Best Of
Re: Converting a Planned Gift into a Revenue Commitment
@David Webb I am sure you could find organizations that have the Finance team enter them, but most of the organizations I have worked with have the Estate Planning / Planned Giving team create the revenue record. Typically donor and executor communications are going to go to their shop, so they have the first intel that the revenue is coming, and accordingly create the receivable.
As always, what works for one company might not make sense for another. So consider how the process would work best for you.
Re: bbcon 2025 - Is the investment worthwhile?
@Austen Brown and @Hallie Guiseppe - Do either of you know what is being taught at the pre conference workshop?
Re: bbcon 2025 - Is the investment worthwhile?
Thanks, @Austen Brown. I'll read those and will likely attend if budget is approved for it. ?
Do you use Consent tool to track photo/video consent?
We use the consent tool in RE to track opt in/out for email, phone and mail marketing. I'm looking into using it to track the responses when we ask people if they are happy for us to use their image (for example, participants at events). Is anyone else using it in this way? I've added a new Category called Media images, a new Source called Media consent form, and mapped new solicit codes for the opt in/out responses. I've had to use the ‘other’ Channel as there wasn't an obvious fit. Now I just need to encourage the team to use it! It would be great to hear if this is working well for others.
Interviews this week! Data and Information Systems Manager
Interviews this week!! Are you a pro at Luminate Online? Do you have what it takes to help us move our mission forward? Then this is the job for you!! Apply today!!
The Data and Information Systems Manager is responsible for designing and maintaining an efficient flow of data across all entry points within our organization. This role ensures accurate tracking, reporting, and analysis of engagement across fundraising, research, advocacy, and patient services and support programs. The ideal candidate will have expertise in nonprofit data management and experience with Blackbaud platforms, including Raiser’s Edge, Luminate Online, TeamRaiser, and NXT. The organization is Miami, FL based but is willing to hire a remote employee for this position.
Key Responsibilities
Data Management & System Integration
- Develop and implement data tracking systems that integrate all organizational functions, including program participation, fundraising, constituent relations, and outreach.
- Maintain and optimize Blackbaud platforms to ensure seamless data flow and usability across departments.
- Oversee data integrity, ensuring accurate and up-to-date records across platforms.
- Establish processes for data entry, validation, and standardization.
Engagement Tracking & Analytics
- Track donor, volunteer, and patient community engagement across all digital and offline touchpoints.
- Analyze trends in program participation, fundraising, and advocacy to provide actionable insights.
- Develop dashboards and reports to measure engagement, campaign effectiveness, and impact.
- Collaborate with marketing, fundraising, and program teams to enhance data-driven decision-making.
Reporting & Compliance
- Generate monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for leadership, the board, and funders.
- Ensure compliance with data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and nonprofit industry best practices.
- Support grant reporting and impact measurement with accurate data analysis.
Collaboration & Training
- Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure data processes align with organizational goals.
- Provide training and support to staff on data systems, reporting tools, and best practices.
- Serve as the organization’s data lead, troubleshooting issues and ensuring system efficiency.
Qualifications & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Data Science, Business Intelligence, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience in nonprofit data management, including Blackbaud platforms (Raiser’s Edge, Luminate Online, TeamRaiser, NXT).
- Proficiency in data analytics tools, CRM platforms, and reporting software.
- Strong knowledge of data governance, privacy regulations, and security best practices.
- Experience with engagement tracking and fundraising analytics.
Salary range available upon request.
Please email Linda Rodriguez, Senior Director of Development, at lrodriguez@alpha1.org with resume/CV.
Re: Confirming Opportunity fields from DBV missing in Web View
@Chris Zello - Yep, your correct - plus, the notes tab doesn't exactly translate to WV. The summary field available at the top of the opportunity will be saved as a note in DBV, but you can't add additional notes via WV nor will additional notes from DBV appear in WV.
Re: One invoice with 5 lines into FENXT - not sure how to set it up in Excel
@Denise Appelgren I see it now. Let me try this and I might have more questions at the import stage. TY Denise
Re: Trouble with connecting Power BI to App
@Rebecca Sundquist
Thank you Rebecca. I was able to connect to Blackbaud data last week. And you are correct, the problem was the zip file I downloaded.
Re: Trouble with connecting Power BI to App
@Rosa Crichton, when you do not see Blackbaud (Beta) (Custom) show up in the Get Data list, this is an indication that your .mez file isn't saved in the right location or has another issue.
Your Blackbaud.mez file should be in your user's file path for Documents\\Power BI Desktop\\Custom Connectors. For me, my user's path is under OneDrive, which is common.
If your file path looks right, then it might be a problem with the .mez file. If you manually unzipped and then re-zipped the file, a common mistake is to accidentally zip up the whole folder so that there is an extra folder to drill through before getting into the files within. When manually zipping up the files, be sure to select all of the individual files to zip, rather than zipping up the folder containing the files.
Hopefully you've stumbled through one of these common issues and can get back on track with these tips.
Re: HELP! Directory is Showing Opted Out Information
@Candi Roberts I want to be sure you know about the overnight Directory refresh. Because of the wildly large number of privacy setting combinations that are possible among millions of records, there is heavy impact to performance when we run Profile access and Privacy updates. Because of this, we run directory/profile access updates each night. Is today the day of or day(s) after you made changes to privacy settings?
Either way, a Support case is absolutely the right call! If anything looks off, they'll send the case to Core developers to investigate.
