Best Of
Adding a Spouse as a Guest to Events
Adding a spouse as a guest in NXT Events is a great improvement. I really appreciate that NXT recognizes the spouse and eliminates the need to search for the correct constituent.
However, there are two workflow issues that make this feature much more time-consuming than it needs to be.
First, every time I select + NEW GUEST, the pop-up covers the existing spouse’s name. I have to close the pop-up before I can see the spouse’s name and confirm that I am selecting the correct constituent. When working through a long guest list, those extra clicks quickly add up.
Second, after adding a guest to an existing list, NXT automatically takes me back to the bottom of the list. I then have to scroll back up to find the alphabetical position where I was working. Again, this may seem minor, but when entering a large number of guests, it becomes very frustrating and inefficient.
The spouse functionality itself is excellent—it’s the workflow around it that needs improvement.
It would be much more efficient if:
- The + NEW GUEST window did not obscure the existing guest/spouse information.
- After adding a guest, NXT kept me at the same position in the guest list rather than returning me to the bottom.
These may seem like small usability issues, but they create a significant amount of unnecessary clicking and scrolling when managing large event guest lists. It feels like a lot of wasted time for something that should be a very straightforward process.
Re: RENXT Transition to fully unified view
This all sounds great in theory, the problem is that the key step - running processes in parallel with database view - can't really happen until all functionality is moved over to web view. Given that we don't really know when that's going to take place (the current timeline seems to put to perilously close to the DB view cutoff date), it's difficult to plan for. Not to mention those of us with pretty small shops and even smaller data teams (i.e., one person) are going to need more than a few months to move processes over. I've been trying, but I keep running into things I can't do in web view (I still can't edit all fields on all gifts in web view, which is itself an obstacle).
If Blackbaud insists on retiring database view (I'm not still sure why they feel this is necessary), it would help if they abandoned the arbitrary deadline of next September and at least waited to set a new date once all functionality has been migrated to web view (and perhaps speed web view up; it usually takes me twice as long to do anything in web view).
Happy October!
The leaves are turning, pumpkin spice is everywhere, and Halloween is just around the corner — so let's celebrate the season together by sharing some fun photos!
- This year's costume — Show us what you're dressing up as (or planning to)! Bonus points for puns, group themes, or DIY genius.
- Costume hall of fame — What's the best costume you've ever worn or seen, trick-or-treating era or adult-party era? Tell us the story behind it.
- Pets in costumes — Because nothing beats a dog in a hot dog costume or a cat judging you from inside a tiny cape. Pics very welcome.
And if Halloween isn't your thing — no worries! We'd still love to hear how you mark the change of season wherever you are: cozy traditions, harvest festivals, the first soup of the year, swapping hemispheres and gearing up for spring... whatever fall (or its opposite) looks like for you.
Drop a comment, a photo, or both. Can't wait to see what this community comes up with! 🕸️
Re: Happy October!
I got my costume out of the way early as Princess Peach at bbcon last week. Yes, I did have pink shorts on as well. 😂
Re: Introducing Single Row Query in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT®: A Smarter Way to Export Your Data
I agree. More importantly, BB agrees and understands this. I think I'm 100% safe in telling you that BB Product Management's direction is to keep using Export in db view until SRQ comes out in web view, and when it does, SRQ will not only replicate but improve upon db Export. There's NO expectation that "Export is going away and now you just have to export from Query and get all the duplicates, etc.," something we've been taught NOT to do for literally decades. SRQ will replicate and improve upon Export in the web view, and you will be able to do all you can now in the database view and more in the web view. (I mean, there may be minor glitches and bugs, who knows, the EAP is trying to work all those out now, but on the big picture issue of how Export works, being able to select number of columns and filter fields, to have export templates and vary the queries, etc., all that will be in SRQ.)
Re: A new look for constituent records: introducing tabs (EAP)
No, "Delete constituent" will be its own entry under "More," while editing constituent codes can be done from either "Edit" along the top, or the Constituent codes tile on Biographical.
Merchant Services Disbursement Schedule
I wanted to know why our organization has to wait 7 days for money to be disbursed to us when we are on a daily schedule. It seems like a long time expecially for credit card transactions. Most other platforms and procressors are able to deliver the money the next business day. It seems like an awfully long time to be holding on to money. The contributions show up in RE NXT either the same day or the next day in the batches and could be approved and posted in the system without our organization having the cash in our account. Something just does not see right with this practice especially when industry norm is to deliver credit card income within 1-3 business days and ACH/echecks within 3-5 business days.
Re: NXT Recurring Batches
Good news! Someone submitted this to the idea bank - and on September 16th, it was moved from "voting" to "planned" by Blackbaud, which means it is now on their list of items to be added to NXT.
So no, it doesn't exist yet, but we now have assurances it will. As far as when, I don't know. But I was also very concerned about losing this feature as my org's gift processor, and I am relieved it was voted high enough to get Blackbaud's attention.
The Idea Bank is our biggest tool for advocacy with transition. I definitely recommend going to review the items there and voting on anything that looks important.
