Hello Community, It's time for another edition of Crystal Clear. I'm tackling everyone's favorite topic: Community notifications. How much do you want to see from us? It's totally up to you! You can get notifications instantly, daily, weekly, or never.  Here's how you can set your Community subscriptions: Step one: go to Subscriptions . Step two: ... more

Hi Community! I’m back with Community Happenings this week and can anyone else believe it’s already mid-June? Where in the world has 2018 gone? I know you all are busy but here’s your mid-year reminder to evaluate what you have accomplished so far and figure out how to end the year on a strong note. If you’re on track, make sure to celebrate – small goals, ... more

Calling all Blackbaud Customers! It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in Off the Grid , Blackbaud’s annual hackathon event, being held from July 25-27, 2018. As a customer representative, you have the opportunity to collaborate with a team on a project that could end up solving problems for customers like you. And if your team is one of the ... more

Hi Community! This week I swapped with Crystal to do a “Shannon’s Suggestion” post which is “Crystal Clear” but with an obvious twist. We do love alliteration on this team, don’t we?  We know many of you read our community posts via email so I’m discussing the instant forum subscription emails and how the reply options work. After reading the post in your ... more

Do you see that? Probably not .. because our Community is full of NINJAS now!  Give a big ol' "Congrats on becoming a Community Ninja in the Blackbaud Community that is awesome and also... goals!" to our new ninjas: Each of them completed all of the Badge Quest challenges!  We want to congratulate one particular ninja for winning Badge Quest 2: Fellowship ... more

Private messaging is back on in Community! This Community works well because our members are diligent when it comes to reporting something that doesn't seem right. Spam is always a concern in an open, public Community like this one. We believe we have the right filters in place to catch a majority of the spam that comes our way. We also ask that you, the ... more

The internal messaging system in Community is temporarily disabled. On Wednesday, June 6 th , we identified a spammer within Community sending unsolicited private messages to several members. We are proud to offer you an open, free sign up Community to collaborate and we want to make sure the issue is contained and remediated swiftly. Private ... more

Hi! I've taken over this week's Community Happenings from Shannon to talk about all things bbcon 2018. This year's conference will be held in Orlando, Florida - October 9th-11th. Here is the official link: www.bbconference.com . There are a LOT of things happening right here in the bbcon Community and we want you to be in the know. Here we go! "Save a ... more

Calling all Community Ninjas in Training!! Badge Quest 3: Raiders of the Lost Badges.. is here! It's the final Badge Quest challenge to earn a Community Ninja badge and a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card (where allowed by law.) The contest runs until 5pm est on June 29th. The final scroll reveals the last set of badge challenges - along with a BRAND NEW ... more

Badge Quest: Fellowship of the Badges is ending this week. Have you completed the quest? more

Hi Community! Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite topics: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to ensure your organization is ready to go for the upcoming May 25, 2018 deadline! That’s three days, my favorite community, hopefully you’re ready to go but I’m going to provide resources here to help you and your organization. What is GDPR? ... more

There are a few new features in the Blackbaud Community. I'll make them Crystal Clear! more

There is now a central place where you can leave suggestions and ideas for improving the Blackbaud Community. more

Hi Community!   Last week, Crystal Bruce & I noticed we hit a huge Community milestone – we reached 50,000 members!!!   We nearly fainted and then realized we needed to celebrate! This week we’re bringing back our favorite: chair dancing. Turn up the volume and celebrate with us!   Can’t see the video? Here’s the link: Community Hits 50,000 Members !  To ... more

We have our first winner for Badge Quest: Chamber of Badges. Plus, calling all NINJAS IN TRAINING -- it's time for a side quest! more

Hello Community!   I know it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me but I wanted to get back on track with this week’s post.   First, I am thrilled that so many of you are ROCKING ninja training! Crystal Bruce and I high five once a day seeing you all in action. KEEP IT UP!  Wondering what I’m talking about? Check out Badge Quest and get that ninja badge.   ... more

If you haven't heard the great news, Blackbaud has acquired Reeher , the industry leader in fundraising performance management for higher education. Adding Reeher’s innovative and differentiated capabilities to Blackbaud’s unmatched fundraising software, data intelligence, services, and expertise will be a game-changer in driving ... more

It's time for a new quest in Community! Prepare yourself for Badge Quest 2: Fellowship of the Badges. There are NEW badges for you to earn and extras to add to your current collection. We are also giving away another shot at a $100 Amazon gift card (where allowed by law)! Earn all five badges and then click on the "button of all knowing" on the contest to be ... more

Hi Community! I'm trying out a new blog series called "Crystal Clear" - where I highlight features of the Community! I chose Crystal Clear because that was the name of my column for my college newspaper waaaaaaaay back in the day.  My first edition of "Crystal Clear" is based on an email I received today asking about posting jobs in Community. What say you, ... more

Hi Community! Time is Running Out: It's the last week of Badge Quest: Chamber of Badges! Have you collected this month's badges? Check out our contest HERE in Community and be entered to win a $100 gift card (where allowed by law). There's also a few new shiny badges for you to collect! Completed Chamber of Badges? Have you checked out our Side Quest yet? ... more

Greetings Adventurers! Earlier this month, I set forth a series of challenges for you. Since that time, more than 100 of you have completed the first quest in Badge Quest. Congratulations! I write this to inform you that you still have time to participate! We are giving away new badges and a $100 gift card (where applicable by law) to one noble warrior who ... more

Seven days has lapsed since the last quest was bestowed upon you! Are you ready for a side quest?? If you still haven't started Badge Quest - JUMP ON IN! We are giving away an extra entry into the $100 Amazon gift card giveaway (*where permitted by law) this week and all you have to do is make friends with your fellow Badge Quest adventurers! Check out the ... more

Good news! Networking in the Blackbaud Community has gotten easier! Over the past week, we have introduced a series of changes in the Blackbaud Community. The goal of these changes was to make onboarding into and networking within the Community easier. Here are the three biggest changes we made:   Picking Your Products/Completing Your ... more

Dust off that brown fedora and leave your 20-sided die at home.. it's time for Badge Quest!   more

  Registration for bbcon 2018 is now open! This is your chance to connect with the social good community—a community like no other.  This year, look forward to an unmatched experience designed specifically for you, including: Thought leadership sessions led by the industry’s top subject matter experts Networking opportunities to share best ... more

Community Manager Note: Even though Holly isn't part of the Community Team anymore, her helpful hints live on! Each week we'll spotlight one to help you get the most out of your community experience. Enjoy! At least once a day I say: "I have so many questions." I like questions. I like learning. And I like being able to find answers. Over the next couple of ... more

Hi Community!   Can you believe it’s March already? Anyone have “Build a time machine” on their 2018 to-do lists? Bueller? Bueller? While I joke, I know you all are busy making your organization’s missions a reality. People like you help change the world for the better so in case no one else has said it this week: THANK YOU. You are doing amazing work – keep it ... more

bbcon 2018 speaker proposals now due April 4!    Submit a proposal »   One of the many highlights of bbcon is hearing changemakers, storytellers, and passionate users of Blackbaud technology speak about how they drive social good—and we want you to join them!   The deadline for bbcon 2018 speaker proposals has been extended to April 4!  Submit your ... more

We’ve solidified our stops through September of 2018 – and we’re thrilled to be coming to a city near you! Our agenda is: March 27 th – Los Angeles, CA  April 5 th – Charleston, SC  April 10 th – Washington, D.C.  April 25 th – Boston, MA  May 9 th – Atlanta, GA May 17 th – Chicago, IL June 6 th – Seattle, WA June 14th - Dallas, TX June 27th - Toronto, ON  July 10th & 11th ... more

It's St. Patrick's Day week and we are giving away a gift card for showing us your green! more

Hi Community!   I know it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me but your community managers have been dealing with one of our favorite things – change .   Change can be scary – it brings uncertainty and doubt. You may even get to hear one of my most dreaded phrases: “But we’ve always done it this way.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m right there with everyone when it ... more

  Join us October 9-11 at bbcon 2018 as an expert speaker.  Share your story and drive social good at bbcon 2018! This year, we’re headed to Orlando and looking for speakers to join our incredible lineup. Being a speaker is an amazing opportunity to showcase your hard work, build your brand, and grow your network. If you’re a changemaker, storyteller, or ... more

A hearty thanks to everyone who helped pass the torch during the Winter Olympics, to help spread the word about the Blackbaud Community. Stats.. because who doesn't love STATS! We have 33 newly minted "Community Scouts" from the contest. That's 33 members who successfully invited another member to join!  We had 982 new users join Community between the ... more

We have two exciting community events happening in March! Community Walk-Through On March 13, 2018 at 3:30 pm (est) we will hold a community walk-through to show you the ins-and-outs of navigating the Blackbaud community.  If you’re new to the community or just want to learn more about it, please join us.  We will be discussing setting up your profile, ... more

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The following information is taken from the webpage https://www.blackbaud.com/general-data-protection-regulation that contains more in-depth information. Data protection laws across Europe are undergoing their first substantial changes in approximately 20 years. The General Data Protection ... more

The Winter Olympics are winding down, but you still have a few days to Pass the Torch and make it to the podium! more

Hi Community!   As February speeds by, I wanted to share the Q4 2017 Community by the Numbers with you! Even with the holidays, the Community was busy learning, engaging, & connecting.   It’s numbers like that that make me happy seeing all continue to use the Community to push yourself and your organization’s mission forward. Keep it up, favorite ... more

The 2018 Winter Olympics are here!  Let's kick things off with a new contest in Community.  We are giving away TEN Blackbaud swag bags and playing is super easy -- here's how you can help "Pass the Torch" and relay the message about our awesome Community. Starting today, Friday, February 9th at 9am est until (almost) the end of the 2018 Winter Olympics on ... more

On the eve of the 2018 Winter Olympics, we want to take a moment to acknowledge our top ten Community leaders. Between the ten of them, they have a collective 209,000 points. Seven of them are already Community Visionaries! These Lifetime Leaders are definitely gold medalists when it comes to activity in our Community, you will probably see them ... more

Hi Community!   Blackbaud is notorious for acronyms but there are two very important ones to discuss today: TLS and GDPR. Get ready, these are some epic changes!   TLS TLS stands for “Transport Layer Security” and is a protocol that provides privacy and data integrity between two communication applications. Per the PCI Security Standards, Blackbaud ... more

Happy February Community!   Normally I don’t post this late in the week but your community managers have been hard at work planning to make 2018 successful. Like others, we have a lot of plates to keep spinning and it can get overwhelming quickly. I figured I’d share three things I’ve been doing to keep on track. Plan ahead to keep organized. Make daily ... more

On 15 March 2018 Blackbaud will be disabling TLS 1.0 across it's solutions in alignment with industry best practices set forth by the PCI Standards Council. We have previously blogged about how you will need to take action to prevent disruption in your Blackbaud solutions. You can find that information here . TLS disablement will also impact your ... more

Hello Community!   Last week I did something new – I went on a cruise. This means I willingly got on a floating city with a whole slew of other people to see 90’s hip hop artists perform for four days.   I won’t go into details because what happens on international seas stays on international seas. I may not find myself on a cruise any time soon but I can check the ... more

We are thrilled to have had so many responses about becoming a host for our User Roadshows this year and are happy to announce our first stops of 2018!   Q1 User Roadshows Target Locations: Atlanta Los Angeles Washington, D.C. And possibly Seattle!   We still need your help! If you are in Atlanta,  Philadelphia, or San Francisco areas and are ... more

Hello Community!   This week I am going to keep things simple because you all are very busy right now – the start of the year, receipts, tax season, new year’s resolutions, or even simply wondering when the snow will stop – we’re all up to something.   While I’m ready to tackle 2018, I feel like this week needs a boost and maybe a virtual high five from me to you.  ... more

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a gift card in our Season of Giving contest. We have selected our winners! $25 gift card: Preston Meche with the Louisiana SPCA $50 gift card: Beth Romano with the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg $100 gift card: Christine Cooke  with Charles Armstrong School Thanks to everyone who played - we had: 1,469 ... more

2018 has arrived and many of you have told me your New Years resolution is to start using the Community more. I wanted to put together a quick "getting started" guide for using and getting involved in Community. There are a lot of features to this Community you may not know about. A good place to start is the HELP tab on the top navigation menu. This page will ... more

Our Season of Giving contest is coming to a close, but there is still a chance for you to win! more

Hello Community!   Welcome to 2018!    As I reflected on 2017, I realized my important memories revolved around people. Whether starting out the new year with impromptu snowball fights, or love & support during a health issue, or jokes & friendship at work, people made my 2017 memorable. Even the less than stellar moments left me with important lessons: ... more

Hello Community and Happy Holidays!  Let's Talk! Did you know, that with each community reply you could be earning points to redeem real rewards and swag? It's called the Champions program and now is the perfect time to join! Why become a Champion? Check out this video and/or read on! When you share your experiences and expertise and help us spread the ... more

For this week’s Community Happenings, I decided to take a stab at a holiday classic with a Community twist and took some obvious liberties. Enjoy, favorite Community, and I’ll see you next week. ‘Twas the week before a certain jolly man’s holiday, when all through the Community People were sharing knowledge as they came together in unity; The posts were ... more

Wow, another year, and another incredible group of winners of the Robert C. Hernandez Awards of Excellence. Today marked the second annual presentation of the awards, with a touching online ceremony and some of Community and Champion's finest. If you couldn't make the presentation, check out the recording (it's only about 20 mins long) here:  ... more

A conversation overheard at my house today:   “Remind me not to do so many holiday activities next year.” “Sure. It’s not like that stops you any other year. You’re a force to be reckoned with when you want to do something. ”   That stuck with me as I hauled my potluck contributions into the office today – a force to be reckoned with . It made me stand taller ... more

The Season of Giving is entering week two and it's never been easier to win a $25, $50, or $100 gift card! more

Hello Community!   Before getting to the Community, I wanted to share something from one of my previous posts: the eyeless turkey luminary. Before: After: Of course, this is my staged picture during the light of day and not in the early morning hours, glowing suspiciously in the kitchen and looking like something that would haunt your dreams.   At the end ... more

The Season of Giving is back! This season we are giving away THREE gift cards valued at $25, $50, and $100.   Here's how you can play: Think of it as building a snowman .... (do you want to build a snowmannnnn?)    The first challenge is the snowman's base - super easy! If completed, you'll be entered to win a $25 gift card. Click on the snowman to read more about ... more

Do you dream of bringing together local users   and   Blackbaud te ch experts for a meeting of the minds,  right in your  community ? Here’s your chance!  We’re currently searching for host venues for our 2018 User Roadshows in, but not limited to, the following cities:      Atlanta   Boston   Chicago   Houston   Los Angeles   New York City   ... more

Hello Community!   Today’s not just any ordinary Tuesday– it’s #GivingTuesday! Your Community Team is rooting for all our members participating to #TurnYourTuesday into something awesome. Check out what we have going on in the Blackbaud Community for this momentous day: Join Blackbaud as we ring the NASDAQ Stock Market opening bell from 9AM-10AM ... more

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow! Watch Blackbaud ring the opening bell. more

Last year we started a brand new tradition in the Blackbaud Community & Champions, the Robert C. Hernandez Award of Excellence.  For those who are not familiar with this prestigious honor, the Robert C. Hernandez Award is awarded to five outstanding Blackbaud Community Members and Champions who have made significant contributions to the Blackbaud ... more

Giving Tuesday is on November 28th! Download our FREE graphics to help you spread the word on your social media pages. This year, we've got twitter graphics and facebook graphics for you to upload and share.  Be sure to check out our Giving Tuesday page right here in Community! Do you have a social media strategy for Giving Tuesday this year? Let us know in ... more

Hello Community!   Last weekend I made my first fall wreath and a turkey luminary. As I shopped, I couldn’t find a lot of fall items. I checked the date on my phone because all I could see was red, green, white, and a certain large man who shimmies down chimneys.   It dawned on me that we are always in a hurry to get to the next big thing. Holidays, work, vacations, ... more

Dearest Blackbaud Community, This will be my final helpful hint to you as I'm moving on to a new and exciting role at Blackbaud. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you over the past three years. From the original 10 community members who sat in that Indianapolis conference room with me three years ago, testing and giving feedback on the ... more

Well, bbcon has finally come and gone, and what an amazing week it was. Even over a week later your community management team is inspired daily by the inspiring conversations and influential feedback we received both online and on the show floor. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello! A big thank you especially to the 150 community members that ... more

Happy Halloween Community!   It’s the spookiest day of the year filled ghouls and witches. Tricks are being played while there are enough treats to make your teeth hurt. Today you can be anything you want -  avocado toast, a pirate, or your favorite nightmarish bad guy.   Talking about costumes– I want to see your Halloween finest in our  Boo-baud ... more

Hopefully you’ve heard about TLS and the changes to TLS recommended by the PCI Security Standards Council. The bottom line? You may need to take action to remain PCI Compliant and retain full functionality in your software solutions.  But don’t worry – we have you covered!   more

Hello Community!   After last week’s bbcon shenanigans, we are back to business in the Community and this week I want to share the Q3 Community by the Numbers :   I love seeing those quarterly numbers because it shows me how invested you are in pushing yourself and your organizations to be better. Keep it up, Community! Your Community Managers have a few ... more

Hello Community!   It’s here! It’s here! bbcon 2017 has arrived. We’re excited in the Blackbaud offices and can only imagine the energy in Baltimore.   If you’re not there in person, let me show you how we’re bringing bbcon to the Community this week: Get jazzed each day with our bbcon 2017 playlist compiled by fellow community members. What’s your ... more

It's almost time for bbcon 2017 in Baltimore!   more

The week before bbcon is an interesting time to be in the Blackbaud offices. There's an energy around bbcon that is almost indescribable. We've spent a lot of time and virtual ink talking about all of the learning opportunities offered at bbcon. If you need a reminder, you can find them here and here and here and even here . This week, I'd like to focus on another aspect of bbcon - the fun! And, just so the Community members who aren't attending bbcon (or who attended one of our international conferences instead) don't feel left out, I'm going to talk about things you can do online as well as on the ground at the event. more

Hello Community!   In one week, thousands of social good professionals will be heading to Baltimore, MD for bbcon 2017!   Can I get a WOO-HOO? Or maybe just a small woot.   First things first – are you heading to bbcon? Add this to your list: Go meet Ami Defesche at the Blackbaud Community & Champions booth in the Expo Hall. She’s the one with pink hair and ... more

If you haven't heard the great news, Blackbaud has completed the acquisition of United Kingdom-based online fundraising services provider JustGiving ™, whose online social giving platform has played a powerful role in the growth of peer-to-peer fundraising. JustGiving’s platform as helped individual change agents in 164 countries raise over ... more

Many of my helpful hints talk about how important it is that you look like a human and not a robot in the community. A complete community profile will help you get answers faster (people talk to people, not robots) and build out your professional network (people connect with people, not robots). Bottom line, your profile humanizes you. Recently, I wrote a ... more

Hello Community!   As bbcon 2017 draws nearer and everyone’s autocorrect desperately tries to convince you it should be bacon , I’m spotlighting what we will be doing in person and in the Community.   Get connected at bbcon 2017 by joining a meetup. Join Ami Defesche on the expo floor or join the rest of your community managers in our online meetups. You can ... more

Happy Monday Community Awesomestars! I spent last week at a fabulous summit in beautiful Los Angeles and am feeling energized and inspired (which is probably why I'm inventing new words). While my extreme levels of introversion make summits and conferences really challenging, I absolutely love the collaborative learning and validating ... more

Are you ready for your FINAL challenge in our Summer School contest? We have one more Blackbaud University pass up for grabs! more

Ahoy Community!   Three years ago, I wrapped up two long days filled with community vendor demos as part of the community consolidation project. Unbeknownst to me at that moment, it was one of my first days as a community manager.   It also happened to be “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and I had been given a cardboard pirate hat. To appear professional, I waited ... more

It's yearbook photo time in our Summer School contest. We are giving away TWO more passes to Blackbaud University Day at bbcon 2017 in Baltimore. more

I often talk about how important it is to be a human in the Community ( here's an example ). One of the best ways to show off your human-ness (other than making up words on the fly) is to have a strong profile in the community. There are several different schools of thought when it comes to creating and managing an online profile. My personal preference is to ... more

It's time for a look at what's happening in the Blackbaud Community! more

It's time for Study Hall... are you ready?! We are giving away a pass to Blackbaud University Day at bbcon. Your next challenge is ready to go! more

We have some really big things coming down the pipeline for Community and we want you to be a part of it! I cordially invite you (and everyone in the Blackbaud Community) to take 10 minutes of their day to complete this ten (10) question survey and help us shape the future of the Blackbaud Community experience. It doesn't matter if you're a 30 year veteran of ... more

It's only my second year at Blackbaud, but for the second year in a row, bbcon feels like it snuck up on me like the Starbucks PSL. One moment it's summer and I'm soaking up rays by the pool (Just kidding. I live in Texas and hide from the sun all summer, but that's not as nice an image), the next moment I'm sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte and scribbling booth plans ... more

We are launching Summer School: Second Semester. It's a chance for you to win a free pass to Blackbaud University Day at bbcon 2017 in Baltimore! more

It's your last chance to win a pass to bbcon 2017 in Baltimore! more

For the past couple of weeks, these helpful hints have been focused on searching the Community. First, we talked about global search and then we covered product-specific search . But what happens if you can't find your answer in the Community, in Knowledgebase, or in the Help Docs? Where do you go to ask your question? Well, a few months ago one of our ... more

Hi Community!   I’m going to keep my Community Happenings short this week. Between a lovely bout of insomnia and world events, I’m a wee bit tapped out today.   Talking about world events - it’s heartbreaking to see the devastation in South and Central Texas from Hurricane Harvey. Yet it’s inspiring watching people help one another selflessly at the most ... more

In my last helpful hint , I talked about how to use the global search tool on the home page of the community. This tool is awesome for broad searches that might include results from multiple products. However, sometimes you just want to search for an answer in a single product. Or you're thinking about asking a question in the community and before you do, you ... more

Hi Community!   Sorry you all haven’t heard from me in a week or so. I was sick last week and it reminded me that it’s important to stop and take care of yourself.   Today I’ll remind each of you to do the same. Your missions are important so if you don’t take care of yourself that’s one less person making the world a better place. Now more than ever we need you to be ... more

Earn points in the Community and climb the leaderboard for a chance to win a pass to bbcon 2017! more

The results are in for our bbcon video contest!  more

I'm dusting off an old post for this week's helpful hint because it's always important to know where to find help. Plus, we've added a special new feature to our help page - a collection of all my helpful hints in one convenient drop down menu! So without further ado and only limited additional self-promotion, here's how to find help in the Blackbaud ... more

Hi Community!   I learned an important lesson last week – things can go wrong even with all the plans in place. Why? I ran into a technical issue after publishing last week’s video digest that meant most of you didn’t get to see the video.   After some fist shaking, I decided to try again because I had gotten past my nerves and was determined to make it work.   ... more

The entries are in and 14 Community members are looking for YOUR vote to help them win a pass to bbcon 2017. more

We are giving away a pass to bbcon 2017 in Baltimore and all you have to do is record a 15-20 second video telling us why you are excited about bbcon! The deadline to submit the video is 5pm (est) today! We have five videos and need JUST FIVE MORE to qualify the contest. Submit your videos: ... more

This week I am going to digress a little for my usual helpful hints. Instead, I'd like to talk about this badge: This badge can be found on the profiles of some of the most awesome members of the Community. Why? Because it's our Blackbaud Champions badge . We all spend a lot of time here in the Blackbaud Community - answering questions, seeking advice, and ... more

Hi Community!   I did something daring this week. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and recorded the first ever Community Happenings VIDEO digest.   I can literally hear the gasps. Just kidding! That’s me hyperventilating about sharing my video with you.   Take a few minutes and SEE what’s happening in the Community this week (links are provided after ... more

A BIG Congratulations to the winners of our Summer School essay contest! The blogs with the most votes were.... Elizabeth Johnson's: " Procedures Manual: A Living Document " Mark Gutcheon's: " Clean Up. Clean Up. Everybody, Everywhere " Both Elizabeth and Mark will be attending bbcon2017 this year in Baltimore! Leave a note of congratulations here ... more

Did you know that your team of Blackbaud Community Managers sit down for a couple hours every week and talk about ways we can make this Community better for you? Did you also know that a lot of our ideas and programs start with an idea our community members shared with us? One of the things we're most proud of as a Community team is our commitment to building and ... more

Hi Community!   Do me a favor. Turn on your speakers, turn up the volume, and click here to celebrate !   Of course, feel free to skip those pesky commercials.   Why? YOU DID IT! Seventeen of your fellow community members have submitted blogs for the bbcon contest! I couldn’t be more thrilled. This community manager’s heart swelled with pride when I saw the ... more

The entries are now in for our Summer School blog contest. Every blog we received is fantastic. It's time for you to vote for your favorite!   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CHECK OUT THE BLOGS HERE! ... more

Tick tock! You have until the end of the day today (5pm est) to get your "essays" in for our Summer School contest. more

Hello Community!   This year I’ve focused on my professional development and elevating my community manager reputation (or as I like to call it: CM street cred).   I’m working towards my goal but haven’t authored either a formal paper or a blog post.  It can be daunting – my name and reputation would be out there for the world to see it when it’s published. I ... more

We are excited to announce Emmy®-nominated and Golden Globe® award-winner, Robin Wright, will take the mainstage at bbcon 2017! You may know her as the First Lady on House of Cards , Forest Gump’s best friend, or Antiope from the blockbuster Wonder Woman ; but at bbcon 2017, you’ll get to know Robin Wright for her most important role as public advocate, ... more

Earlier this week we announced that we are giving away four bbcon passes in our Summer School contest . One element of the contest is writing a best practices blog post, which I talked about in my helpful hints post last week . Another exciting element of the contest is the introduction of the Community Leaderboard. The Community Leaderboard is actually ... more

Hello Community!   As we enter the last half of 2017, I wanted to give you a quick update on what’s happening in the Community second quarter edition of Community by the Numbers :   Wow, you all have been busy bees learning, connecting, and engaging with us! Keep up the good work, it looks like a stellar year in the Blackbaud Community.   Now let’s get to what ... more

Show off your nonprofit knowledge and win a pass to bbcon 2017! Summer School in the Blackbaud Community is NOW in session. more

By now you undoubtedly know that there are blogs in the Blackbaud Community (after all, you're reading one now!). But, did you know that there are opportunities available for community members to contribute to those blogs? Today I'd like to share a few tips and tricks for writing a compelling blog post and then I'll introduce you to how you can become a ... more

Hello Community!   I know the day’s wrapping up but why not end your day with a recap of everything happening in the Community? I could be a bit biased (as if my job depended on it) but I do love our Community. Seeing everyone interact brings warm fuzzies to this Community Manager so keep up the good work.   Alright, enough of that, here’s what’s happening in ... more

OTG Sign Up is now closed. Calling all developers!! It is our pleasure to invite you to be a customer representative for one of Blackbaud's Off The Grid teams July 27-28. As part of one of a team, you have the chance to collaborate on a project that could end up as a new feature in Blackbaud solutions one day and you could even win a free trip to bbcon 2017!  If you ... more

Hello Community!   Yesterday marked the 20 th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book being published.   I’ll always remember dressing up for the movie premieres - homemade wands, lightning bolts, and even a cat tail and ears. It became a tradition for my friends – a moment to reconnect around something that had become entwined in our lives.   Once I ... more

If you haven't heard the great news, Blackbaud entered into an agreement to acquire United Kingdom-based online fundraising services provider  JustGiving™ , whose online social giving platform has played a powerful role in the growth of peer-to-peer fundraising. JustGiving’s platform has helped individual change agents in 164 countries raise ... more

Last week I shared with you how actions you take in the community can earn you points . This week I'd like to talk about what those points mean. Have you noticed the "My Community Activity Level and Points" section of the MyCommunity page ? It looks something like this: The badge (a cute little owl in my case) indicates your authority level in the community ... more

Hello Community!   As summer settles in so does the realization that we’re halfway through 2017. On this side of the screen, we’ve welcomed a new community manager, worked through several new concepts, and are ready to achieve our goals.   This is may be a good time for you to ask “Am I on the way to achieving my 2017 goals so far?”  Life can get in the way and ... more

Did you know every time you take actions in the Blackbaud Community, you are earning points? Those points are then used to determine your community rank and your community authority level (I'll talk more about both of these in future helpful hints posts). Today, I'd like to start with the basics. Here is a list of the actions in the Blackbaud Community and ... more

Updated with clarification: While your email address and password help secure your Blackbaud ID used to sign in to the Blackbaud Community (as well as solutions like Raiser’s Edge NXT, Financial Edge NXT, and Luminate Beta), you can now try an extra layer of security! With two-step authentication, your Blackbaud ID requires a unique verification code — received on your personal device, to confirm your identity — in addition to your usual credentials. If you don't currently sign in with Google, you can now try two-step authentication as part of an Early Access Program!   more

Hello Community!   Exciting news first: I’m back from the worst vacation ever! I’m almost fully recovered (just two weeks before I can get back to lifting my 60 lb. dumbbells – ha) and feeling a lot better.   Of course the world didn't stop while I was out so I look like this guy to the right so let's get right to it:  Make an Appearance Five years and running, ... more

Hello Community, It's time for my first Community Happenings! Wooo! Whenever you're working on something new in your life, as I am here at Blackbaud, it's always great to have the support of those around you. The other community managers, as well as the members of the community, have all been extremely supportive during my transition into this ... more

Hey Community! In this special bonus edition of Holly's Helpful Hints, I'm turning my keyboard and my awesome headline photo over to our newest Community Manager, Jon, to share a cool opportunity for any of you who might happen to have professional blogs. So, with that, here's your note from Jon: Hello Blackbaud Commiunity!  I'm your new community ... more

Hello Community! It's always great to get a fresh perspective. Last week we welcomed a 5th Community Member to our amazing team, Jon Nelson . It's always interesting when you get the opportunity to see a new perspective on what you see and do every day. It's so easy to get in the groove and follow your routine, but there's something refreshing about a brand ... more

We've had a TON of friend requests flying around the community this past month, thanks to our Spring into Action contest. With all these new people coming into the Community, I thought it was time to dust off one of my older posts about welcoming all of our members to the site. The Community is a great place to build and nurture your professsional network and ... more

Hi Community, I'm filling in for Shannon this week on Community Happenings!  It's an exciting time to be a member of the Blackbaud Community. Last week alone, we saw 5,259 friend requests sent in Community. It's fantastic to see community members build strong connections. It's even more exciting when they acknowledge each other for the help they are ... more

On the morning of Friday, May 12, Blackbaud security became aware of a global cyber-attack that was spreading quickly.   The Blackbaud Security team implemented our CSIRT procedures and took four actions: Evaluate the threat Determine exposure Implement countermeasures Test and communicate   All systems are patched and not vulnerable to the ... more

Hello Community! Not all superheroes wear capes. We’ve heard that phrase before and last week, you shared your own personal superheroes . This week, I’m sharing mine with you – my fellow Community managers: Ami Defesche , Crystal Bruce & Holly Herbert .   Why? I’m preparing to be out for what I’m calling the worst vacation ever (medical procedure & ... more

Working in the nonprofit world can sometimes be a thankless job (see my post from last week for more on this). Your Blackbaud Community team wants to make sure all of your hard work doesn't go uncelebrated. We love shining a spotlight on the outstanding work our community members do. Here are some helpful hints on how to keep that spotlight bright: 1. Check ... more

Hello Community!   Before I get to the good stuff, I wanted to share something with you. Don’t worry, it’s not angst about finding the right theme for this week’s Community Happenings. It’s actually a result of that.   Viola! I took each of the “what to do when I run out of inspiration” ideas left on last week’s post and made an “Inspiration Corner.”   Super ... more

Graduation season is upon us. Soon a fresh new group of bright-eyed nonprofit professionals will enter the workforce, filled with passion for the work and driven to change the world. A few weeks ago I asked the Community to share tips they wish they had known when they started their nonprofit careers. I've decided to take those tips (and a few of my own) and ... more

Hello Community!   Can I let you in on a little secret? While you all get to see the end results of my Community Happenings posts, they often start as thoughts like this:   "Is there a holiday today? How I can connect peanut butter and jelly to the nonprofit world? Will they find it boring? What if I did a political theme…ha, no, I like my job."   This week has me ... more

Challenge #1 of Spring into Action ends Friday. You MUST  complete it in order to advance. Enter to win this week! more

In case you missed the news, we recently announced that our community is growing! We've officially launched an everydayhero Community and a RELO Community . In honor of those new communities, I'm dusting off an old helpful hint: How to pick your products!  Picking products in the Community will: 1. Display options that will be interesting to you on your ... more

Hello favorite Community! Can you all believe the first quarter of 2017 is over?   The Blackbaud Community has been movin’ and groovin’ this year and I wanted to share a quick Community by the Numbers update with you all!     We have been busy, haven't we? It makes this community manager's heart swell with pride!   In the meantime, let’s see what’s happening ... more

We invite you to Spring into Action ... and win! more

We've given the login page a brand new look! When you sign into Blackbaud Community , you can now choose to use a new streamlined login. From here, you'll sign in — including through Google — and manage your password as you always have. As before, you'll also use this same login and account to access other Blackbaud resources like Raiser's Edge NXT. Just ... more

Since you're a valued member of the Blackbaud Community, we're letting you know FIRST that bbcon 2017 registration is opening soon! We’re preparing for the best bbcon, yet, and we’re working hard to deliver an unmatched experience designed specifically for you. bbcon 2017 will be October 17-19th in Baltimore, Maryland. This year, you’ll have access ... more

Hello favorite Community! I’m back from San Diego after finishing my first professional presentation. While I’ve done public speaking before, it was my first community management subject matter expert presentation.   I make that distinction since I figure being a zombie subject matter expert doesn’t count for your career. What a shame.   Even now a ... more

We're excited to announce that Blackbaud has acquired AcademicWorks, the market leader in scholarship management for higher education and K-12 institutions, foundations and grant-making institutions.   In line with Blackbaud’s focus on leading the market with integrated, complete solutions to advance our customers’ missions, the ... more

Welcome to the Community, RELO & everydayhero! more

Hello favorite community ever! Did you miss me last week? I missed you!   Before I get started I have a favor to ask. We want to change up the Best Practices community and we’re looking for your input. Take this short poll to help us shape your experience. Also, if you check out my discussion , there’s a cute dog picture. True story.   Now let’s get to it:   Make an ... more

As part of our commitment to sector-leading security, Blackbaud is in the process of updating a number of cyphers we use to encrypt HTTPS traffic. This update is intended to help our customers stay ahead of the ever-evolving tactics used by cyber-criminals and hackers.     It is possible that a very low number of customers and/or their constituents may ... more

Blackbaud is currently at NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference broadcasting live speaker interviews and sharing insights from conference attendees—Don’t miss the action on Facebook Live:  http://ow.ly/jAFp30abIxa  more

Every day the Blackbaud Community gets asked tons of questions and our community members give tons of answers in return. But for someone who is new to the community experience, sharing an answer - even when you know it - can be daunting. So this week's helpful hint is about how to put together a helpful response (or tip) in the community. There are basically ... more

Happy Pi Day! For some, today will be about celebrating the mathematical constant (π) while for this Community Manager, it’s about how to fit actual pie into my day.   I’m eating pizza later so that counts right? Yet if I’m honest, I’ll find a way to incorporate a sweet pie into my day at some point.   Before I go on about pie (there’s strawberry, cherry, ... more

Today is International Women’s Day – a day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. Working in the tech industry, I’ve worked with amazing women who push boundaries and strive to do innovative things each and every day.  There are amazing women right here in the Blackbaud Community that strive to achieve ... more

Anyone remember this guy in the Community? Believe it or not, it’s been two years since the new Blackbaud Community prepared to go live. The official go live date is technically tomorrow but that Sunday filled with testing, check-in calls, and Raiser's Edge orange etched into my eyeballs will be a day of infamy for this Community Manager. Yes, infamy.   ... more

There's no holiday today and I don't have a heartwarming story to share this week so I turned to everyone's trusted source - Google - for inspiration. As it turns out today is Alan Rickman & Jennifer Love Hewitt’s birthday! Don’t worry, your Community Happenings won’t be filled with references to Harry Potter or the Ghost Whisperer .   Or will it? Just ... more

Have you heard? There’s a cherub flying around and shooting people with arrows in the name of love today! If you’re wondering what I’m talking about or if I've gone off my rocker – HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!   Today is a day of chocolates, flowers, and the ultimate four letter word – LOVE . Whether you grimace at the sight of all the red and pink or smile with glee, ... more

Before getting down to business, I want to share a heartwarming moment. If you're allergic to warm fuzzies, I'd recommend scrolling down now to the links at the bottom. I won't be offended.    I was out of the office yesterday so I’ve been in catch up mode today. You know the drill: check email. Drink coffee. Respond. Drink more coffee.   Then an email from a ... more

We have three mission pillars in the Blackbaud Community – Learn. Engage. Connect.   Three words that really define the space. We learn from each other, we engage in discussion, and we build connections with other nonprofit professionals. But, at the core of it all… is you.   As you’ll see, 2016 was a fantastic year in the Blackbaud Community.   As we ... more

It’s a new year and I’m shaking up my weekly posts to help you explore the Community. Besides discussions, I’ll spotlight events, resources, member spotlights, and more each week.  Let’s get started!   Make an Appearance Did you know that the average nonprofit has inaccurate mailing addresses for 14% of its constituents? Join us on February 16 to ... more

2017 is in full swing! It's time to kick off the new year with new friends. The Blackbaud Community is a great place to start building professional connections. Need a little incentive??.. Read on! more

Recently I've seen a lot of conversations throughout the community from members seeking to connect with people in their geographic area, nonprofit vertical, Blackbaud solution(s), etc. and I realized I haven't written a helpful hint about one of my favorite parts of the Community: the Member Search page! I've said time and again, the most incredible ... more

It’s that time of the year when the workday seems a little longer – holiday activities and family visits push projects aside. It’s a little quieter and everyone’s a little friendlier, a little nicer, and a little more apt to laugh. It’s one of my favorite times of the year - the holiday season. Speaking of favorites – here are last week’s trending topics in ... more

If you're day dreaming about the upcoming holidays or coming up with new year's resolutions, you're not alone. Pretend that cup of coffee is your favorite holiday beverage and catch up on what's been happening in the Blackbaud Community: The last week of the Season of Giving contest has arrived! There's been fierce competition and a lot of fun. Make ... more

2016 has been a year of growth and evolution for the Blackbaud Community and today I am proud to announce the most recent step in that evolution - the SKY API Community . The SKY API Community gives you a glimpse into the future of nonprofit technology. You may have heard about a cool demo at bbcon this year with Amazon's Alexa. Here's how it went: Imagine ... more

Time flies when you’re having fun – and the Blackbaud Community has been filled with fun. What have you been missing?    When collaborating or sharing ideas, your Blackbaud Community team uses Office 365 and other tools to collaborate. What do you use?   Can you set up an event in eTapestry like a pro? Share your skills and pass on the knowledge. This one ... more

The single greatest resource in the Blackbaud Community is our members. With tens of thousands of experts in nonprofit management, technology, data management, etc. in the site, the collective knowledge of our membership is staggering. One of the best ways to tap into that collective knowledge is by sending and accepting friend requests ( here's a ... more

Have you heard? It’s #GivingTuesday!   This week I’m showing off what’s going on for this fantastic day right here in the Community: Help us kick off #GivingTuesday when Blackbaud takes over the NASDAQ tower. You can watch the livestream on our #TurnYourTuesday Social Wall . Check out the insane amount of tweets in honor of #GivingTuesday! WOW! There ... more

It's the season of giving and we are getting into the spirit. We are launching a new contest in the Community - ready to play? more

Whew! Last week was a doozy - daylight savings, elections, and our ever moving and grooving Blackbaud Community.   What did you miss? Check it out: We still want to hear about your sustained giving program! Head on over to our Best Practices discussion and let us know about your organization’s sustained program. Your Blackbaud team is preparing ... more

We've enjoyed seeing all of your season profile pictures here in the Community, so let's keep it going!  It's time to show us your self(ie) -- HOLIDAY EDITION ! Change or add a profile pic showing off the fall/winter season, holidays, traditions you celebrate, your pets all decked out, an ugly Christmas sweater... you get the idea. Anything that is ... more

One thing I love about the Blackbaud Community is how friendly and helpful everyone is. It's so nice coming to work every day and having my inbox flooded with messages of community members helping each other by sharing tips and tricks, troubleshooting issues, or even refining ideas. However, like any large public space, sometimes content or users ... more

If you've looked at the Blackbaud Community homepage recently, you'll notice the three words: "Learn. Engage. Connect." These words represent our goals for community members. We want the community to be a place where you can access knowledge. We want you to ask questions of and provide answers to your fellow community members. And we want you to be able ... more

I know, I know, you’ve missed my trending topics recap in the Community lately due to this little conference called bbcon. Never fear, I’m back and running at top speed in the Blackbaud Community for you. What did you miss? Check it out: Calling all Luminate clients – guess what?! Luminate clients now can access Luminate Beta. You can read this  ... more

WELCOME TO #bbcon2016!  We’re all very excited to kick-off bbcon this morning.  And, for the first time ever we are livestreaming bbcon keynotes exclusively in the Blackbaud Community ! You can find all links and times (all EDT) below.   KEYTNOTES www.livestream.com/Blackbaud/bbcon Password: Moments2016   Tune in at the following broadcast ... more

We’re excited to announce the day you were all waiting for is here – bbcon 2016!  Your Community Managers wanted to bring a bit of bbcon right to you and your desk. How are we doing that? Check it out:   Join a Big Green Couch Chat where Blackbaud nonprofit experts will discuss various topics to help your organization succeed. These 30 minute talks are coming ... more

We are currently experiencing issues due to the nation-wide DNS outage.  Products such as FE:NXT, RE:NXT, and ResearchPoint might experience brief periods of unavailability while this is being addressed.  For further updates, please visit Dyn's website at https://www.dynstatus.com/incidents/nlr4yrr162t8 .   more

Thanks to everyone who changed their profile picture for last month's "Show Us Your Self(ie)" contest! We'll be drawing a winner soon. Now, we want you to show off those Halloween costumes! A picture of you in your costume  You and your family all decked out Just your kiddos all dressed up A picture of your pup or kitty in their costume Any Halloween ... more

Let’s talk about what’s got Blackbaud buzzing this time of year – bbcon 2016. Amazing things are happening here in the Community and at bbcon itself. Going to bbcon or not – we have you covered. Not able to go to bbcon 2016 this year? Join the online experience: Big Green Couch Chats are quick 15-20 minute live chats with industry leaders discussing ... more

The path of destruction left behind by Hurricane Matthew is unfathomable. Relief efforts are underway from Haiti up to North Carolina. Blackbaud would like to highlight any organizations helping out in the aftermath of this catastrophic storm. more

Our Blackbaud, Inc. office in Charleston, SC will resume normal operations starting tomorrow, October 11, 2016. All of our o ther office locations continue to operate normally.   Blackbaud Customer Support will operate with a reduced staff to handle only customer emergencies until tomorrow,  October 11 . Normal operations will resume tomorrow. If ... more

Our Blackbaud, Inc. office in Charleston, SC is closed Wednesday, October 5 through Monday, October 10 due to Hurricane Matthew to ensure the safety of our employees. Our other office locations will remain open as normal.   Blackbaud Customer Support will operate with a severely reduced staff to handle only customer emergencies until Thursday, ... more

Our Blackbaud, Inc. office in Charleston, SC office is closed Wednesday, October 5 through Friday, October 7 due to Hurricane Matthew. Our other office locations will remain open as normal. Blackbaud C ustomer Support will operate with a severely reduced staff to handle only customer emergencies. For non-critical issues, we ask that you please use ... more

Wasn’t it just summer? Now fall and pumpkin spice everything is here - including pumpkin spice cereal. I skipped right past that at the store this weekend, if you were wondering.  Let’s get to some trending topics: Heading to bbcon 2016? Learn more about being a newbie on a budget from fellow members. While you’re over there, check out the rest of our bbcon ... more

One of my favorite things about our Blackbaud Community is just how much "stuff" you can include in a discussion topic. So today I'd like to focus on adding photos in a discussion post to help convey your message. A picture is worth a thousand words. Adding a photo helps illustrate what you are experiencing or how you are approaching a solution. To add a ... more

Did you miss your trending topics from last week? I’ve been busy looking at all the selfies for Show Us Your Self(ie) . I have to say, you all are good with the selfies! Keep it up!   Let’s get down to business: Have you figured out a way to give change on a gift certificate? Help a fellow member and provide your opinions. How do you handle re-enrollment for ... more

Last week I talked a lot about the options you have when you are viewing a specific discussion topic . This week, I'd like to talk a little about how you can organize all the discussion topics you are interested in following or in which you participate. 1. Subscriptions You can subscribe to a specific discussion topic by clicking on the subscribe link below ... more

Connecting in the Blackbaud Community starts with getting to know our members. A key piece of that is having a profile photo.  more

Happy Thursday, Blackbaud Community! Did you know that every week the Blackbaud Community has over 120 new questions asked and provides over 400 responses? That's a lot of information being shared and sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything that's happening. I'm here to help. This week I'm going to focus on everything you find on a discussion ... more

Last month, we asked you to Rise to the Challenge. Boy, YOU DID! We had a ton of great engagement, blog entries, and Community member spotlights.  By the numbers: 57 Community Member Spotlight Submissions 11 Blog Submissions 5,301 friend requests 6,076 likes given Those are just a few! Overall, everyone really stepped up to the challenge and we are ... more

It’s Tuesday and you’re thinking to yourself “what happened in the Blackbaud Community last week?”   I have you covered: Does your organization have a reception area that requires some maneuvering for large crowds? Do you have the master plan for a large scale event in a tiny space? Share your crowd control wisdom in the Altru Community. Are you using ... more

Whoa! Who else can believe it's September already? The kids are in back in school, new projects at work are starting and if you ask most big box stores, the holiday season is here - complete with decorations. In case you missed it last week (maybe that last minute summer vacation was calling) here’s what was happening in the Blackbaud Community: Good data ... more

In case you missed it, here are a few trending topics you might have missed last week in the Blackbaud Community! Are you an email guru? Do you have some email best practices to share with your fellow Community members in this  Welcome Series Clickthrough Rate  discussion? It may be in the Luminate Online Community but anyone can  join the discussion to ... more

Have you noticed that when you log into Facebook or LinkedIn, you start your experience on a dashboard page? These dashboard pages are the hub of your Facebook or LinkedIn experience. Well, the Blackbaud Community has a similar experience. It's called MyCommunity and can be found on the top of any page in the community. The MyCommunity page is designed ... more

Go for the gold by submitting a blog to the Blackbaud Community for possible publishing!  more

Our Rise to the Challenge contest is underway. Last week, you went for the bronze. This week, go for the silver! more

The Olympics are in full swing and we want to celebrate by giving you a chance to win one of FIVE bbcon passes!  more

We will be performing routine maintenance in the Blackbaud Community on Saturday, August 6th between 10:00PM and 1 AM EDT.  The Blackbaud Community and Small World Community APIs may be inaccessible during this time. Thank you! more

If you haven't heard the great news, Blackbaud acquired Attentive.ly yesterday! This acquisition delivers key integrated, critical social media and advocacy capabilities to our solution portfolio. Attentive.ly  is  a social marketing software provider within the Blackbaud Partner Network that allows nonprofit organizations to conduct ... more

Greetings Community!   You may have noticed that the Blackbaud Community site got a bit of a face lift this week. Okay, a major face lift! Welcome to your shiny, new, more user friendly, better than ever, community. J   The community team has been hard at work behind the scenes and are proud to finally release your new Blackbaud Community.   After our ... more

In my last post, I announced that your NEW Blackbaud Community is almost ready. Besides the look and experience (and exciting blogs!), here’s a more in-depth look into what else is new! Connections Soon you’ll be able to connect with other members even easier than before! The new Member Map will show you members in your area and build powerful ... more

A few weeks ago, I let you know something BIG is happening in your Blackbaud Community. I know you’ve been anxiously waiting to hear more so cue the drum roll, please! The NEW Blackbaud Community is almost ready! What does this mean? A new, inviting, and engaging community full of dynamic content that becomes the heart of your Blackbaud experience. You ... more

Update:  The knowledgebase was back online early hours Wednesday morning. Articles and other content types are available via normal access via http://kb.blackbaud.com . -------- Due to an outage at our technology provider, Blackbaud Knowledgebase articles and the main search page are unavailable.  The provider has been working all day to ... more

The Blackbaud Community platform recently switched e-mail providers. Here’s a quick note on how it may impact your notifications.   Registration and password change emails will remain instant. All other emails could potentially be delayed. This potential delay should end after May 6th, 2016. Please check your filters for emails from ... more

Many (many) years ago I took a job with a small nonprofit organization. When I started that job, I didn’t know anything about the Blackbaud software used by the organization (or much of anything about nonprofits). I only had a few hours to train with the person I was replacing, which wasn’t enough time to teach me much of anything. Yet the work had to get done. Everyone relied on me to get their information entered, retrieved, or removed from the databases I oversaw. I had to get up-to-speed— quickly .     more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Monday, February 15, in observance of President’s Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, February 12, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, January 16. Please note that Blackbaud  Support Resource s  are always available.  more

At this time, the Community sign on is fully functioning. You can now login and out as needed in your internet browser. We appreciate your patience as we resolved this issue.   Please let us know if you continue to have issues.   more

Blackbaud technical teams continue to work on restoring access to www.blackbaud.com.  We apologize for any inconvenience. In addition to the Communities, Knowledgebase reamains accessible via http://kb.blackbaud.com . And phone support is also available 800-468-8996, opt 1. more

With www.blackbaud.com being unavailable during this time, please note if you close your internet browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox), you may be signed out from community and unable to sign back in.   At this time, there is no resolution for this issue but we will update everyone when it is resolved.   more

Please note that www.blackbaud.com is currently down. If you need Support assistance, you can check Blackbaud Knowledgebase or post here in the Blackbaud Community . If you need in person help, please call our Support lines at 800-468-8996, opt 1. We will post another blog when the issue is resolved!  more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Monday, January 18, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For Blackbaud Support cases created after business hours on Friday, January 15, someone will follow up with you on Tuesday, January 19. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe and the Pacific.  more

Happy Holidays from the Blackbaud Support team!  Here are our holiday hours: Thursday, December 24: Blackbaud Closes at 3 p.m. ET Friday, December 25: Blackbaud Closed in observance of Christmas Thursday, December 31: Blackbaud Closes at 3 p.m. ET Friday, January 1: Blackbaud closed in observance of the New Year ... more

Happy Holidays from the Blackbaud Support team!  Here are our holiday hours: Thursday, December 24: Blackbaud Closes at 3 p.m. ET Friday, December 25: Blackbaud Closed in observance of Christmas Thursday, December 31: Blackbaud Closes at 3 p.m. ET Friday, January 1: Blackbaud closed in observance of the New Year Holiday Our online Support ... more

As a valued member of the Blackbaud Community, we want to provide you with downloadable graphics for your social media pages to promote Giving Tuesday!   more

Our U.S. offices will close at 3:00 pm ET on Wednesday, November 25 and reopen on Monday, November 30 in observance of Thanksgiving.  We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe, and the Pacific.  As a reminder, our  online support resources  are always available. Blackbaud Support would like to wish all our US customers a ... more

Our website will be unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on November 18, and 2:00 a.m. ET on November 19 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Good afternoon all!  The Community Manager team has heard that some sections of the Community site are a little tricky and that others aren't being used, so we've been putting together some guides for pieces that we think you'll be interested in.  If you want to hear about a specific section or feature, shoot me a private message and I'll be glad to pull something together.  So, without further ado...   more

This past week the Blackbaud Community has experienced an unusually high number of spam attacks. While all of these spamming accounts have been promptly banned and all offending content removed, we want to assure you that we remain diligent in evolving our security settings so any spam attack has minimal impact.   Today I met with our community ... more

We will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, September 4, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, September 8. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Europe and the Pacific. Need help? Our Support resources are always available. more

It's been a few months now that our new Knowledgebase has been up and running. Have you used it? What are your thoughts? We want to hear from you so we can fine tune our Knowledgebase and get it filled with articles that help you do your job better! Check out what was new to Knowledgebase  and let us know what you think in the comments below! Thank you! more

Starting today, August 24, 2015, when starting a Blackbaud Support case on Case Central , there will be a new case template to fill out. This new template will help us gather pertinent troubleshooting information upfront and get you solutions faster. The changes are seen in step 3 of the template and included is a screenshot of the required fields ... more

For our third Support Day of Caring, we were fortunate to spend a day with Carolina Youth Development Center  (CYDC) on Friday, July 24, 2015 .  Founded in 1790 as the Charleston Orphan House, CYDC is committed to empowering and equipping the Charleston community’s vulnerable children by providing a safe environment, educational support, and ... more

Our website will be unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 22, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 23  for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day. For cases created after business hours on Thursday, July 2, we will follow up with you on Monday, July 6. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe and the Pacific. Our resources are always available: ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 17, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 18 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience.   more

I get asked all the time, ‘What is Blackbaud’? I’ve only been here six months but I answer simply and with what I know: “At Blackbaud, your passion is our purpose.” In the words of my adorable high school sister, “But literally I can’t even."  Exactly. I can’t even begin to describe how literally true this statement is. At Blackbaud, we don’t just provide, ... more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, May 22, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, May 26. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe and the Pacific. Our Support resources are always available. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 20, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, May 21 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 15, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 16 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

It’s a time to focus on the GOOD in the world. Here at Blackbaud, we recognize your efforts every day to make a difference in your communities. So, it’s a privilege when we can step out from our cubicles and give back to people in need in our area. A group of support folks spent Friday, March 27, 2015, volunteering at the Lowcountry Food Bank  for our Q1 Day of ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 18, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 19 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

We are excited for our 4th annual Blackbaud Support Conference tomorrow, 3/7/15! We're spending the day in training sessions so we can better serve you, our wonderful clients. We're attending training sessions,  working on a service project and having tons of fun throughout the day so make sure to keep an eye out for our tweets! We'll be live and ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 18, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, February 19 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Greetings from Customer Support, where many great things are happening in 2015! We’re working to increase and improve support options through self-service channels and make your support options more easily accessible. Our Focus this Year Putting the Power In Your Hands: Get the Information and Assistance You Need, When You Need It! As a part of our ... more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Monday, February 16, in observance of President's Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, February 13, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, January 17. Our  Support Resource s are always available. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 21, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, January 22 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, January 16, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, January 20. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe and the Pacific. Our  Support resources  are always available. more

Happy Holidays from some of your Financial Edge friends!   more

As 2014 comes to an end, we wanted to share a special story with you all inspired by a holiday favorite!  ‘Twas a crisp morn at Blackbaud, and across our low country acres Not a creature was stirring, not even the donut makers. Encouraging signs were hung in the Atrium with care, In hopes that our donut-eating champs would soon be there. The Support teams ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 17, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, December 18 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Our U.S. offices will close at 3:00 pm ET on Wednesday, November 26 and reopen on Monday, December 1 in observance of Thanksgiving.  We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe, and the Pacific.  As a reminder, our  online support resources  are always available. Blackbaud Support would like to wish all our US customers a ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 19, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 20 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

The www.blackbaud.com website will be temporarily unavailable on Saturday, November 8, 2014 from 10 AM- 4 PM EST for maintenance. Case Central will not be available during this time. more

This year, our Support teams came up with the First Annual Support 5K Crawl/Walk/Run. The winner of this 5K had the opportunity to have $150 donated to the non-profit of their choice. There was no crawling (thankfully, even the babies were strapped into their strollers) but 40 participants from different departments came together to cheer each other ... more

Recently, we made a change to our case creation emails to help you keep your cases organized when you open a Blackbaud Support case on Case Central. When a Support case was created on Case Central before, you received an email that referenced the case number and product only:       Now, when a case is created on Case Central, you will receive an email ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 15, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, October 16 for maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience. more

Are you going to bbcon? How would you like to leave the winner of a shiny new iPad*?  Just visit the Customer Support Experts booth in the Expo Hall and do the following to earn your 4 entries:   Visit  Training  and email the  bbcon code  to  webmaster@blackbaud.com   Visit  Chat Support  and email the  bbcon code  to  webmaster@blackbaud.com   Follow  ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 17, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, September 18 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Even though our quarterly Day of Caring is over for the year, Blackbaud Support is still busy giving back to our community! For the 2014 back-to-school season, the Support Services team completed their third annual school supply drive for HALOS in Charleston, SC.  HALOS, an organization run by dedicated DSS workers, assists family members that have ... more

Our goal at Blackbaud is to help you achieve your mission through our software.  In order to do this, we are constantly making improvements and updates to our software.  These updates are available to all customers with an active maintenance program. Our updates may include improvements to current features, patches to correct bugs or new tools to help ... more

We’ve begun a project to replace our Knowledgebase (KB) and search engine on Blackbaud.com to make it easier for you to find the information you need. We’re making KB publicly available so you won’t have to log into Blackbaud.com to search it, and so our KB articles will display in Google and other search engines. We’re also implementing a new search ... more

We will be closed on Monday, September 1, in observance of Labor Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, August 29, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, September 2. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Europe and the Pacific. Need help? Our Support resources are always available. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 20, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, August 21 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

What’s worse, hearing cop sirens pull over your car or your navigation system repeating, “recalculating, recalculating, recalculating?” I’d say the navigation system. There’s a better chance the cop will give you directions before, after, or instead of a ticket. Meanwhile, your GPS will still be trying to load the map as the giant question mark ... more

On Friday July 25, a group of Blackbaud Support employees had the opportunity to travel to Pet Helpers on James Island to make an impact on our local four-legged community. Pet Helpers is a nonprofit shelter dedicated to ending euthanasia and finding homes for animals. The volunteers and staff were excited to have a group of enthusiastic volunteers. ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 16, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 17 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Congratulations!  For many of you, you just finished up the last month of your fiscal year and did everything to get those last donations in.  After all those gifts are counted, celebratory emails announcing the surpassing of your goals have gone out to your board on constituents have gone out, and you finally get your lunch hour back; what’s next? The ... more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. For cases created after business hours on Thursday, July 3, we will follow up with you on Monday, July 7. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe and the Pacific. Our resources are always available: ... more

All of our resources are now available. We apologize for the inconvenience! Original Post: We apologize for the inconvenience but we are currently experiencing technical issues. Your call may not be received or you may receive a busy signal during this time frame. We are working to resolve this issue. Please use Chat Support or Case Central to create a ... more

Chat Support on www.blackbaud.com is now working. Previous content: Our Chat Support on www.blackbaud.com is temporarily unavailable or working with limited staff. We are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 18, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 19 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Hello and thank you for visiting the Renewals team blog! I’m Jane Kaufman and I manage the Customer Renewals team (which lives in the Customer Success department, a newly-formed entity within Blackbaud – you can read about it in this short press release ; I report to the guy in the article). All of the members of our team work hard every day to manage your ... more

On Friday, May 16, 2014, a group from Blackbaud Support was given the great opportunity to work with Charleston Parks Conservancy  to build raised beds for a community park on Sycamore Drive in West Ashley, South Carolina. Founded in 2007, Charleston Parks Conservancy is modeled after Central Park Conservancy in New York. It is an urban garden ... more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, May 23, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, May 27. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe and the Pacific. Our Support Resources are always available. more

Our website will be temporary unavailable between 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, 5/21 and 2:00 a.m. ET Thursday, 5/22 for maintenance.  We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Why am I receiving a renewal notice so early? The Blackbaud Renewals team not only loves helping our clients, but also wants them to succeed! We want to provide you with the most up-to-date information possible on anything that might impact your organization, including: Introducing ourselves as your Renewal Specialist: If we haven’t worked with your ... more

That's right! As of today, May 1, 2014, chat hours for the following products is now Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET: Blackbaud NetCommunity Blackbaud Sphere eTapestry Hosting Payment Services Student Billing The Education Edge The Financial Edge The Raiser’s Edge Note: Chat for Altru and Blackbaud ... more

Update: The issue with our phone lines has been resolved and callers are no longer receiving a busy signal.  Thank you for your patience and we apologize for any inconvenience. We are currently experiencing an issue with our phone system causing some callers to receive a busy signal.  We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 16, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 17 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Last Friday, 3/28/14, a group from Blackbaud Support had the great opportunity to venture out of the office and use a Day of Caring to give back to a local non-profit here in Charleston, SC. For Q1, our team worked with  East Cooper Habitat for Humanity . Upon arrival Nick Jaksa, the Construction Supervisor, gave the rundown on the house, introduced the ... more

Greetings and welcome to the first Renewals Team Blog! We are so excited to share with you all of the exciting things going on with Blackbaud and the Renewals Team! We hope our blogs will act as a tool for you to get to know the Renewals Team a little bit better and understand what we do and how we can help you. Also, our blogs will address a number of frequently ... more

Did you know that our online live chat support has quickly become a popular way to contact us for assistance with our products?  In fact, the average wait time for chat is less than if you call.  We reached out to Anna Simons, the Executive Director of Advancement Services at  Saint Xavier University , to talk about the value she receives in chat support. ... more

Here at Blackbaud, our #1 goal is to serve you … and serve you well.  As you can imagine, we regularly provide training for our teams…all throughout the year.  However, once a year we ask everyone to give up a Saturday and spend an entire day refreshing their product knowledge, process knowledge, and “soft skills” including troubleshooting and customer ... more

The User Education team would like to announce the survey winner for the 4th quarter of 2013. Congratulations Lisa Collins of the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism! She won a $25 Amazon.com gift card. How can you be the next winner? Take our short, 5-min survey about our How-to Documentation. We create the documentation and help you see in the ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 19, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 20 for maintenance.  We apologize for the inconvenience. more

The blackbaud.com forums are now available for all users. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. more

Customer Support is once again fully operational.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience! more

We will be closed on Monday, February 17, in observance of Presidents' Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, February 14, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, February 18.  Our Support resources are always available. more

Customer Support is once again fully operational. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience! Not sure if you have a blackbaud.com login or forgot your user name and password? Click the  Can’t log in?  button on the Log In page and enter your email address.  If you have a blackbaud.com login, you’ll receive an email with your user ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable for maintenance between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, January 18.  We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Our U.S. offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, January 17, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, January 21. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe and the Pacific. Our Support resources are always available. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 15, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, January 16 for maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Happy holidays!  During the holiday season, we will be closed on: Wednesday, December 25, in observance of Christmas. For cases created after 3:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 24, we will follow up with you on Thursday, December 26. Wednesday, January 1 for New Year's. For cases created after 3:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 31, we will follow up with ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable for maintenance between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 18, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, December 19. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Our U.S. offices will close at 3:00 pm ET on Wednesday, November 27 and reopen on Monday, December 2 in observance of Thanksgiving.  We will continue to provide support for our customers in Canada, Europe, and the Pacific.  As a reminder, our  online support resources  are always available. Blackbaud Support would like to wish all our US customers a ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable for maintenance between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 20, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 21. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable for maintenance between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 16, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, October 17. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Its National Customer Support week and this year we’re showing our appreciation for our GMBU Customer Support staff with a Customer Support week cruise! We’re bringing all the fun of the high seas to Customer Support without leaving the comfort of home. We’ve had a great year so far and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate our accomplishments in better ... more

Are you going to bbcon? How would you like to leave the winner of a shiny new iPad*?  Just visit the Customer Support Experts booth in the Expo Hall and do the following to earn your 4 entries (we'll even have iPads you can use to enter): Visit Training and email the bbcon code to webmaster@blackbaud.com   Visit Chat Support and email the bbcon code to  ... more

If you're on BlackbaudKnowHow, you're probably familiar with our online support resources , but have your coworkers checked them out? If they don't already have Blackbaud.com logins, we strongly encourage giving all software users access to the secure resources on our website. Site administrators at your organization can invite users to create a ... more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable for maintenance between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 18, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, September 19. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

We will be closed on Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day. For cases created after business hours on Friday, August 30, we will follow up with you on Tuesday, September 3. We will continue to provide support for our customers in Europe and the Pacific. Need help? Our Support resources are always available. more

Our website will be temporarily unavailable for maintenance between 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 21, and 2:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, August 22. We apologize for the inconvenience. more

Hello, my name is Dorie Wallace and I am a Vice President of Customer Support at Blackbaud.  I lead a team of about 200 professionals supporting your success.  I wanted to share some updates with you. We focus on providing you a full resolution to any question or issue you have, providing that resolution to you as quickly as possible, and ensuring the ... more

The Customer Guide has lost a few pages; 12 to be exact.  It's now easier than ever to find the Support information you need in one place.  In the 4 remaining pages, you'll find an overview of your support plan’s benefits, including Support hours, resources, and all the ways you can contact Support. Take a look at our new streamlined  Customer Guide and let ... more

We would first like to thank Dorie Wallace, Vice President of Customer Support, and all participants of our first Twitter Chat .  We received a lot of great feedback and suggestions from the group.  In case you missed it, here's a recap of what was covered. Question 1: What can @BBSupport do to serve you better? Dedicated analysts Increase product ... more

[caption id="attachment_5439" align="alignright" width="185"] Dorie Wallace, VP of Customer Support at Blackbaud[/caption] Join Dorie Wallace, vice president of customer support, for Blackbaud’s first Twitter chat on May 15, 2013 from 3:00 to 3:30 Eastern Time! Use the hashtag #blkbchat to participate in the conversation. We’ll discuss your ... more