Sharing my Power BI template: Getting Started with Power BI Custom Connector

Rebecca Sundquist

Have you walked through the Power BI connector installation, but are wondering what to do next? Use this template to create your first data model with gift splits. Step-by-step instructions describe the data transformations in Power Query. Leverage these techniques to drill deeper into the one:many data relationships available within the Power BI connector.

Required connections: Power BI connector installed and connected

Suggested skill level: Beginner

Configuration details: This .pbit (template) file should connect immediately to your installed Power BI connector, populating with your NXT data.

Data Quantity Issues: Do you need to limit which gifts come into Power BI? Consider using a Gift List.

Getting Started RENXT Power BI Connector.zip

Carolyn Copp

@Rebecca Sundquist I can always count on you to provide something practical, useful and effective..thank you so much for continuing to read my mind!

Rebecca Sundquist

@Carolyn Copp! So good to see you! ?

I hope to carve out some time to get some templates out here with more detail around Calendar queries and year-to-date measures for our RENXT + Power BI beginners. Let's build the Power BI Template showcase together! Saving Power BI files as .pbit allows other Power BI connector users to leverage Power BI Desktop templates.

Search for additional templates here: Blackbaud Community Power Platform template showcase - Microsoft Integrations

JR Barden

@Rebecca Sundquist I keep getting an error when trying to import this zip file. I've been able to import other zip files to create flows. Any idea why?

Rebecca Sundquist

@JR Barden, thanks for your interest! The attached .zip file contains a pdf and a .pbit file, not a Power Automate flow. These files are useful after you have configured your own custom connector for Power BI based on the files and instructions here: GitHub - blackbaud/powerbi-connector: Blackbaud data connectors for Power Query and Power BI.

This connector on GitHub leverages SKY API to access list end points in The Raiser's Edge NXT and Financial Edge NXT. This open source, community driven Power BI Connector is not the same thing as a Power Platform connector. Learn more about custom connectors for Power BI here: Connector extensibility in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Dylan Grafius

Love the example and the date calendar! How would you incorporate soft credit amounts though? For say specific constituents.

Rebecca Sundquist

@Dylan Grafius , here is a template that deals with Soft Credits:

Sharing my Power BI Template: Combine Queries for Hard/Soft Credit Recognition — Blackbaud Community

This example is file-based, not using the Connector. To get to soft credits through the connector, follow steps similar to what was documented for Gift Splits in the zipped .pdf, but expand the soft_credits list instead of gift_split. Since all hard credit columns are retained when you expand to include soft credit details, you won't have to do the Merge steps described in the Combine Queries example. You'll have the hard credit constituent ID and soft credit constituent ID as well as hard and soft credit amounts. Refer to the Hard/Soft Credit Recognition template, linked here, to decide how you want to coalesce these fields into Recognized Constituent, Recognized Amount, and Recognition Credit Type (Hard vs Soft).