Unapproved Batches in new Grid Batch view frustrating

Melanie Stone

Since the release of the new Grid Batch View, when I go in to edit and approve unapproved batches from our online donations, I have to configure the columns EVERY single time for EACH batch. This is incredibly frustrating and time-consuming. Batch templates only seem to apply to batches you create, not the automatic batches. I'll have to take this to BB support. Gosh, I hope I didn't just overlook something.

Anthony Gallo

@Melanie Stone you are not overlooking anything, and this was a common complaint during our EAP. We have work we just finished preparing to address this and it should come early March. We will be able to apply a template to any existing batch which includes those automated ones. Besides any bug work that comes in from this batch release, this is the next item we will be delivering.

Melanie Stone

Glad it wasn't just me. :) I feel better knowing there's an update coming soon. Thank you for your response!

Anthony Gallo

@Melanie Stone thank you for the feedback. It is good to see that the responses from the release is really giving us the same feedback we got from our EAP group. They had and still have a huge impact on helping me prioritize what comes next and this one went to the top of the list quickly.

Carlene Johnson

@Melanie Stone - I agree it’s frustrating, but as @Anthony Gallo noted, his team already has an update coming in early March to allow templates to be applied to existing/automated batches. He and the BB crew have been great about listening to the feedback and moving this up the priority list!

In the meantime, here’s a workaround I’ve tested with a few clients that might help:

• Set up your batch template with the fields you need.
• Manually create a new batch and select your template.
• Open the automatically created batch.
• Select all gifts in that batch.
• Use Move → To another batch and move them into your templated batch.

Some folks have run into an issue where they can’t bulk‑move large numbers of gifts and have to move them individually — if that happens, I recommend opening a Support ticket so you’ll be notified when it’s fixed.

This grid‑view work is a big lift with a lot of moving parts, and while a rollout always has a few rough edges, the direction is solid and the BB team is iterating quickly. I’m optimistic the early‑March updates will smooth out a lot of this. In the meantime, keep the questions coming!

Donna McCoy

Glad I found this thread & also glad to hear a fix is coming soon. I also agree with Melanie Stone's original post, the change is very frustrating & time consuming.

Margaret Carr

Catherine Jones

Batch entry is not saving any time and takes considerably longer due to information from the donor history not available, as it was in the NXT Forms import function. Moving gifts from the import page into the template I've created is also time consuming and confusing, as there will be many empty import batches that will need to be deleted once the gifts are, ultimately, imported through the batch template. Can we have an option to import individual gifts through the NXT form import tool, instead of using the grid batch import?

Carlene Johnson

https://community.blackbaud.com/discussion/comment/311328#Comment_311328

I might be a little lost based on your terminology. What do you mean by "import page"? I also don't understand this question:

"Can we have an option to import individual gifts through the NXT form import tool, instead of using the grid batch import?"

Are you using an importing tool like ImportOmatic or Importacular? Or is import not the word you mean to be using?

Catherine Jones

Sure, I can see how that would be confusing. I'm processing transactions generated from our website in NXT forms.

Ellen Callahan

I’m glad I found this post as well. I agree that the process has become much more time-consuming, and I share @Catherine Jones's frustration that prior information is no longer pre-populated for selection.

One of the major benefits of NXT gift processing was that the last three appeals were automatically populated. That feature saved me a significant amount of time. Now, I have to search for the most recent appeal for online gifts that come through our general giving form—even when those gifts are clearly in response to a specific appeal already listed on the donor’s record.

The grid view would be incredibly helpful for processing multiple checks at once for a specific appeal, similar to how batch entry functions in database view. If an appeal had just ended and we knew 25 checks were all going to the unrestricted fund, XYZ campaign, ABC appeal, package 123, solicited by John Smith, and received on the same date, the data could be pre-populated, making the process efficient and consistent.

But, given the variability in the gifts we receive, the previous NXT gift processing format was so much more practical and user-friendly.

Carole McDonald

I agree - this update is ridiculously frustrating. Not ready for prime time and saves users zero time. It actually has been creating more work. I have found it easier to go back to database view to avoid the mismatch error if you pick the wrong package option because it offers every package from every appeal. Isn't the goal to move away from database view? Blackbaud was sold as a way to streamline gift and event processing. Not really finding this to be true.