The Buzz: August 2024 Edition!

August is here and it is time to catch up on everything new and exciting happening in our community!

bbcon 2024

bbcon Seattle is next month! If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time to save—register by August 18th to save $300.

Check out the exciting agenda with can’t-miss keynote from Emmy®-winning actress, producer, and nonprofit founder Sheryl Lee Ralph, 150+ breakout sessions, and plenty of opportunities to network and have fun. Tell us which sessions you are most excited about in this discussion in the bbcon community!

Need help convincing your boss why you can’t miss bbcon this year? We have you covered with this justification letter. Can’t wait to see everyone in Seattle!

August Challenge

It’s time to get ready for bbcon by playing everyone’s favorite game, bbcon Bingo! Complete at least one row and show your bingo board here to receive this month’s special badge:

All of the bingo square tasks are centered around bbcon and can mostly be found in the bbcon community. Participate in discussion posts, learn more about Sheryl Lee Ralph, connect with fellow attendees, and more.

Download your bbcon Bingo square and have fun!

Ask an All-Star: Austen Brown

Mark your calendars for our next Ask an All-Star discussion happening August 20-22 in the Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® community. Austen Brown will be answering questions about all things Raiser’s Edge NXT so come prepared with the questions you’ve been thinking about for some time...you’re sure to walk away learning new tips and tricks!

End-of-Year Planning

It may be August, but we’re already thinking about end-of-year giving! The final three months are often crucial for fundraising, so set yourself up for success with the templates and expert strategies in this year’s Ultimate End-of-Year Fundraising Toolkit. Make sure to also register for Blackbaud’s popular end-of-year webinar series featuring sector experts and practitioners. What strategies are you focusing on? Let us know in this Organizational Best Practices discussion!

August Connect for Success

August’s Connect for Success event lineup, with open discussions led by Blackbaud customer success managers, have been announced. Check out the sessions and reserve your spot today!

Community Kudos:

We want to extend the heartiest of community kudos to these amazing members who made a difference in our community in July:

All-Stars Austen Brown and Christine Robertson earned the most points with 354,000+ between both. Not only are they answering questions, but they are also extending the friendliest welcomes to our new members every single day!

All-Star Alex Wong answered the most questions in July by responding to 137 discussions. 15 months in a row for Alex! Wow!

All-Star Miki Martin sent 106 connection requests – way to go expanding your professional connections!

Community Tip of the Month:

If you want to see how you stack up against our top points earners in community, check out the Community Member Leaderboard which showcases top points earners for the week, the month, and lifetime! Earn points by asking and answering questions, liking posts, connecting with your peers, and more to secure your spot in the top ten. Bonus tip: highly engaged members on the leaderboard make great community connections!

Events:

User Group: Microsoft Power BI User Group - Blackbaud Community (Wednesday, August 14th at 12pm EST)

Product Tour: Introduction to Blackbaud Grantmaking™ (Thursday, August 15th at 11am EST)

User Group: Microsoft Power Automate User Group (Tuesday, August 20th at pmNoon12NoonEST)

Webinar: Blackbaud Altru® Webinar Series (Thursday, August 22nd at 2pm EST)

Webinar: AI Policies for Grantmakers: How to Manage Risk and Harness AI for Good (Thursday, August 29th at 11am EST)

Webinar: Clean Data, Strong Campaigns: Best Practices for Year-End Giving (Thursday, August 29th at 12pm EST)

Birthdays:

Happiest of birthdays to all of our August birthdays! We are celebrating the Leos and Virgos among us. If you are celebrating a birthday in August, drop a note in the comments and we will wish you another happy year around the sun.