Celebrating Connection, Innovation, and Growth: November 2025 Blackbaud Product Update

Lauren Barker

How Our Community Is Coming Together Through Technology

At Blackbaud, we believe in building a vibrant school community where every connection, conversation, and improvement matters. The November 2025 Product Update Briefing is more than just a list of new features—it's a reflection of our shared commitment to supporting educators, families, and students with meaningful innovations that make school life smoother, more connected, and more inspiring.

Growing Together Through Partnerships

Our expanded partnerships are opening new doors for schools and families. With Google Classroom and Powerschool/Schoology, teachers now have seamless, two-way integration—making class rosters and grade pass-back effortless. We know that every minute saved is a moment gained for teaching and learning. Ubiq is helping us capture website visitors as inquiries, while August Schools ensures that when partner tasks are completed, candidate or student checklists update automatically. And with BrightArrow, your communications—whether internal or from partners—are all unified in a single, easy-to-track log. These aren’t just technical upgrades; they’re bridges that bring us closer together.

Putting Schools in Control: Smarter Workflows

Efficiency matters to every busy administrator, and Blackbaud Enrollment Management™ improvements put you in the driver’s seat. With auto-select for checklists and admissions staff, you can now assign the right resources based on criteria you choose—helping process inquiries and applications faster. Generating contracts is now streamlined, and setting up visits and interviews is easier than ever. These updates mean less time wrestling with systems and more time connecting with students and families.

One Menu, Many Solutions: The Blackbaud Omnibar

Navigating school data shouldn’t be a chore. The new Blackbaud Omnibar lets you move effortlessly between Academics, Enrollment Management, Billing, Financial Aid, and more—all from a single menu. It’s a small change with a big impact, helping you feel confident in managing every aspect of school life.

Supporting Every Step in the Candidate Journey

The candidate family portal now offers a modern, branded experience that’s mobile-friendly and welcoming. Families can follow an attractive checklist that guides them through each step, making the admissions process less daunting and more engaging—because every future student deserves a warm welcome.

Recognizing and Rewarding Students

Schools can now easily track non-need awards—from merit scholarships to state vouchers—all in one place. This feature makes it easier to celebrate every student’s achievements and ensure that everyone gets the support they deserve.

Making Payments and Communication Easier

Blackbaud Billing Management™ now includes auto-pay for incidentals, saving time for both payers and staff. Blackbaud Tuition Management™ offers refreshed emails that are personalized with information unique to each school, making communication clearer and more meaningful. And with phone validation and a “View as Student” feature, communication is accurate, and teachers can better support students by seeing the world through their eyes.

Flexibility for Families

The Payment Scheduler in Tuition Management empowers payers to plan payments their way—choosing the frequency and accounts that fit their needs. We’re here to support every family’s unique journey.

Welcoming SchoolBI to the Family

The acquisition of SchoolBI marks a new chapter in data-driven education. By simplifying data operations and visualization, we’re helping schools access insights that drive smarter decisions and better outcomes for every student.

Looking Ahead: Exciting Developments Coming Soon

We’re hard at work on enhancements like the Common Records Engine, LockDown Browser integration for secure assessments, flexible contracts, seamless financial aid workflows inclusive of the IRS integration for faster document review, conditional checklist steps, and intuitive faculty assignment tools. AI-powered tools like the Feedback Generator in Learning Management and Collections Assistant in Billing Management, will help teachers provide better feedback and support, while the Blackbaud AI Chat streamlines everyday tasks.

New reporting features, parent-initiated attendance, in-product refunds, and clear statements in Tuition Management are all on the horizon. Student Success Insights will use SIS and LMS data to identify at-risk students for targeted support. Each improvement is shaped by your feedback and designed to make school administration more responsive and student-centered.

Our Commitment to Community

As we look forward to 2026, we are grateful for every member of our school community. Your feedback, ideas, and collaboration fuel our progress. Together, we’re building a more supportive, innovative, and connected educational experience—one update at a time.

Thank you for being an essential part of the Blackbaud family. We can’t wait to see how these new features empower your schools, families, and students in the months ahead.