Have you ever planned a trip with a large group of friends? Last summer, my friends and I decided to take a trip to Portland, Maine. In the end, we had a great time, but the initial planning stages were a bit of a challenge. Each one of us had different ideas about what kind of trip she wanted to have. Our active friend wanted to spend the weekend hiking, our ... more

Last week , we discussed social media tips to help grow your presence. This week, let’s talk about retention —keeping your supporters engaged with your organization. You probably already know a great example of a recurring revenue program with excellent supporter retention—Netflix! Their estimated retention rate is 91% ! Compare that to 64% , the ... more

Blackbaud University is celebrating the   professionals who became   Blackbaud Certified in Organizational Best Practices in May! Be sure to review our listing, and celebrate your colleagues by viewing their profiles, becoming Blackbaud  Community  friends, or just congratulating them on their awesome achievements. To all our  May Certified ... more

Last week , we explored how showrunners and social doers can use personas to better engage with their audience. This week, let’s expand on engagement by discussing social media . Don’t just be on social media— be successful on social media. To truly make an impact, you need to leverage the tools at your disposal. Television shows dominate the social ... more

Last week we explored case statements and the Uta Hagen technique. This week, let’s discuss personas . Ask yourself this question: Who is your target audience ? I’ve seen hundreds of TV pitches, and only a handful of would-be showrunners have answered this essential question correctly. Your target audience is the driving force behind the success of ... more

What can the social good space learn from television shows? Last week we explored the four P’s of a brand and discussed what the social good space can learn from television shows. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at the different factors that make a TV show (and a social good organization) a hit. This week, we’ll consider case statements . Case ... more

What can the social good space learn from television shows? We’re currently living in a golden age of television, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a passionate filmmaker. According to a 2017 Nielsen rating , the average American household spends roughly eight hours a day watching television. That’s eight hours of rooting for heroes ... more

Blackbaud University is celebrating the   professionals who became   Blackbaud Certified in Organizational Best Practices in April! Be sure to review our listing, and celebrate your colleagues by viewing their profiles, becoming Blackbaud  Community  friends, or just congratulating them on their awesome achievements. To all our  April ... more

Prospecting for the Endgame: Week 7 My dear readers, this is our last episode (links to the previous episodes are at the bottom of this one). You’ve made it to the final installment of Prospecting for the Endgame . I hope you’ve enjoyed our adventure together. Our prospect pool has been Identified . We’ve qualified our prospects based on their ability to ... more

To simplify your members' sign-in experience and ease maintenance of their passwords and access, you can join hundreds of other organizations that enable single sign-on (SSO) for Blackbaud ID through an identity provider (IdP). With SSO, members sign in to their Blackbaud solutions with the same credentials they use to access your network and other ... more

What’s next after your fundraising team wraps up a successful annual or mid-year campaign? Prospects have been targeted, engaged and are now donors or your annual donor has given for the fourth year in a row. Your effort shouldn’t stop there. This is where your relationship begins or continues, and you need to ensure that you are engaging and stewarding ... more

What? A class on the Basics of Volunteers ? Might as well be the Basics of Breathing, right? Actually, no. Though it might seem intuitive, finding, managing, and keeping volunteers is a skill. Furthermore, it’s an important skill that every nonprofit organization should have. Why? The main reason: volunteers save you money. According to an ... more

Prospecting for the Endgame: Week 6 Last week, we started digging into our major donor prospects. Okoye and Pepper Potts are two of the likeliest donors in the Marvel Universe, and as researchers, we’d want to prioritize them as prospects. Some prospects aren’t worth the time, and some prospects just won’t be a fit for your mission. When we research ... more

Are you counting down the days until the Season 8 premiere of Game of Thrones ? Over the past eight(!!) years, Game of Thrones has redefined storytelling, both visually (that CGI budget!) and on a narrative level with its compelling, complex characters and its intricate plotlines set against gorgeous backdrops. I’m not going to lie. I mostly watch the show for the dragons. Not only has it been incredibly engaging to watch them grow up over time from eggs we weren’t sure would ever hatch to the ginormous fire-breathing creatures they are today, but also they’re just plain fun to watch. The fact that Daenerys Targaryen literally walked through fire to bring them to life (and that Emilia Clarke is quite inspirational in her own right ) is just icing on the cake. more

Prospecting for the Endgame: Week 5 Previously in Prospecting for the Endgame , our prospects were filtered down, sized up, and paired with giving opportunities that fit their giving ability and engagement potential. Our prospects have different perspectives that impact their choices in investing in social good organizations. As researchers, ... more

Blackbaud University is celebrating the   professionals who became   Blackbaud Certified in Organizational Best Practices in March! Be sure to review our listing, and celebrate your colleagues by viewing their profiles, becoming Blackbaud  Community  friends, or just congratulating them on their awesome achievements. To all our  March ... more

Recently, I got a Facebook notification that a college acquaintance is running a marathon to raise awareness (and money) for brain cancer. To be honest, I barely remembered how she and I became Facebook friends (maybe we were in a class together?) but as a fellow runner (half marathons only!) with family members who have survived cancer, I was moved by ... more

Prospecting for the Endgame: Week 4 In last week’s episode , our Avengers assembled! …along with a bunch of other prospects from the Marvel Universe. My prospects have been Identified , and I’ve started to Qualify who I’m going to focus on. Now, it’s time to dig deeper into what we know about our prospects and find out how they can best partner with us to ... more

Similar to the earlier post about Google Chrome , you may experience an issue when you sign in to your Blackbaud ID or Blackbaud solution on Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 . If you're prompted to sign in again and again, or if you encounter a Sorry, something went wrong error, adjust your browser's security settings. more

I recently bought a candy thermometer at a vintage store, mainly because it was still in the original box from the 1950s. I’ve never been a candymaker, and certainly never made any sort of candy that necessitated a thermometer, but I figured I’d give it a whirl. After a quick online search and a helpful tutorial video, I ventured into candy making with a ... more

Prospecting for the Endgame: Week 3 Ever noticed in Marvel movies where you’re about 45 minutes or so in and there’s been a few little moments of excitement, but it’s mostly been plot building and reestablishing characters? You already ate all the snacks during previews, so you think you can dash out to the bathroom—but you won’t because you know some ... more

I overheard someone say, “Our impact statements need to be more impactful .” This comment stuck out to me because it really highlights what so many organizations face daily. You know you need to show your impact , but what is really meant by your impact ? What is an impactful impact statement ? Most importantly, an impact statement needs to align with your ... more

We pick up with our Prospect Research hero in Week 2 of Prospecting for the Endgame. more

Prospecting for the Endgame : Week 1 As you may know from reading a previous blog of mine , I’m a bit of a Marvel fan. With Captain Marvel debuting and Avengers: Endgame around the corner, I thought I’d use characters from the Marvel Universe as a prospect pool to help people better understand the role of a prospect researcher. I’ll be putting out a blog each ... more

Think about the last event you attended. Did you want to go? Was it good? If so, what makes an event good? You probably know what I’m going to say. A good event not only needs food and entertainment, but it needs to meet goals and make an impact. Whether you love them or hate them, events are necessary in the social good world. Why? Because people crave ... more

Blackbaud University is celebrating the   professionals who became   Blackbaud Certified in Organizational Best Practices in February! Be sure to review our listing, and celebrate your colleagues by viewing their profiles, becoming Blackbaud  Community  friends, or just congratulating them on their awesome achievements. To all our  February ... more

If you experience an issue signing in to your Blackbaud ID or Blackbaud solution on Google Chrome , and receive an error message of "You do not have permission to view this directory or page," you're not alone! We've identified an issue with the browser — specifically, Chrome version 72.0.3626.81 (although the issue may exist in other versions) — ... more

We have a new name and new focus! We are now the Organizational Best Practices (OBP) Blackbaud Community space. Why the new name? So we can align with ALL social good organizations. Why is this blog space here? Have you ever wondered how to retain more donors? Or what’s new with the industry? Or where trends are headed? Well, this is where you can come to ... more

My husband was recently handed a project at work that was quite large in scope, and a little lax in its end goals. At dinner that night, he said they may as well have asked him to count the grains of sand on the beach.   Ever feel like that with your job? Especially when it’s something as all-encompassing as your social media presence? Social media is a powerful ... more

My husband and I traveled to France last summer and reserved a vacation rental apartment in Paris. We were strangers in a foreign land, barely spoke any French, and were quite out of our element. After a crowded train ride from the airport and a quick stop for baguettes, we arrived at the apartment (which was to be our home for the next nine days) and rang the ... more

On my morning commute, I heard some interesting news. Fundraising for higher education institutions in the United States increased by 7.2% in 2018! What’s interesting is that more than a quarter of these funds went to just 20 colleges and universities (and to less than 2% of American undergraduates). So why did so much of the funding go to so few ... more

When you think of your favorite holiday, what distinctive sights, sounds, and smells come to mind? Maybe red, white, blue, and the smell of barbecues for Independence Day, or heart-shaped chocolate boxes for Valentine’s Day. But what else embodies a holiday’s brand? What feelings or memories does it remind you of? Holidays can teach us a lot about ... more

A few years ago, my love for animals motivated me to volunteer at a local animal shelter. I signed up, got my T-shirt, and attended orientation. I learned a lot about animal behavior, met some people, and signed up for shifts. A few days later, I was driving over in the mornings to walk and play with dogs, as well as clean their kennels. But just three weeks ... more

Let’s face it—hierarchy and structure can be cringe-inducing terms. Perhaps they aren’t the fun, meaty, or inspirational parts of running a nonprofit organizational body. However, just like a human body, the skeletal structure must be intact before anything works. Period. In this newly revamped eLearning course, Organizational Best Practices: ... more

Blackbaud University is celebrating the   professionals who became   Blackbaud Certified in Organizational Best Practices in January! Be sure to review our listing, and celebrate your colleagues by viewing their profiles, becoming Blackbaud  Community  friends, or just congratulating them on their awesome achievements. To all our  January ... more

As we do at the beginning of every year, my husband and I review our budget and look for places to cut costs. We enjoy going out to eat and doing fun things together as a family, but with five people on the tab, the costs add up quickly. We’ve been brainstorming cheaper options that will still be fun ways for our family to connect. Maybe you’re doing the same ... more

My daughter is a tech-crazed millennial, so I thought she’d be excited when she had all online classes during her junior year in college. However, she said she would really miss connecting and sharing with the other students— face to face . Technology has enabled us to connect with others in so many ways, but nothing seems to replace sitting in a room with ... more

When you contact Blackbaud Support, you may be asked for your organization's site ID to help confirm your identity and which customer you represent. To help ease your access to this information, on your Blackbaud ID profile , you can now view your site ID under Contact information . For more information, see the Contact Information Help .  more

UGH, New Year's resolutions.  9 days into the New Year, are yours broken yet?  Until 2018, I had never pledged a New Year's resolution. I saw it as too easy to set large unachievable goals only to be forgotten in a few weeks-- or days.  BUT last year I gave myself one small resolution-- to bring my lunch to work every day.  Somehow, week after week I managed to ... more

Over the holidays, I was visiting with some friends—a mix of nonprofit and corporate professionals. As usual, the conversation revolved around our jobs. And once again, someone asked me, “What exactly is an instructional designer?” I proudly said, “I create training courses for social good organizations.” Someone across the room replied, “Oh, ... more

Great New Year’s news— Blackbaud University 2019 Certification is available now for Fundraising and Marketing ! Blackbaud University offers certified learning opportunities that recognize student achievement and help validate knowledge. We provide these development opportunities to reflect our students’ commitment to excellence.  ... more

Enhancing the Relationship between Financial Aid and Advancement At some colleges and universities, the scholarship awarding process is a collaborative effort between departments. This is not always the case. Typically, the financial aid and advancement offices play the largest role in the scholarship process. Many times, the financial aid ... more

In the 1996 classic movie, Jerry Maguire , the movie’s protagonist Jerry, must convince star receiver Rod Tidwell to remain his client by screaming at the top of his lungs, “SHOW ME THE MONEEEEY!!!!” It’s been over two decades since the release of Jerry Maguire , and the same conversation is occurring at most nonprofit organizations. The Director of ... more

It’s hard to believe, but we are already two weeks into November, and you are likely in the middle of your review season or preparing for launch!  There are a lot of moving parts to a review season, so we recommend giving yourself ample time to get everything set up.   Online reviewing with Blackbaud Award Management (formerly AcademicWorks) not only ... more

We are excited to release a new configuration management experience for organization admins with Admin! To access Admin , sign in to Blackbaud's website and select Admin from the solution menu on the left. From this area, organization admins have one-click, integrated access to all of your important Blackbaud account management capabilities. This ... more

With single sign-on (SSO), your organization's members can sign in to Blackbaud ID-supported solutions with their credentials for your identity provider (IdP). To recognize your members when they sign in with their Blackbaud ID, you set up your organization's email domains — such as your.org or your.edu — for your SSO connection in Authentication settings . To help ensure your email domains are set up correctly, or if a Blackbaud ID with a claimed domain doesn't redirect to your IdP's sign-in, consider these troubleshooting tips. more

We all know how important individual channels are to reach donors.. think email, website, social media, direct mail, ads, and brand ambassadors. Well, now think about The Avengers (yes, they are relatable!).    Each super hero has their own unique set of skills and strengths much like these individual channels. Hulk vs Iron Man vs Thor all ... more

When it comes to Sustained Giving, a large number of organizations have a journey that exists across a broad spectrum.  Which one is your organization? We don’t have a Sustained Giving program, but are interested in starting one We are new to Sustained Giving (in the last 3-6 months) We have a Sustained Giving program, but is desperately in need of some ... more

I hung my ribbon-draped bbcon 2018 badge up in my cube this morning to remind me of my amazing and enlightening week in Orlando.  As I think back on bbcon, I am moved by the power and promise of seeing thousands of people together in one place who want to make the world better.  You are all extraordinary people, and I am honored to work with you.  I am in awe of ... more

Are you ready to put the “fun” in finance? Yes, I realize that phrase doesn’t quite make sense. For most people, finances don’t make sense either. However, in the newest Organizational Best Practices: Basics of Finance eLearning course, we hope to change that. Financial jargon can be confusing and overwhelming. This course aims to simplify common ... more

Community Member, Austen Brown , shows you a quick trick to save you time in Raiser's Edge. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member,  Christina Nichols , shows you how to have a little FUN to help your co-workers learn. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member,  KaLeigh Hurley , shows you how a small gesture can go a long way with your donors. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member, Marie Stark , shows you how to master the art of exporting in excel. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member, Elizabeth Johnson , shares a useful tip for these types of tasks in Raiser's Edge. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member, Susan Chomsky , shares her guide for training for onboarding your new team member. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member, Kylea Johnson , shows you how to make the best manual for your organization. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community member, Kristine Lemons, offers great tips for your organization's next auction. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member, Brent Troth , recently switched organizations after 10 years and shares his experience. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member, Katie Vitale , shows you why digital file management could be a life saver. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member,  Natasha Kashefipour , shares her knowledge on the Raiser's Edge Import Tool. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member, Rachel Lamb , evokes our fearless maritime Miyagi to show you what Blackbaud certification means for her. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Community Member Cassondra Farris shows you why Online Express is the perfect host for event registration. Give this blog a "LIKE" to vote for it to win the bbcon blog contest! more

Here in Charleston, South Carolina, school buses are already on the roads and summer crowds are heading home.  This is the time of year when coastal residents keep a close eye on the tropics and hope for a quiet hurricane season.  For fundraisers, you are soaking in the calm before a different type of storm—end-of-year planning!  Before you dive into ... more

Last year, due to findings from a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) audit, Blackbaud ID implemented a 15-minute inactivity timeout.  However, based on customer feedback, it became clear 15 minutes was simply too short a duration, disrupting your day with unnecessary timeouts as you multi-task in front of your computer or take ... more

I found myself doing it again just the other day.  And it’s not just me… we all do it.  I’m talking about comparing ourselves to others.  I don’t advocate trying to keep up with the Joneses when it comes to your personal life, but benchmarking your fundraising performance against your peers can be very useful for your nonprofit organization.   How do you ... more

As a proud member organization of the Giving Institute, Blackbaud is excited to announce the publication of the Giving USA 2018 report. Giving USA is the longest-running report of charitable giving in the United States and has been an important tool for nonprofit professionals to understand what is happening across the sector. The latest Giving USA ... more

TOOLKIT | SHOWING YOUR TEAM THE VALUE OF TRAINING We’ve got some great feedback from our new Organizational Best Practices course releases ( read the blog here ). Let’s address some questions about how you can help your organization see the value of technical and professional development with Blackbaud University. “ I've been interested in getting my ... more

I have three important questions to ask before you read on: Have you ever heard of a Blackbaud product that you don't know and wanted to know more? Do you learn from analogies? Are you excited about Avengers: Infinity War? If you answered yes to those three questions you're the very specific target audience for this post! Read on! Capt. America – (“on” ... more

DENVER RESCUE MISSION | Staying sustainable and successful in a changing world Marlissa Cunningham , Specialized Gift Coordinator at Denver Rescue Mission , has always made continuing education a priority in her career. This has made her a better nonprofit professional and a better partner to her colleagues. Recently Marlissa engaged in new ... more

As a member of the Blackbaud Community, you’re probably familiar with the Blackbaud Institute’s annual Charitable Giving Report , which offers the premier look at giving for the previous year. This is our 6 th edition of the report, and there’s no shortage of valuable information, including overall, online, and mobile trends, key statistics on ... more

Is your organization ready for GDPR? Here are some helpful resources for you to review: GDPR Collecting Consent – Documentation to help you prepare with confidence. GDPR Toolkit – Everything your non-profit needs to know to get ready for GDPR, coming May 2018 There is a new GDPR section of the community located under Best Practices   more

Let’s face it: hierarchy and structure can be cringe-inducing terms. Perhaps they aren’t the fun, meaty, or inspirational parts of running a nonprofit organizational body. However, just like a human body, the skeletal structure must be intact before anything works. Period. In this newest eLearning course, Organizational Best Practices: ... more

Before working in the education industry, I was (what I like to call) a code monkey . I can easily code in HTML and CSS, with a touch of JavaScript and other coding languages thrown in for good measure. I even taught HTML and CSS classes in grad school (okay, so I guess I was never that far from education). But even an experienced coder, like myself, has to get ... more

Let’s celebrate Blackbaud University’s new Nonprofit Fundraising Certified professionals! Since the Nonprofit Fundraising Certification launched in June, 44 nonprofit professionals have been certified. To all our Nonprofit Fundraising Certified professionals, let me be the first to say a well-earned and heartfelt  congratulations ! Be ... more

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When working with our Target Analytics predictive modeling clients during consulting sessions, we often help them create action plans with their results with the use of an idealized potential gift table.  We do so by utilizing the bottom end of estimated annual capacity ranges identified from their project (i.e., Target Gift Ranges or Principal ... more

Have you ever read through a particularly lengthy obituary and then thought – wow, I feel like I know so much about this person now? Obituaries can be very specific, but they can also be really helpful – especially if your job is to update information about people in your database. At International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), we add obituaries ... more

Can you quickly produce a financial statement for a funder with the specific expense categories they require? Can you run a report to double-check the figures on your organization’s audit? How about reports to help prepare Form 990 or Census Bureau reports? If you can’t produce these reports quickly without resorting to exporting to Excel, you are ... more

What do millennials want? Marketers are OBSESSED with this question! Product targeting and segmentation to millennials is key to promoting successful events, even for non-profit organizations. Understanding this group of constituents and targeting them will provide for growth to your organization. As a millennial myself, I want to support a ... more

Creating a fundraising appeal is a little like asking your parents for a small sum of money. The goal is to explain your grand idea to the people you appreciate, show them the nuts and bolts of how their money contributes to your plan and thank them profusely for their involvement. Nuts and Bolts:  Appeals help donors focus on supporting specific ... more

I read community digest daily and am not surprised by how many people inquire about writing procedures and creating a manual. Here are a few tidbits that have helped our procedure manual be used daily.   Organize your content much like your Blackbaud database is organized. Use bookmarks and create a table of contents. Date all procedures with date ... more

If my memory serves me well, the above title is from a certain kids’ TV show that my four kids always watched. Somehow, the message of the TV moment never transferred to any of those wonderful children who are now all in their 20s. But, like many of our kids’ favorite electronic faves, I can’t get the words out of my mind. But, I can apply it to a good practice ... more

ResearchPoint passionate?  Not yet or completely?  ResearchPoint can be summed up simply as an electronic phone book (yes I know I am dating myself) full of prospect information! Does anyone out there, oh I know you are there, remember trekking to the local or university library to conduct prospect research? Yes, I still am a public library advocate, ... more

Over the last three years, we have shifted our focus to be on the donor (we call the partners in mission), not on the money we are raising. We focused on building relationships and getting "personal." We are not talking invasive personal, but relating to our partners in mission so they know we care about them and care about what they do for us. We began a ... more

Like many nonprofits, our operations are divided into multiple departments. In Financial Edge, we give each one a 4-digit “Project ID” so we can track revenue and expenses to their respective source. However, we have one department that manages multiple activities that each have their own, stand-alone costs, and the department manager wanted the ... more

Were you the kind of kid who wanted to know how things worked?  Who took apart the telephone to figure out what was going on (back in the days when there were actually land line phones that is)?  Did you love jigsaw puzzles?   I love puzzles, I love solving puzzles and figuring out the best way to get things done.  To take a process and refine it and then sit back ... more

As a former non-profit auditor, now on the other side of the desk working for a non-profit, I am acutely aware of the time and effort spent on the annual audit process by all parties involved. However, my experience as an auditor allows me to streamline my annual audit by using Blackbaud’s reporting tools, so I can minimize the pain and disruption to my ... more

Want to know a way that you can have triple the impact in your local community? Get an intern! Reflecting back on several of my internships, the experiences were incredibly valuable to my career as well as to the organization. I walked away knowing I grew a lot as a professional and the organization is in a better place. Unfortunately, I see many ... more

One great tool that we have at The Citadel Foundation is active portfolios, which means they are always changing, moving, increasing or decreasing. Our research office is made up of only two staff members, myself, Lisa Ukuku, Director of Research and Libby Davis, Director of Prospects Management & Research therefore it is challenging to maintain ... more

We're zealots for personalization, timeliness & gratitude at our small shop. Our database is uber-up-to-date thanks to our skilled & conscientious donor relations coordinator. Each donor gets a custom thank you letter within 48 hours of receiving the gift along with a personal handwritten note from the CEO if it exceeds $1,000.00 and a phone call ... more

Update!! 150 recurring gift donors (paying by check) that migrated to Raiser's Edge during our conversion are tagged as Monthly Donors in Attributes but the gifts are not labeled as Recurring Gift-Pay Cash. So when I query on Monthly Donors and last Recurring Gift Date, the gift info doesn't show up! NEW TASK: 1. Go into each record 2. Establish the ... more

Our year end direct mail campaign…. starts in the summer, just as soon as I’ve cleared up all our early summer appeals and have a moment of breathing room. This mailing reaches folks that have given gifts over the last five years, so first things first…we need to remember to reach out to that group in a friendly way about our mission and how they have helped.  ... more

Chances are, your appeals fall into one of just a few buckets. For my organization, those buckets include: Direct Mail, General Giving, Honor/Memorial, and one for each of our three big events. You probably don't have to think too hard about what buckets exist at your organization - this stuff is second nature. But a lot of DBAs I've talked to in the ... more