Similar Reports in Database View do not match Up with RE NXT Reports

Question

This seems to be an ongoing issue between the Database View vs. RE NXT and I always believe that Database View is correct and RE NXT is not. Case in point:

The difference between the Solicitor Performance Analysis in Database view vs the Fundraiser Performance in RE NXT on the home page. I noticed when I ran both reports for a fundraiser, the amounts were way off. In the Solicitor Performance Analysis report, you can choose GIFT TYPES. In the Fundraiser Performance, you can only choose between Calendar Year and Fiscal Year, soft credits and include an amount that constitutes a major gift, BUT you cannot choose a gift type, which seems bad to me. The only way I was able to get the database report to match the RE NXT report was to take out pledges and include Pay-cash, along with cash gifts. This is problematic and is this going to be taken care of down the road? I do notice that The Recognition for Giving Societies that are now in in RE NXT that was brought up in the recent Product Update allows for gift types and soft-credits, which is good.  I wonder how many other new reports/dashboards/etc. in RE NXT will have this same issue though?

Barb Thomas · Answer

This is a regular frustration for me so I usually end up creating a query to get what I want. I also get frustrated that different metrics are used for the same-sounding data, even within NXT (e.g. Retained/Acquired donors in the Dashboard Builder vs. the pre-set Retention dashboard). For the amount of time it takes to determine the cause of discrepancies I can build a query instead (but it's annoying that I need to).

Lee Grisham · Answer

The next agent should be reporting related. It would ask those questions about what information you use at your organization and then customize the reports to match that information. Use GL Post Date instead of Gift Date? I've updated your reports to match that information. Would you like me to change the gifts that you use for Received vs Committed? Have you tried also grouping giving by quarter? So many great options for this.

Karen Diener · Answer

I have always told people that you cannot trust standard reports, and should run actual data via Query and Export to confirm that the reports are pulling what you need them to pull.  Only then can you feel comfortable running the standard report.

It is frustrating that you cannot get "under the hood" to configure the RENXT reports to meet your organization's needs.

Thanks for bringing visibility to this, and reinforcing the idea that you must verify the information!