Adding constituents - who do you add / criteria?

Suzie Capps
Suzie Capps
Kudos 3 Raiser's Edge NXT Fall 2025 Product Update Briefing Badge Name Dropper Participant
in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®: General Discussions

Hello all ?

Could anyone share their criteria for who they add to RE? My initial thoughts are:

ADD TO RE IF

  • They donate directly or buy event tickets directly
  • They raise funds or volunteer for us IF we have a full name and valid contact details
  • They are staff at our org
  • They are on one of our committees
  • They attend an event and supply their full name and valid contact details

I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on these / any other criteria (e.g., adding those who have given via sponsoring someone (e.g., Just Giving / Raisely etc.), adding those who want to receive regular emails from you etc.)

It would be fab to hear from a variety of different orgs.

Thanks all ?

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Comments

  • Alex Wong
    Alex Wong Community All-Star
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Facilitator 4 bbcon 2025 Attendee Badge

    @Suzie Capps
    anyone that has gift obvsiouly get in RE

    anyone that join our physical event (exception is guest of a registered guest where we do not have any other contact info of, they will remain as nonconstituent guest)

    we add staff, board member, lay leader, prospect that we have more than just name (at least need another contact info such as phone, email, address)

  • Austen Brown
    Austen Brown Community All-Star
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 PowerUp Challenge: Product Update Briefing Feedback Task 3 bbcon 2025 Attendee Badge

    @Suzie Capps - Agree with Alex, there needs to be an additional stipulation that someone only gets added to RE if they have contact info, only a name isn't much help with future fundraising initiatives.

  • Dariel Dixon
    Dariel Dixon Community All-Star
    Seventh Anniversary Kudos 5 First Reply PowerUp Challenge #3 Gift Management

    @Suzie Capps The criteria differs wildly from organization to organization, so I won't speak too much to that, but I can say that there is a minimum amount of information needed for us to create a record.

    • Full name
    • 1 form of contact (address, email, phone)
    • Constituency

    Your constituent code table should define who is in your database. There's nuance to things such as gift donors or event attendance that may be determined by your business practices. For instance, some organizations create full constituents for spouses, while others do not. I don't know if creating records for staff is necessary until it's necessary, if that makes sense. I generally go with the thought of if I think they need a record and I have the necessary information, then it's probably a good idea to create that record.

    If I'm asked to create a record that seems incomplete, then I require context. Creating records to go back and merge later seems silly.

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