Need A Hand? Resources To The Rescue!

Mallory Gilbert

If you're reading this, you already know about one of my favorite Blackbaud resources (Community rocks!!) but I wanted to share a few that you may not already know about.  A couple are tried and true resources but a few are somewhat newer and as a result, may be new to some of you.

 
Knowledgebase - Knowledgebase has to be the epitome of tried and true.  Raise your hand if you've ever used Knowledgebase.  I hope a lot of hands went into the air.  I would be lying to you if I didn't use Knowledgebase almost everyday.  Have a question about how to do something in Raiser's Edge NXT?  Getting an error message and not know what it means OR what to do to resolve it?  No problem, Knowledgebase to the rescue.  Get started with Knowledgebase today!

 
30 Minute Tips and Tricks Series - This is one of those newer ones I was talking about.  This idea has been around for a couple years but we kicked off a new series in early 2017 and it runs through the end of the year.  Each month (ish), Chris Geady leads a 30 minute conversation on a specific topic and shares some best practices, as well as tips and tricks.  Missed some of the topics we've already covered?  No problem, you can catch them on demand at the bottom of the page.  Interested in the topics for the rest of the year?  You can pick and choose which you want to register for or sign up for all at once.  Not able to make one after you registered?  No problem, you'll get a recording of the missed session.  Coming up next - Peer to Peer, Importing Basics and Reporting Tips just to name a few.

 
Resources page in Community - The seasoned pros out there may already know about this one but each product community has a Resources page where you can find interesting reports, recorded webinars that happened in the past, FAQs and much more.  The resources are sorted so that the most relevant and recent are at the top.  Give it a whirl and see what you can find.

 
Quarterly Roadmap calls - Every wonder what's coming next in Raiser's Edge NXT?  I work for Blackbaud, and I still get so nerdy and excited when I listen to these calls.  If you haven't attended these in the past, I encourage you to do so.  They are led by a member of our product management team, and they cover what was recently added, what we are currently working on and additional roadmap items up to a year out.  Missed the Q1 call?  Listen here.  Want to sign up for the remaining quarters?  Sign up for all at once here.  Q2 call is coming up on June 29!

 
npEngage - Up until this point, most of the resources I've shared are primarily product resources - how to do something, buttonology, what's coming next in the product but what about thought leadership?  Doesn’t Blackbaud have tons of industry experts working at the company too?  You better believe it, and not only that, we source content from people actually in the industry as well.  npEngage is a one stop shop for all things nonprofit, social good and thought leadership.  The topics vary which means there is something for everyone.  I encourage you to subscribe to npEngage so that the latest and greatest blog is always in your inbox.

 
Blackbaud Institute - Like Tips and Tricks, the Blackbaud Institute is another relatively new resource where we house industry research.  While the Institute was just created last year, we have gathered resources going back to 2012, spanning published papers, best practices, webinars and more.  Looking for guidance on Corporate Giving, Fundraising, Marketing, Leadership?  Look no further than the Blackbaud Institute. 


Well that's all I have for today.  Comment below to tell us your favorite Blackbaud resource!