for us. Their support isn't great, long waits and not super nice staff.

Pros

For years our front line fundraisers were complaining about not having easy access to information on the road, but with NXT they are now able to login with their existing Google credentials and are off. As the database manager, there is no more looking up a prospect's address or phone number or resetting forgotten passwords. The work center also puts answers about a gift officer's portfolio right in front of them.

Cons

Not all of the information from classic RE has been transferred over to NXT yet and some of the cool features (time in stage, consecutive years given) are not exportable. Additionally, there is not the level of customization many organizations need to report on areas like giving.