Analytics in Raiser's Edge NXT: Grouping and Reporting on ProspectPoint Models

Shelley Weifenbach

Your ProspectPoint predictive modeling results are in Raiser’s Edge NXT, now how do you use these Ratings in Lists, Query, and Export? This blog post summarizes the key benefits and challenges of analyzing the ProspectPoint Ratings and includes links to more in-depth posts for each tool.I work with many Raiser’s Edge users who frequently ask for assistance in grouping by and reporting on their models and ratings, especially the ProspectPoint predictive models. This led me to writing a series of blog posts to guide users like you to analyze ProspectPoint model Ratings using Lists, Query, and Export. I will summarize the key points in each section and include the link to the full blog post on the topic.

BACKGROUND

If you are new to ProspectPoint predictive models--including Annual Giving Likelihood (AGL), Major Giving Likelihood (MGL), Planned Giving Likelihood (PGL), and Target Gift Range (TGR)--I recommend Blackbaud University’s Target Analytics: Basics of Modeling training session and the Knowledgebase articles on “What is a Target Analytics Likelihood Score” and “What are the Target Gift Range values.”

RATINGS CONFIGURATION

In the posts “The Best Reporting Tool” and “Basic Lists With ProspectPoint Models,” I describe some of the Ratings configuration settings that may impact your analysis efforts. There are two common Ratings field configurations based on how you or your administrator added the models to Raiser’s Edge:

Rating Source Likelihood Rating Description (score) Data Type Target Gift Range Rating Description (score) Data Type Blackbaud Analytics - WP Text Text Blackbaud Analytics' Custom Modeling Service Number Table

Method
Synced from ResearchPoint Using the Integration
Imported Using the Target Analytics Admin Tool

Note: If you have not added your scores to Raiser’s Edge NXT yet, please refer to the “Instructions for Raiser’s Edge Clients on How to Add (via Integration or Import) Target Analytics Modeling Results to Your Database” Knowledgebase article.

DETERMINE THE BEST TOOL

Next, the “The Best Reporting Tool” post provides a good summary of the benefits and challenges of analyzing Ratings using Lists, Query, and Export as it relates to your Ratings field configuration settings. You can also watch the “Where’s the Data?: Implementing Analytics in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT” on-demand webinar for more in-depth explanations.

Lists

Lists is my favorite place to start when analyzing ProspectPoint models. Your Ratings field configuration will have a significant impact on if and how you will filter on these Ratings in Lists. If your Likelihood scores are text data type fields, then you may find it difficult to filter based on the Likelihood ratings in Lists because the operator filters may not meet your needs. For example, you may not see “greater than or equal to” as an operator. For the Target Gift Range (TGR) Rating, you may be able to add the filter value from a dropdown or type it in as text; both will work, but one may be easier than the other. To learn more about using these models in Lists, check out the “Basic Lists With ProspectPoint Models” blog post.

Query

On the other hand, Query is a great tool for grouping by your ProspectPoint model Ratings no matter your configuration settings. You can also display unique columns for each of the Ratings, but you will be limited as to the other fields to display. For instance, you could not display their top 3 constituent codes without causing duplicates in the query results. Read up on my tips and tricks for using Query in “Basic Queries With ProspectPoint Models” post.

Export

You may gravitate toward your go-to Export; however, you will find that you often have significant spreadsheet cleanup after you extract the data. There are some tips to make this process smoother, but the data will not come out as tidy in the spreadsheet from Export as it would from Lists or even Query. If you imported your ProspectPoint models to Ratings, you may have less manual cleanup due to having fewer Ratings with that particular Source. For instance, you may only have 5 relevant Ratings when you import rather than 10 or more Ratings when you sync from ResearchPoint because it may include additional wealth ratings and models. Read the “Export With ProspectPoint Models” post for tips on how to refine your Ratings group criteria and limit your spreadsheet cleanup efforts.

SUMMARY

There are a lot of options when it comes to analyzing ProspectPoint predictive model Ratings in Raiser’s Edge NXT. You must first understand how your Ratings are configured, then determine the best tool or tools to meet your reporting needs. List, Query, and Export each have their own benefits and challenges based on how your Ratings are setup. Now, you have the skills and some tips for your next analytics analysis request!