Raiser's Edge Evergreen Reference Guide
Hello,
Has anyone created a complete SOP for the use of all fields in Raiser's Edge NXT? I know that it will vary between organisations, but I'm looking to get insight into how others are using and developing an evergreen guidebook for new employees or current employees as a reference guide.
Comments
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@Emily Hiemstra Hi! You posted this in the Altru community, so I moved it over to the Raiser's Edge NXT community. Thanks!
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@Emily Hiemstra This is such a hard thing to determine as outside of the fields that don't need explaining, there's so much variance between organizations. That said, my first reference would be @Spring Velazquez's excellent post here…
It's a great place to start your journey…
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@Emily Hiemstra Dariel has given you a fantastic starting point, Spring's post should be required reading for all of us!
I've written my fair share of SOP's and my advice for creating your own documentation is to focus on the pieces that may be unique to your org, or the pieces you see have errors most often. I prefer to link to the Blackbaud guidance whenever possible for the rest, because then you don't have things becoming out-of-date when they add or change features.2 -
@Emily Hiemstra I would also challenge the idea that something like this could be evergreen. Software changes, and fundraising strategies change so you will need to implement different processes over time to support the new initiative. That is not specific to Raiser's Edge either. Just something to keep in mind as you are working on this guidebook!
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@Karen Diener that's a fair statement. Technology changes so rapidly these days, it will always need to be updated. I guess what I meant by evergreen was that the structure would stay the same with tweaks along the way.
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@Karen Diener that's a fair statement. Technology changes so rapidly these days, it will always need to be updated. I guess what I meant by evergreen was that the structure would stay the same with tweaks along the way.
That makes sense. To that end, I have never created one entire “manual”. I typically create a single document about constituent codes, or about Addressee / Salutation policies, or any other key area of data entry. One big manual is intimidating, and having a task-specific guide can be a lot easier to keep updated. That way you can announce a change and let everyone know that a specific procedure document has changed and to please use the updated version. Which also reminds me that versioning / dating these documents is also important!
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Everyone's points are great, especially about it being about more than specific fields and that it's ever-evolving. My favorite way to do user manuals at any org is to do it in a wiki. I know there is some functionality to create an internal wiki in SharePoint (your org's permissions may vary), but there are also some free tools you can use to set this up. I like a wiki because it's searchable, allows you to create navigation between task guides, and is easy to update as needed. It also provides ONE source instead of copies of a document that people have saved to their own machine and that might get out of date very quickly.
An example about navigation: I might create navigation for adding a new individual constituent in RE and then at the end of it link to adding an organization, adding a spouse or contact, or adding a gift. Any of these might be someone's next step after adding a constituent, and this means they don't have to spend time searching for the next guide, and you don't have to try to create one document that allows for many different paths of learning.1 -
We actually have a pretty robust gift processing and database manual. I've been adding to it since I joined my org a year and a half ago.
Basically every time I learn something new or encounter something that needs a policy or protocol set I've been setting one and documenting it.
It includes our Gift Acceptance Policy, Our Statement of Ethics, Donor Bill of Rights and explanation of roles between advancement and the business office, data entry guides, field and table explanation etc.
That said it is only as complete as my knowledge. One of our policies is that it will be reviewed and ratified each summer and any major policy changes or data clean up documented for a running history. At a glance though this is the table of contents:
Table of Contents
1 – Overview Stages of Gift Processing. 5
1.1 Physical Gift Processing & Batch Paperwork Creation. 5
1.2 Advancement Team Gift Notification. 5
1.4 Gift Batch Approval & Committal 5
1.6 Gift Batch Submission to the Business Office. 6
1.7 Advancement Gift Revenue & Donor Count Notification. 6
1.8 Acknowledgement Letters & Receipts. 6
1.10 Monthly Reporting to the Business Office. 7
1.11 Monthly Reporting to Advancement 8
2 – Trinity Pawling School Advancement Policy Documents 9
Statement of Ethics – CASE.. 19
Donor Bill of Rights – CASE.. 21
3.4 Stock Gifts/Gifts of Securities. 26
3.6 Commitments (Pledges, Statement of Intent & Matching Gifts) 28
3.7 Overview of Steps by Gift Type. 30
4 – Physical Gift Processing & Batch Paperwork Creation. 33
4.1 Create Batch Paperwork. 33
4.2 Preparing Paperwork for Batch Entry. 33
5 – Advancement Team Notifications. 36
5.1 Entering Gifts into the GTBP Sheet 36
5.2 Contact Prospect Mangers for Donor Intent Clarification. 37
5.3 VIP Donor Gift Team Notifications. 37
5.4 Current Trustee List (12/1/23) 38
6.1 Opening a New Gift Batch (Non-Payroll Ded. or Recurring) 40
6.2 Data Entry into the Batch Grid. 41
6.3 How to Make a Gift have Soft Credit 43
6.4 How to Make a Gift a Split Gift: 43
6.5 How to Make a Gift Anonymous in Batch. 43
6.6 How to Make a Gift Have a Tribute in Batch & Tribute Set Up. 43
6.7 How to Make a Gift a Pledge Payment 44
6.8 How to Make a Gift a Matching Gift & How to Create a Matching-Gift-Pledge. 45
6.9 How to Enter an In-Kind Gift 47
6.10 How to Enter a Stock Gift 47
6.11 How to Make a Gift a Statement of Intention Gift 48
6.12 How to Make a Gift a Planned Gift 49
7 – Gift Batch Approval & Commital 51
7.2 Send Batch for Advancement Director Review & Approval 51
7.3 Committing & Validating a Batch. 52
8.1 Gift Detail Reports by Fund. 54
8.2 Create Advancement/Gift Processing Office Batch Report Set 54
8.2 What to Do if You Catch a Mistake at This Point 55
9 – Gift Batch Submission to the Bussiness Office / Batch Reconciliation. 57
9.1 Create Business Office Batch Reconciliation Report Set 57
9.2 What to Do if You Catch a Mistake at This Point 57
10 – Advancement Gift Revenue & Donor Count Notification. 59
10.1 Turning Over the GTBP Sheet 59
10.2 Updating the Main Tab & Moving the Old data to a New One. 59
10.3 Updating the Gift Revenue, Donor Counts & Notifying the Team.. 60
11 – Entering a Payroll Batch. 62
11.1 Setting Up a Pledge for a Payroll Deduction. 62
11.2 Reporting/Submitting a Payroll Batch to the Business Office. 63
12 – Entering a Recurring Gift Batch. 65
12.1 Overview of a Recurring Gift Batch. 65
12.2 Gift Batch Data Entry. 65
12.3 Gift Batch Approval & Committal 66
12.4 What to Do if You Catch a Mistake at This Point 66
13 – Entering a Pledge Agreement 68
13.1 Notes on Pledge Agreements. 68
13.2 How to Setup up a Pledge Agreement in Raiser’s Edge. 69
13.4 Installments/Payments Tab. 70
14 – Entering a Statement of Intention. 72
14.1 Notes on Statement of Intention. 72
14.2 How to Setup up a Statement of Intention. 73
13.4 Installments/Payments Tab. 74
15 – Entering Planned Giving. 77
15.2 The Three Umbrellas of Planned Gifts. 78
15.3 Aspects of a Planned Gift 79
15.4 Vehicles/ Gift Subtype. 79
15.5 Planned Gift (Reasons) 84
15.6 How to Enter a Planned Gift 85
15.6.1 How to Enter a Planned Gift for a Lead Annuity Trust 86
15.6.2 How to Enter Planned Gift for a Retained Life Estate. 88
15.7 How to Edit a Planned Gift 90
15.7.1 Create and Link a New Payment to a Planned Gift 90
15.7.2 Link an Existing Gift Record to a Planned Gift Record. 90
15.7 Edit a Planned Gift Record for a Mature Planned Gift 91
15.6 How to Delete a Planned Gift 91
16.2 Adjustment – Changing the Amount 96
16.3 Adjustment – Changing the Date. 97
16.4 Adjustment – Changing the Fund. 98
16.5 Adjustment – Removing a Gift 99
16.6 Adjustment – Adding a Gift 100
16.7 Adjustment – Changing the Campaign, Appeal or Package. 101
16.8 Changing the Gift Reference, Letter Code, or Special Attributes. 102
17.1 New Fund Codes Protocol 104
17.2 Breakdown of Fund Buckets. 104
17.3 Raiser’s Edge Fund Report 105
17.4 Manually Updating the Fund List 105
17.5 Adding New Funds to Reports. 105
18 - Monthly Reconciliation Reports for the Bussiness Office. 108
18.2 Reconciliation Monthly Report 1 - 2024-2025 (All Giving) 109
18.3 Reconciliation Monthly Report 2a - 00100 (AF Unrestricted) 110
18.4 Reconciliation Monthly Report 2b – 00100-P (AF Unrestricted Outstanding Pledges) 111
18.5 Reconciliation Monthly Report 3a – 00150-700 (AF Restricted) 112
18.6 Reconciliation Monthly Report 3b – 00150-700-P (AF Restricted Outstanding Pledges) 113
18.7 Reconciliation Monthly Report 4a – 00549 (AF Plant) 114
18.8 Reconciliation Monthly Report 4b – 00549-P (AF Plant Outstanding Pledges) 115
18.9 Reconciliation Monthly Report 5a - 00900 (Endowment) 116
18.10 Reconciliation Monthly Report 5b - 00900-P (Endowment Outstanding Pledges) 117
18.12 Reconciliation Monthly Report 6a - 09010 (Capital) 118
18.12 Reconciliation Monthly Report 6a - 09010 (Capital Outstanding Pledges) 119
18.15 Submitting All Reconciliation Reports for the Business Office. 120
19 – Monthly Reports for Advancement 122
19.1 Group 1 Reports – Trustee Giving. 123
19.2 Group 2 Reports – Giving by Constituency Code. 124
19.5 Setting up the Monthly Report Excel Master Sheet for a New Fiscal Year 126
20 – Acknowledgement/Thank You letters (TYL). 128
20.1 Donor Acknowledgement Policy – TPS Gift Policy. 128
20.3 How to Generate TYL’s List in Raiser’s Edge – Exporting. 132
20.4 How to Generate a Mail Merge with a Template using the Export 134
20.5 How to Print on TP Letterhead & Envelopes. 134
20.6 How to Scan & Mail Thank You Letters. 134
20.7 End of Calendar Year Recurring Gift Thank You Letters. 135
20.8 End of Calendar Year Employee Payroll Thank You Letters. 135
20.9 How to Create a Conditional Mail Merge in Word. 136
21 – Honoree/Memorial Acknowledgement Letters. 141
21.1 How to Generate the Honoree/Memorial Acknowledge List in Raiser’s Edge – Exporting. 141
22 – Copy Room Mailing & Postage Machine. 144
22.2 International Letters. 144
23 – Gift Processor Records Maintence. 146
23.1 Pledges & Statement of Intent Binder 146
23.2 Planned Giving Binder 146
23.3 GL – Posting Reports Binder 146
23.4 Gift Processing Manual 147
23.5 Gift Processing – Gift Binder 147
23.6 Gift Processing File Cabinets. 147
24 – New Constituent Records. 150
24.1 New Constituent in Raiser’s Edge. 150
24.2 New Constituents - Adding a New Individual 150
24.3 New Constituents – Adding a New Organization. 153
25.1 Control Panel Constituency Code Table Hierarchy. 156
25.2 Constituent Record Constituency Code Table Protocol 1
25.3 Constituency Code Definitions – Individual Records. 1
25.4 Constituency Code Definitions – Organizational Records. 2
26 – Constituent Status Updates. 8
26.1 Record Updates - Deceased. 8
26.1.2 Deceased Scenario 1 – Deceased is the Spouse. 9
26.1.4 Deceased Scenario 3 – Deceased Parents. 12
26.2 Record Updates – Anonymous. 18
26.3 Record Updates – Divorced/separated. 19
26.3.1 Divorced/Separated Scenario 1 – Parents. 19
26.3.3 Divorced/Separated Scenario 3 – Non-Parents where the spouse has a relationship with TP 22
26.4 Record Updates – Married. 24
26.4 Record Updates - Inactive. 25
27 – Contact Information & Updates. 27
27.1 Contact Information Changes. 27
27.2 Contact Info Deactivated by Donor Request 28
27.3 Addresses in Raiser’s Edge. 29
27.3.1 Address Processing & Address Indicators. 29
27.3.2 Address – Linked Address. 29
27.3.3 Address – “Date To” and “Date From”. 30
27.3.4 Address – Standard Types & Definitions. 30
27.3.5 Address – Examples using Standard Types & Indicators. 31
27.3.6 Address – Standard Format 32
27.3.8 Address – Returned/LOST Addresses. 35
27.3.9 Address – AddressFinder Maintenance Updates. 36
27.4 Phone/Email in Raiser’s Edge. 41
27.3.1 Phone/Email – Changes/Updates. 41
27.3.2 Phone/Email – Invalid. 41
29 – Constituent Solicit Codes. 48
29.1 Standard Solicit Code Types & Definitions. 48
30 – Constituent Attributes. 51
31 – Addressee & Salutations. 53
31.1 Old Address/Salutations Key. 53
31.2 Current Addressee/Salutations Key. 55
31.3 Future Addressee/Salutations Key?. 57
32 – Annual Database Updates. 62
32.1.1 Annual Additions - Future Students. 62
32.1.2 Annual Additions – New Post Graduate Students. 63
32.1.3 Annual Additions - Withdrawn Students All Grades. 64
32.1.4 Annual Additions – Parents of Withdrawn Students All Grades. 65
32.1.5 Annual Additions - Future Parents. 67
32.1.6 Annual Additions – New Faculty/Staff 68
32.2.1 Annual Rollover – Graduating Class Students & Parents, Graduates and Non-Graduates. 68
33 – Annual Recurring Tasks 80
33.1 Fall Appeal – Late September to Late November 80
33.2 Holiday Cards – Mid to Late November 80
33.2 Holiday Poinsettias – Late November to Mid December 83
34 – Fundraising Structure - Campaigns, Funds, Appeals & Packages 87
35 – Hard & Soft Credit Protocol 92
36 – Security and Backup Procedures. 95
37 – End of Fiscal Year Turn Over Tasks. 98
37.1 Last Batch/Normal Batch Tasks. 98
37.2 Acknowledgement Letters. 99
37.5 End of Year/ Normal Monthly Advancement Reports. 100
37.7 Move Recurring Gifts in Boost My School to The New FY Campaign. 101
37.8 Start New Standard Batch to hold all gifts until Greenlighted. 101
37.9 Create New FY Appeals & packages. 102
37.10 Turn Over Batch Templates. 102
37.11 Turn Over the Monthly Board Financials sheet 102
37.12 Turn over Reports Folders on the drive for new FY.. 102
37.13 Turn Over Filing Cabinets & Hard Files. 102
37.14.1 Donor Honor Roll Reports. 104
37.14.2 Send the Donor Honor Roll for Review.. 112
37.16 End of Fiscal Year Financial Audit 114
37.17 Annual Additions - Future Students. 115
37.18 Annual Additions – New Post Graduate Students. 116
37.19 Annual Additions - Withdrawn Students All Grades. 116
37.20 Annual Additions – Parents of Withdrawn Students All Grades. 118
37.21 Annual Additions - Future Parents. 119
37.22 Annual Additions – New Faculty/Staff 120
37.23 Annual Rollover – Graduating Class Students & Parents, Graduates and Non-Graduates. 121
38.1 Frequently Used Raiser’s Edge Terms. 130
38.3 Planned Giving Terms. 135
39 - IRS Refrences On Tax-Exempt Organization Types. 138
39.1 Exempt Organization Types. 139
39.3 Types of Foundations. 141
39.3.1 Private Operating Foundation (POF) 142
39.3.2 Exempt Operating Foundation. 142
39.3.3 Grant-making Foundation. 143
39.4 EO Operational Requirements: Private Foundations and Public Charities. 143
39.6 Section 509 (a)(3) Charitable Trusts. 145
39.7 Section 509 (a)(3) Supporting Organizations. 145
39.7 Exempt Purposes - Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) 146
39.8 501(c)(3) Foundation Classifications – Public Charity Vs. Private Foundation. 147
39.9 The Wonderful World of Foundation Classification 509 (a)(1) and 509 (a)(2) 147
39.9 Other Tax-Exempt Organizations. 156
39.10 IRS Activity Codes / National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) Codes. 158
Database Updates & Projects to Gift Data & Processing. 270
Hard & Soft Credit Policy Project 2023. 270
Gift Tribute Policy and Update of Records Project 2024. 271
Classification of Organizational Consistency Codes & Organizational Gifts Protocols 2024. 273
Address Processing, Address Type Standardization and Cleanup 2024. 276
Constituent Demographic Updates Protocol Phase I 2024. 278
Constituency Codes Definition and Reach Back Record Update Phase I 2024. 280
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@Emily Hiemstra by any chance would you be willing to share your manual? We have never had one and I am struggling trying to "guide" some of my team that is fighting to transfer to NXT and change "how it has always been done" I would really appreciate any help I can get.
I am literally losing my mind lol - my email is Shauna.Junek@bhsu.edu
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