Q2 2024 Product Update Briefings: Leave Feedback & Earn a Badge!

Spring Velazquez

@Kriste Buck find the session and register for it, even if it was yesterday. Once you create your profile you should see “Watch Recording”

JoAnn Strommen

Were any of you in the EAP for gifts? If so, do you know? …

I noticed the option for write off in the demo but did not see adjust as one of the three boxes shown. Maybe the function is accessed differently but I hope that function is planned. We use adjust vs. write offs as it gives us more accurate reports and data.

Wendy Albor

@Crystal Bruce I was hoping to see more enhancements in Gift Management and batches than what was presented. I really need to be able to sort by column or choose my columns when in batches. The current columns are not the best selection for my organization. Also, I can't export any open batches like in database view. When there are issues found in the batch, this is extremely helpful.

I am happy to see that Query is coming soon.

I have several times filled out the EAP for to participate but have never been contacted. I filled it out again so hopefully I will be considered in the future.

Mary Picard

@JoAnn Strommen
couldn't agree with you more!

Dariel Dixon

@JoAnn Strommen: I am hearing these same concerns from my DOs now.

@Crystal Bruce While watching the demos in the update I realized one of my biggest ‘unlikes.' Web view is designed to be so clean and pretty on screen that it shows such limited data compared to database view. I'm thinking the list of appeals, the list of gifts, the list of actions, the list of attributes/custom fields, the list of relationships. I like being able to see in one view and not have to click thru multiple pages as a dba. ?

Joe Moretti

@Crystal Bruce It all seems like Database View Light to me. Go ahead with RE NXT but keep the work horse Databse View. Seems to be way too many concerns with RE NXT. A few decent things like reports being exported to CVS but as a data base manager, I WANT MY DATABASE VIEW. Keep the pretty looking RE NXT for the fundraisers who don't even utilize it like they should anyway. As a database person I feel that database view is much more easily to navagate than RE NXT, which in the beginning was geared more to Fundraisers who were not technically savy. Still do not quite understand the logic of this revamping to RE NXT as opposed to making database view even better.

Joe Moretti

@Deb Dressely YES YES YES

Joemar Turingan

@Crystal Bruce I just hope that the timeline for the different changes that Blackbaud promises to deliver stays true, especially as a Canadian user we are desperately waiting for these changes to happen in RE NXT. Right now, we are still not that confident that we can do the switch from DBV to NXT.

Brenda Goo

Crystal Bruce! I am so happy to hear by sometime in the year 2025 all functionality will be migrated to the Web View. I'd like to see this come true so please make it happen! I am super excited about the ability to do queries in the web view. Please let me know if I can help test or pilot it. I hope the query in web view will have an easy way to merge multiple queries into one.

My gift-processing colleague is happy to be able to manage pledges and write-offs in the web view. I am not sure if pledge adjustment is the same thing as pledge write-off but would have loved to see a demo.

Joe Moretti

@Kyla Graff Never did like people to write in their own fund. people should only have the options of what is in the drop-down box. It is like purchasing a concert ticket and writing in your own price. I always found that problematic.

Alex Wong

@Kyla Graff
I don't believe Online Express allows donor to “write in their own fund”. Fund have to be selected by the designer of the form which must match to an existing fund record.

could you possibly be thinking a “custom question” that was used instead?

Veronica Renzo

@Crystal Bruce I love that BB wants to have a system that works for all Development team members. I also agree with @Joe Moretti. Database view is so important for our daily jobs. I look forward to a RENXT that has all the functionality of DB View.

Jeannie Goings

@Crystal Bruce like many have said… fully-functioning web view by 2025!?! mind blowing

Faith Murray

@Crystal Bruce
Finally got to watch the recording. Overall, I'm very excited that BB is finally taking the best of database view and putting it straight into webview. Especially excited for the queries and batch entry. A couple takeaways:

• To others' questions, Planned Gifts were included on the future planning roadmap, and queries look to be able to be static or dynamic.
• Very pleased that queries will have full field options and parenthetical use, since we use those a lot. Also very pleased about cvs outputs for queries and reports.
• I did not see Import functionality mentioned anywhere. Perhaps they are doing this last, after the close of 2025?
• Did not see anything about editable query lists or export as its own function.

Joe Moretti

@Alex Wong Donors can do that if the “Allow Other Designations” option box is marked. But I would advise against that since donors can make up anything that is not an actual fund.

Alex Wong

@Joe Moretti
thanks for pointing that out. I guess never cross my mind on this option as it doesn't make much sense.

Joe Moretti

@Alex Wong Yeah, it doesn't it. In a previous job my supervisor wanted that option and it was a pain, since what people picked where not one of our funds and you have to link the fund before you can process the gift, which means you have to add that fund, then contact the donor in regards to the funds we had. Big pain.

Don Burrhus

@Crystal Bruce
While it may seem like a little thing, in the new Table management in NXT, being able to see the count of uses of a value and some of the records on which it is used is tremendously valuable. It has help us in data cleanup operations and also to identify and address some orphaned records.

Hannah McKinney

@Crystal Bruce I am so happy to see the increased web side integration with reports. This will make it so much easier for all of those at our organization who have a really hard time with the database said. Web view for the win!

Candace Chesler

@Kriste Buck - Spring V answered about how to get the recording. The new tool to replace Connect RE was positioned as a Q4 release. I am looking forward to ending the dysfunctional love hate relationship I have with Connect RE!

Sunshine Reinken Watson

@Crystal Bruce I am blown away by the timeline! I really hope that support can add west coast US hours as changes start revving up.

I want to encourage everyone to participate as much as they can through the town halls, EAPs, the idea bank, and going to support when things aren't working right. Blackbaud needs our feedback more than ever!

Candace Chesler

@Crystal Bruce - Watched the recording. Very happy to hear that Standard Reports are moving to Webview - looking forward to trying that out.
I am highly interested in learning about the transition of query to webview. As a school, I write many queries with relationships so I can have accurate constituent codes for grandparents, parents, alumni, parents of alumni - etc. I don't want to lose that functionality - or - be forced to write multiple queries that I then manipulate outside of RE so that I can them import in the new constituent codes.

Anne Sappington

@Crystal Bruce
I'm equal parts excited and nervous to see queries move over to NXT! The only thing that makes me nervous is the timeline--that's a lot in a hurry. I'm really excited to see export functionality in NXT. I still hope that we get an option for making a pledge/bill me later gift in the new Online Giving module. Also, I really hope that we're getting more query match possibilities than “equals” and “does not equal” for our query criteria. Things like “one of” and “not one of" are huge time savers as we slowly clean up data in our historically one-person development office here.

Miki Martin

@Crystal Bruce I was excited to hear some of the updates with forms and payment options will be making their way to LO, since my new org uses that with NXT. I really cannot wait to dive into playing around with Query in NXT web view and am excited to hear PayPal and Venmo will be able to be used for recurring gifts. Now to help my team get comfortable with using web view. ??

Lauren Henderson

@Crystal Bruce I am excited for the API updates, especially the API batch import!

Donna Oleniczak

@Crystal Bruce So many updates and changes coming. It was a little overwhelming. We use Online Express for online payments/donations. Haven't switched to NXT yet because it's unclear if all feature of Online Express work in NXT. (opt out being automatically updated in RE for one)

Susan Leslie

@Crystal Bruce I am excited about the change. I agree that it seems to be a little overwhelming at times. There are so many improvements coming, I am hopeful that all things in database will find a home somewhere on the NXT side.

Kyla Graff

@Alex Wong
We have a setup where they can choose “other” in the fund selector and write in what they'd like to designate it to.

Sharon Sandberg

@Crystal Bruce I do hope the buzz about gift entry and events management are what they say they will be! I've found myself frustrated with how gift entry (which is a huge part of most of the organizations that use BB products) has been slow to be developed. I'm excited to see how pledge management will work in NXT- I really hope that we can automate gifts with a CC or Direct Debit on those like we do recurring gifts. Being able to allow the donor some control on the date(s) they want a gift processed would be a major and good shift!

Nyree Henderson

@Devan Caton
I agree. I would like a comprehensive list of all the DB functionality that will NOT be moving into NXT.