Working with AI and Raiser’s Edge NXT®: Embedded Experiences, Claude, and Microsoft 365 Copilot

Heather McLean · July 29

AI is becoming part of the tools nonprofit teams already use every day. For Raiser’s Edge NXT customers, the most useful question is not which AI experience is best overall, but which access point best fits the work someone is trying to do right now.

A simple way to think about it is this: Raiser’s Edge NXT remains the fundraising system of record, while embedded AI, Claude, and Microsoft 365 Copilot give teams different ways to work with Blackbaud-connected context depending on where they are already working.

So, the question is less “which one should we use?” and more “where is the work happening right now?”

A simple way to choose

This article focuses on how to explain the access points at a high level. Availability, setup steps, supported data, and permissions may vary by product, connector, and customer configuration, so customers should use the relevant setup documentation for implementation details.

Use embedded AI in Raiser’s Edge NXT when the user is actively doing fundraising work in Raiser’s Edge NXT—reviewing donor context, preparing outreach, managing opportunities or actions, or deciding what next step to take.
Use Claude with the Blackbaud connector when the user is already working in Claude and wants to ask natural-language questions, gather Raiser’s Edge NXT-connected context, or draft content using Blackbaud data.
Use Microsoft 365 Copilot with the Blackbaud Agent when the user is already working in Microsoft 365 Copilot and wants to interact with Blackbaud-connected information from that Microsoft 365 workspace.

Current AI access points

Here’s a customer-friendly comparison of the main access points.

Access point	What customers can use it for	Best fit
Raiser’s Edge NXT embedded AI	AI experiences inside Raiser’s Edge NXT can help users work with information they already have access to, draft content for review, navigate workflows, find information more quickly, and answer questions supported by the data and features available in the account.	Fundraisers and teams working directly in Raiser’s Edge NXT workflows, including constituents, gifts, opportunities, actions, prospecting, meeting preparation, stewardship, and next-step planning.
Claude with the Blackbaud connector	The Blackbaud connector for Claude can help users interact with Raiser’s Edge NXT data from Claude using natural-language requests. Examples include working with constituent profiles, searching constituents, findingand viewing events, viewing gift records, and drafting donor communications using available Blackbaud data.	Organizations already using Claude for drafting, analysis, research, or cross-document work that want a Blackbaud-connected way to ask questions or prepare content without starting in Raiser’s Edge NXT.
Microsoft 365 Copilot with the Blackbaud Agent	The Blackbaud Agent enables customers to access supported Blackbaud fundraising data within Microsoft 365 Copilot. Users can interact with information such as donor records, events, and gifts using natural-language requests in Copilot.	Organizations standardized on Microsoft 365 Copilot that want a Blackbaud-connected AI access point from the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience.

Why multiple access points matter

Different access points support different work patterns. The right choice depends on where the user is working, what context they need, and whether they are trying to complete a Raiser’s Edge NXT workflow or bring Blackbaud-connected information into another AI workspace.

The access points are designed to complement one another. Each should respect the customer’s configured access and permissions while helping users work with Blackbaud-connected information from the place where they are already working.

Embedded AI in Raiser’s Edge NXT

The most workflow-specific AI experiences live directly inside Raiser’s Edge NXT. That is where AI is closest to the fundraising task at hand—the constituent record, the prospect workflow, the opportunity, the action, the gift history, or the fundraiser’s next step.

This is especially useful when the goal is not just to find information, but to move fundraising work forward—preparing for donor meetings, summarizing recent activity, drafting outreach, understanding giving signals, or identifying possible next steps.

Claude with the Blackbaud connector

For organizations already using Claude, the Blackbaud connector offers another way to interact with Raiser’s Edge NXT data from a familiar AI workspace. Users can ask natural-language questions, gather Raiser’s Edge NXT-connected context, and draft content using available Blackbaud data while already working in Claude.

This can be helpful when a user wants to ask natural-language questions, gather context, or draft communications while already working in Claude.

For more details, see our help.

Microsoft 365 Copilot with the Blackbaud Agent

For organizations standardized on Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Blackbaud Agent provides a Blackbaud-connected access point in the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience.

The customer-facing value is that users can stay in Microsoft 365 Copilot and use natural language to interact with Blackbaud-connected fundraising information, such as donor records, events, and gifts.

For more details, see our help.

How to choose the right experience

If the user is trying to…	Best starting point
Work directly in a constituent, opportunity, prospect, gift, or action workflow	Raiser’s Edge NXT embedded AI
Prepare for donor outreach while reviewing Raiser’s Edge NXT context	Raiser’s Edge NXT embedded AI
Ask natural-language questions from Claude	Claude with the Blackbaud connector
Draft or analyze while already working in Claude	Claude with the Blackbaud connector
Work from the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience	Microsoft 365 Copilot with the Blackbaud Agent
Bring Blackbaud-connected context into a Microsoft 365-centered workflow	Microsoft 365 Copilot with the Blackbaud Agent

What stays consistent

Regardless of the access point, organizations should continue to apply the same responsible AI habits:

Confirm that AI features are enabled and configured appropriately for the organization.
Make sure users understand that access is governed by the data and permissions available to them.
Review AI-generated content before sending, sharing, or acting on it.
Use AI to assist professional judgment, not replace it.
Return to Raiser’s Edge NXT when work needs to be reviewed, completed, or managed in the system of record.

Continue exploring

Want to try these ideas in practice? Explore the prompt library for examples you can adapt to fundraising workflows, and register for upcoming instructor-led Blackbaud University prompt clinic sessions to learn more about embedded AI experiences in Raiser’s Edge NXT.

Closing discussion prompt

The rise of Claude connectors and Microsoft 365 Copilot agents reinforces an important shift: AI is becoming less about a single chat window and more about helping people work across the systems they already use.

For fundraising teams, context matters. Donor relationships, giving history, fundraiser assignments, prospect signals, stewardship activity, and organizational goals all shape what “good help” looks like.

Together, these access points give organizations more flexibility without changing what matters most: Raiser’s Edge NXT remains the system of record for fundraising data, relationship context, and completed workflow actions.

We would love to hear from you: Where would AI assistance be most useful for your team—directly inside Raiser’s Edge NXT, through Claude, through Microsoft 365 Copilot, or in more than one place? Drop your ideas into the comments section.