In the coming weeks, we’re excited to begin introducing
the first version of Gift Batch in Raiser’s Edge NXT. Gift management in web view is a long-awaited capability, and I want to take a moment to set expectations for what Batch is, what it isn’t (yet), and what to expect in future releases.
For most of us, gift batch implies manual data entry. Entering gifts one-by-one can be tedious and time-consuming, and batch entry has been a big time-saver in past versions of
Raiser’s Edge.Gift Batch, however, can provide much more value than just manual data entry, including:
- A grouping mechanism for gifts, enabling you to track gifts with shared batch IDs.
- A review workflow for organizations with volunteer data entry staff or lockbox/caging services.
- A centralized “hub” used for approving gifts entered into your database.
As the list of goals and purposes of Gift Batch grow, so does the need for additional capabilities in web view. In a blog post last summer I compared building out gift entry in web view to
eating an elephant. While I didn’t win any animal rights awards for my prose, I hope this comparison helped communicate just how large and complex the task really is.
This is why we’re releasing Gift Management capabilities in an incremental manner, instead of waiting until the full functionality is ready. Releasing Batch incrementally allows some of you to begin to take advantage of core functionality, with more users seeing the benefits as we add enhancements over time. It also gives us a chance to make incremental changes based on feedback from users like you. We’ve previously referenced this
same approach in blogs for features such as
Workflow Designer and
Events, and the upcoming release of Gift Batch is no different.
Why Start with Gift Batch?In deciding how to approach transforming Gift Management in RENXT, we had a lot to consider. We wanted to improve the manual data entry process, and we knew many upcoming features would either rely on, or benefit greatly from, gift batch functionality.
Features such as Donation Forms and Automatic Recurring Giving (both coming soon!) will generate gifts in a more automatic way; they also introduce the immediate need for a “hub” for these gifts. To establish this hub as soon as possible, we broke down Gift Batch into two distinct concepts: gift entry and gift review and approval.
This distinction let us focus on the key aspects of batch these upcoming features depend on. Take
Automated Recurring Gifts as an example. Using gift batches, we can group all recurring gift payments that process successfully in a given day and let you review them before they’re entered into your database.
Automated Recurring Gifts became another “spoke” in our emerging diagram, a scenario where an optimized data entry experience may not even be relevant (since these gifts “auto-process” by definition).
Many more upcoming capabilities will benefit greatly from a centralized “hub” for grouping, reviewing, and approving gifts. In no particular order, the features currently in development that will also make use of
Gift Batch include:
- Automated Recurring Gifts
- Online donation forms
- Event registration forms
- JustGiving integration
- Gift Import
Note that each of these are in various stages of development, so you may not see them for some time. The intent of this post is simply to provide you with some context around why we chose to focus on certain aspects of gift batches in this first iteration.
What Features Will I See First in Gift Batch for Web View?Our goal with the initial release of Gift Batch is primarily to meet the needs to group, review, and approve gifts for the variety of upcoming features we’ll be releasing soon.
For those of you who love Batch for manual gift entry, know that we did not focus on optimizing manual data entry this time around. Be assured that we know its value and importance to you. While manual gift entry is certainly possible with this first iteration,
there are a few known “gaps”, including the following:
- Batch templates
- Default field values
- Required field support
- Recurring batches
Don’t worry! Throughout the year, we plan to add support for these features and you’ll see many of the gaps filled. Our iterative development approach allows you to take advantage of core functionality that grows over time, rather than wait for a robust feature set or solution. The
Gift Batch you see today will not be the same
Gift Batch of tomorrow—we have much more to come!
As you start to work with the features, be sure to
discuss your thoughts and
share your ideas in the Community to help guide their development. We look forward to hearing your feedback as we continue to evolve our Gift Management features!
