bbcon 2025 Recap: Innovation and Continued Evolution to a Unified View

Trit Mulligan

That’s a wrap—another bbcon in the books!

For those who were able to attend in person, we hope this year’s bbcon sparked new ideas, meaningful insights, and powerful conversations to help you tackle the challenges you face every day.  It was invigorating to be with you all. My name is Trit Mulligan, Director of Product for Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and while I’m not new to Blackbaud, I’ve recently transitioned from leading the Online Giving team to complete the transition of Raiser’s Edge NXT to a unified view.

This year’s conference was filled with forward-thinking ideas, meaningful collaboration, and exciting updates designed to help you tackle the challenges you face every day.

If you couldn’t join us or want to revisit the bbcon sessions that resonated with you, explore the on-demand recordings, now available.

We kicked things off with the energizing Luminary Super Session Let’s Get This (bbcon) Party Started: A Meetup with the Minds Behind Raiser’s Edge NXT. In this upbeat session, the Raiser’s Edge NXT product team shared previews and plans for Raiser’s Edge NXT and offered participants the opportunity to vote on prioritization of enhancements using their LED light-up batons. The batons in this image are likely a yes vote for more Gift processing improvements!

The following are notable Raiser’s Edge NXT updates presented at bbcon that will be further discussed during the upcoming Product Update Briefing (PUB) scheduled for mid-November.

AI and innovation

Chat for Blackbaud AI is now in an early adopter program and is coming to all customers by the end of the year! It will change the way you work—acting as your AI-powered assistant and coach. You’ll be able to ask questions, explore your data using everyday language, and get quick, actionable insights tailored to your needs.

Faster gift processing

Gift processing in web view is getting faster and more intuitive. The new grid-view batch experience will feature keyboard navigation, pre-filled default fields, and templates. You’ll also be able to review and manage individual gifts within batch, giving you complete oversight and control every step of the way. An early adopter program is running now, with a release planned for early 2026.

Managing and acting on your data

Based on your feedback, we announced prior to bbcon that we will not disable Query but instead focus on building out more functionality in web view, including Export. We’re building in some “quality of life” enhancements for Query as we do this work. Export will build on the success of Query; you will no longer need separate tools to manage your data. We are planning an early adopter program for Export early next year. Learn more about Export at the upcoming Product Update Briefing.

Stewarding donors

We introduced bbcon attendees to the brand-new donor recognition workflows that will help simplify annual stewardship. Donor Recognition initially focuses on four key groups—Legacy, Lifetime, Loyalty, and Annual—and will give you tools to celebrate each supporter’s unique journey. The Legacy Recognition program will launch as an early adopter program early next year, helping you deepen relationships with committed donors through dynamic donor lists, qualification tools, and automated task management. 

With the rapid pace of innovation, it is essential to prepare for web view to ensure a smooth experience for all users. If you attended bbcon, you likely heard the key takeaway: Begin your preparations now rather than delaying. Our Customer Success and training teams are here to assist with this transition, and you will see more resources coming soon.

Raiser’s Edge NXT Idea Bank

We felt your excitement at bbcon about the progress happening with the Idea Bank and we couldn’t agree more!

The product team continues to advance and update submissions, and you'll receive email updates as ideas progress. Last quarter, 125 ideas (9,094 votes) were marked as SHIPPED, and 65 ideas (9,108 votes) were moved to PLANNED—expected to ship within 3-6 months. When we say, “submit an idea,” we truly mean your ideas will influence product updates! And don’t forget to add comments on the idea; it helps the product team get more input on the reason why it is important.

“It’s such a glorious feeling when I receive an email notifying me that my idea has moved to the planned stage!”— bbcon 2025 attendee

Raiser’s Edge NXT Unified View communication

Your insights during bbcon sessions, Braindates, demos, and in the Exhibit Hall have been inspiring. We’ve taken what we learned from you, your challenges, your expertise, and your drive and are adjusting how we keep you informed about Raiser’s Edge NXT updates. Soon, we’ll introduce a streamlined, more focused communication approach to help you stay current on web view changes with less overwhelm. Join us the week of November 17 for our next Product Update Briefings to learn more! 

Thank you

It was wonderful to see so many of you at bbcon, where your commitment and teamwork truly shine. Your passion for strengthening your communities through your work is inspiring, and it’s clear you’re making an impact. If you couldn’t attend bbcon, you were missed! Good news—you can still gain fresh insights and actionable strategies by exploring the virtual bbcon sessions now available online. 

Start making your plans for bbcon 2026 in Columbus, Ohio!