What is Constant Contact

Jordyn Kieft

What general information can you provide about Constant Contact as someone who has never heard of this before?

Matthew Montoya

Hi @Jordyn Kieft

In the simplest terms, Constant Contact is a digital marketing platform that helps you communicate with your supporters at scale. While Raiser’s Edge NXT is the "vault" where you store donor data and manage gifts, Constant Contact is the "megaphone" you use to send the professional emails, newsletters, and announcements that keep your donors engaged.

1. The "Drag-and-Drop" Editor

You don’t need to be a graphic designer or a coder to use it. It features a very intuitive editor where you can drag images, buttons, and text into place. It also includes hundreds of mobile-responsive templates specifically designed for nonprofits (like GivingTuesday appeals or monthly impact reports).

2. Built-in AI for Nonprofits

Constant Contact has integrated Generative AI directly into the platform to help small teams work faster:

• AI Content Generator: If you're stuck on what to say, you can type a few keywords about your mission, and the AI will draft the entire email, social post, or SMS for you in your brand’s tone.
• Campaign Builder: This tool acts like a digital marketing consultant. You tell it your goal (e.g., "Increase monthly recurring donors"), and it builds a recommended multi-channel plan with suggested timing and content.
• Smart Subject Lines: It uses data from billions of sent emails to suggest subject lines that are statistically more likely to be opened.

3. How it Works with Raiser’s Edge NXT

The "magic" for us in the Blackbaud community is the integration. Instead of manually exporting a CSV file from RE NXT and uploading it to an email tool, the two systems "talk" to each other:

• Automatic Sync: Your "Constituent Lists" in RE NXT can automatically sync into Constant Contact, ensuring your mailing list is always up-to-date.
• Engagement Data: When a donor opens an email or clicks a link, that activity can flow back into RE NXT records. This allows your gift officers to see exactly what topics interest a donor before they go into a meeting.
• Consent Management: If someone unsubscribes in a Constant Contact email, it can update their "Do Not Email" status in RE NXT automatically, keeping you compliant with privacy laws.