bbcon 2021: Call for Content!

Tim Newborn

All good ideas! Thanks again for taking a moment to add a few more details, Ryan Hyde‍ ! We'll pass these suggestions along to the appropriate teams. We look forward to seeing your ideas when we formally launch the call for speakers.  

Johnyelle Lee

Good Afternoon!


I would like to see topics specifically catered to smaller institutions (such as HBCUs, MSIs, etc.) with limited staff, budget, and resources that would promote or provide solutions for efficiency and effectiveness. I currently work at a small HBCU with a very small staff. While we receive support from our overarching school system, it is quite daunting to be meaningfully effective, while multitasking and focusing on generalizations rather than specializations. Blackbaud has been super supportive in ensuring our success; however, other smaller institutions may significantly benefit from additional training, guidance, and resources that are useful, yet cost effective. Examples would include strategies for virtual donor engagement, review of current policies and procedures, and other best practices for gift processing, annual giving, and donor relations.

Audrey Kidwell

I want more training on blackbaud grantmaking. how do other foundations use the application, reviewer portal, any and all best practices. 

Michelle Moses

Hi!


This year was my first BBCon and so I can't compare it to previous ones. I was hoping there were more sessions from users of RE/RENXT. I am from the education sector and work at an all-girls school, grades 6-12. I didn't find many sessions in this sector. Tips and tricks, best practices would be very interesting and helpful. More round table discussions also for users of RE/RENXT. I do look forward to attending again, even though I do much better with in-person learning. Thanks!

Shirley Dempsey

I would love to see hands on learning experiences again or, if it's another virtual event, maybe some classroom style trainings. I would also like to see sessions specifically on how to report in NXT. For example, if you have one report that you use frequently in DB view, how would you recreate that in NXT.

Thanks for asking!

Mark Bezanson

It would be great to have more sessions related to Blackbaud NetCommunity and Online Express.  
I would also like to see sessions specifically on how to report in NXT as well. For example, if we have one report that we use frequently in DB view, how can we recreate that in NXT.

 

Judy Spigarelli

I would love to see if there's interest in doing a session on independent User Groups for people who host or attend User Groups!  I've been running one for about 10 years and I know we run it differently than other area groups.  There's so much great learning that happens at roundtables.  I would be very interested in being a part of a panel of User Group hosts!

Tim Newborn

Thanks, Judy Spigarelli‍! Love this comment. We're currently exploring a few ways in which we can connect customers and user groups are definitely on our radar. If you don't mind, I'd like to find some time to learn more about your experience with user group and about this awesome idea! Sending an email your way now. ?

Ryan Hyde

Tim Newborn‍, Judy Spigarelli‍ and I are friends and both run user groups, so if this is something you really want to explore, I'd be happy to pitch in here as well!

Tim Newborn

Ryan Hyde‍ Thanks for speaking up! I'll keep you in mind as well.

 

Patti Chandler

I would also like to be included in the users groups discussion.  I ran users groups for close to 20 years as a reseller, I would host at client sites but could not get the users to manage the users groups.  Now I am a user and would like to learn from others how they run user led users groups.  Thanks,  Patti Chandler in Baltimore with no users group in this area.

David Lee

More info on Sky API and integration, in particular with 3rd party reporting and automation tools such as Power BI/Automate. 

Judy Spigarelli

Patti Chandler‍, let's connect!  I'd be happy to chat about our User Group.  Ryan Hyde‍ is a great resource too.  He and I have collaborated a couple times.  It's great to have fresh ideas.

Grace Rose Khalsa

I'm excited about Judy Spigarelli bringing up user groups; I've long wished there were some in our area (greater Boston) - but now, with things as they are, any of us could, in theory, join user groups anywhere that are in our areas of interest, so I hope there will be discussion of that at bbcon and even before.


Thanks for considering this, Tim Newborn‍ !

Judy Spigarelli

Grace Rose Khalsa‍, I'm in southern NH.  You are welcome to come up anytime!  We have a meeting next Thursday and we're meeting via Zoom.  Message me if you'd like the meeting info.  We'd love to have you!

Judy Spigarelli

Grace Rose Khalsa‍, we've got some great people in Salem MA that join as well.  Maybe we can make a connection for you!

Ryan Hyde

OR, Grace Rose Khalsa‍, you could start cobbling together your own user group! While you could definitely join remotely to any of the existing ones, there's something unique about the fundraising network in every region, and I'm sure Boston has its own quirks that only locals would totally understand. Also, I'm sure there are many, many database managers in your area. 


Just a thought. It seems daunting, but when me and Katherine Mannion‍ started ours, there was a lot of enthusiasm. It was a lot easier than I expected.

Judy Spigarelli

Ryan Hyde‍, that's a great recommendation.  When we started, it was just me and two other local users.  We figured it out as we went.

Grace Rose Khalsa

Thanks, Ryan Hyde‍ and Judy Spigarelli‍ both, for your suggestions. My problem, in terms of joining groups, is not only (of course) current conditions, but also that I live pretty far southwest of Boston (work in the Financial District, when we're actually in our building) and take the commuter rail to town, so meetings that are north and northwest just completely don't work for me. Zoom meetings of course are a different story, so I may message one or both of you. Thanks again.

Elaine Tucker

Christine Cooke bCREPro‍  I also found the platform very clunky! One thing that would have really helped is the ability to set my time zone and then have the classes reflect that; I missed a couple of sessions because of the time difference. Also, if we could set our country and have it "stick" then that would be helpful as well. 


Many have mentioned an easier more streamlined way to connect with others - I agree - and I think if you had breakout sessions for each product or tier that would help us connect with our peers, and other Champions.


I'd really like to see sessions on NXT dashboards and SKY/API interface for those of us who are not quite as technically minded as some.  I feel like my organization is missing out on some great applications, just because I don't have the basic understanding of how to use the marketplace/SKY/API products. 


Also, I agree that the sessions should be longer - there wasn't lots of time for Q&A, and the Q&A should be available AFTER sessions to go back and see what was asked - especially if we couldn't attend the  live session because we were at a different session. 


Also glad that the decision to go virtual was done early - hopefully the platform and content can be improved over last year. 

 

Elaine Tucker

I like the idea of having access to session materials early - that way you can think and prepare for scenario questions that may be specific to each attendee

 

Katherine Mannion

I miss the roadmaps.  I always liked coming back to the office with some juicy nugget about what was coming!


I'd love to see some of the technical content explained in layman's (or laywoman's) terms.  While DBMs are on the "tech" side of advancement, I would guess the majority of us don't come to the job with a technical background.  Took me about 3 years to figure out what SKY UX was!

Catherine Burns

‍ Judy Spigarelli‍ I love your user group suggestion. I started a local user group in Wellington NZ a couple of years ago, we were a bit quiet last year but are going virtual this year. It would be great to hear how others run and support each other. I have found it invaluable.

Judy Spigarelli

Catherine Burns‍, I'm happy to connect and share ideas.  Maybe we'll start a group for User Group Guides!

Alain McKinlay Tilgner

It would be great to see a session a best practices on retention strategies for different sectors (social services, hospitals, universities). When we combine all the sectors into one session it doesn't speak to the smaller non-profits.

 

Keith Brown

We are Blackbaud Award Management and Stewardship Management users, and we'd love to see more user-led sessions - panels on best practices, demos on cool workflows that universities have implemented, etc. We also feel that a return to the AcademicWorks model of Beginner/Advanced tracks would help ensure that folks can find the content most appropriate for them. Finally, we'd also love to hear from Blackbaud how they plan to foster more collaboration within the user community.

Carlene Johnson

I, too, loved the session about What is a Database Manager. It is clear that we all want more content for and by end users! I, personally, want to speak up for the K-12 folks and say that K-12 Raiser's Edge users want content geared towards us!


The user conference for K-12 had NOTHING related to fundraising and Raiser's Edge last year and based on the call for speakers this year the intent is for all fundraising & RE content to be pushed to bbcon again for 2021.


If that is the case, I'd like to see some sessions, or networking opportunities for those who use RE in a K-12 environment. Everyone is struggling with the same things: Do we break spouses out separately or keep combined? What are best practices for K-12 schools in breaking out spouse records? How are folks getting data from their registrar's database into RE if you aren't using RE Connect? What about schools that don't use CORE as part of their system? What are best practices for grandparent records? Do you add the student to RE as a full constituent upon enrollment? Or do you wait until they graduate to promote to a full constituent? How does one use the VSE report? What is the best way to produce the stats necessary for NAIS reporting?


You get the point... K-12 Raiser's Edge users have needs, problems, and questions specifically related to our vertical, but there doesn't seem to be much attention paid to it.


So this is my plea for more K-12 RE content and networking opportunities. And, I'm happy to be part of the solution by presenting, organizing, or hosting some K-12 RE User get togethers!

Carlene Johnson

This is so true! K-12 schools have also have different challenges related to retention than other verticals! Good suggestion, Alain McKinlay Tilgner!

Carlene Johnson

Hi Grace Rose Khalsa‍ I've been thinking of starting a user group in the Boston area that could start virtual but then transition to in-person. I'm at BC High over by UMass Boston, so maybe that could work for you geographically in the future!

Grace Rose Khalsa

>snip<

> at BC High over by UMass Boston, so maybe that could work for you geographically in the future!


Thanks for the thought, Carlene Johnson‍ - currently my org is still all working from home, and I'm not near... anywhere, actually ? But if/when we go back to our building it might indeed work - you're close to the Red Line, right? I appreciate you checking in.