The Buzz: July 2023 Edition!

Happy July Community,

Let's dive right into this month's The Buzz!

bbcon 2023

Excitement is growing for bbcon 2023 in Denver, Colorado on October 22-24th. We recently announced the first round of speaker sessions and it is jam packed full of topics that will benefit your organization. Need help getting approval to attend? We have you covered with this year’s justification letter.

July’s Monthly Challenge

To add to the excitement of all things bbcon 2023, we are giving you a unique, one-of-a-kind badge in July for answering questions in the bbcon community about this year’s conference! The first question is bbcon 2023: Which sessions are you most excited about and why? and the second question is bbcon 2023: Are you attending bbcon 2023 and why is it valuable for you?. Share your answer on either discussion to get this month’s exclusive badge:

Off the Grid 2023

For the first time ever, Blackbaud is opening Off the Grid (#OTG), its immersive coding event, to the public. From July 18-20 join us virtually for an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate, code, and bring to life innovative ideas that drive social impact. Participation options include leading a build team, joining a build team, lending your expertise to a build team, and submitting an idea. We hope you’ll join us at #OTG and encourage you to also join the SKY Developer community if you are interested in this event or just in learning more about how you can leverage code to extend your Blackbaud solutions!

ENGAGE Blog: Using Automation

Are you a fundraiser (or do you know a fundraiser) who has been feeling a bit stretched thin recently? You won’t want to miss this new post on the ENGAGE blog, “Fundraiser Burnout? Try Automation to Boost Both Efficiency and Employee Morale,” that includes five fundraising process areas that are prime for automation and are sure to help reduce your stress levels.

Blackbaud Institute: Artificial Intelligence

The Blackbaud Institute’s “Chart Your Course: Navigating the New AI Landscape” webinar series continues in July with two new exciting sessions to help you incorporate AI into your day-to-day operations:

• “Ethics and Privacy in the Age of AI.” on July 6: Join Blackbaud’s Chief Data Officer, Carrie Cobb, and Sr. Director of Privacy Management, Cameron Stoll, to learn how to evaluate ethical, privacy, and legal principles when leveraging generative AI tool in your fundraising and engagement practices.

• “Low-Code App Development: A First Step to Creating Your Own AI-Powered Tools” on July 26: Heather McClean, developer and partner success manager at Blackbaud, will explore examples of how low-code approaches can be used to solve operational challenges and share valuable resources to help organizations of all sizes launch and govern their low-code programs.

You can register here for both sessions, and then join this great discussion happening in Community, “How is your organization tackling the latest AI advances?"

International African American Museum Opening: ICYMI

Blackbaud is excited to celebrate the monumental opening of the International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston, South Carolina, also home to the company’s headquarters. Built on the site of one of America’s most prolific international slave trading ports, IAAM aims to re-center South Carolina’s place in global history and honor the overlooked history of the African American community. This is a meaningful moment—the culmination of a years-long endeavor to bring untold African American stories to light.

In 2016, Blackbaud made its first-ever $1 million pledge to support the construction of the museum. The contribution will specifically support the IAAM Center for Family History, a volunteer-run digital research lab within the museum that allows in-person and virtual visitors to trace their family origins, research their ancestry, and record their own stories.

We are proud to support the IAAM’s long-awaited opening and are humbled by the role our investment will play in uplifting these important stories for years to come.

Tip of the Month:

Looking for a fresh new change as we roll through July? Consider updating or adding a profile picture to your Blackbaud Community profile. A profile photo is a great first impression and it helps humanize our community. If you haven’t uploaded a profile photo yet or just want to change it up, it’s easy. Check out the Updating/Changing Your Profile Photo help article to get started.

Just for Fun:

We recognize that it is not summer everywhere on the globe, but for those in the midst of it, what is on your summer bucket list? Road trip? Family vacation? Sun and surf? Jump in on this fun conversation in community and see if it inspires you. And if you are south of the equator, feel free to jump in with whatever is on your winter bucket list too!

July Birthdays:

Are you celebrating a birthday in July? Happy Birthday to all our Cancers and Leos! If you are celebrating a birthday this month, let us know in the comments below, so we can wish you another successful trip around the sun.