How to Utilize Analytics Scores in ResearchPoint and Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® with Queries

As a Blackbaud Strategic Analytics Consultant, I work with clients who sometimes find using the analytics data points in ResearchPoint a bit overwhelming. In fact, I felt that way myself when I first started, even though I was extremely proficient in Raiser’s Edge NXT.

When clients go into Raiser’s Edge NXT to use their analytics scores after they have been synced with ResearchPoint, that process can be equally overwhelming, especially if they are unfamiliar with the various fields.

One thing I do to help is to build a query with clients in both ResearchPoint and Raiser’s Edge NXT. I make it a query that can be copied and reused and even integrated with lists in both environments, which can provide a helpful starting point in using the data and analytics tools in both databases.

My reasons for this query are threefold:

1. It is exciting to uncover constituent names that may not have come up before.
2. The process builds familiarity with the analytics data and how to query on it in both ResearchPoint and Raiser’s Edge NXT.
3. The process can further validate how awesome predictive analytics can be if you actually use it!

The actual criteria used can vary based on your organization’s specific analytics package and whether you are capturing prospects for annual, midlevel or major giving, but the premise is the same: Use various data points to identify possible prospects who may be existing in your database “under the radar.” Let’s walk you through it!

First, let’s look at what type of criteria you may want for a query…

From Raiser’s Edge NXT:

• Giving History:first, latest, greatest gifts dates or amounts, funds, appeals, consecutive years giving, etc.
• Constituent codes : parent, alumni, member, etc.
• Location:region, city, state, etc.
• Other criteria: Any other details from Raiser’s Edge NXT

From Affluence Insight™:

· Wealth Segmentation Category: Philanthropist (A), Humanitarian (B), Affluent Enigma (D), etc.

· Wealth Attributes: Investments, Net Worth, Income, Discretionary Spending

From WealthPoint™ Publicly Available Data:

· Hard Asset Data (Real Estate, Securities, Investments, etc.)

· Philanthropic Data

· Giving history to other organizations, etc.

· Criteria would be Total Confirmed Assets or Estimated Wealth Value

From ProspectPoint® Custom Modeling Datapoints:

· MGL – Major Giving Likelihood

· AGL – Annual Giving Likelihood

· TGR – Target Gift Range

As you can see, there are MANY choices for criteria from the various sources of information.

However, in both ResearchPoint and Raiser’s Edge NXT here is what we are ultimately selecting as our criteria for the UPGRADE POTENTIAL QUERY example:

1. Wealth Segmentation Categories with largest wealth attributes (typically Philanthropists: A1, A2 & A3), Affluent Enigmas (D1) and possibly Humanitarian (B1 or others as needed, if you want the list bigger or smaller)
2. Latest Gift to my organization on or after 1/1/24 (current donor)
3. Largest Gift to my organization is less than $1,000
4. Total Confirmed Hard Assets results greater than $500k (or whatever number is best for your area)

The premise of this query is to simply capture those prospects that analytics identify as good potential major giving prospects, and your organization identifies as current donors and they have never given your organization $1,000+, so could be potentially under-giving to you!

Now to build some queries! We’ll start with ResearchPoint and then go into Raiser’s Edge NXT.

What’s important?

Depending on your organization, you might want to narrow down your criteria or capture more prospects. Consider limiting or expanding to:

• Current Parents
• Alumni
• Current Members
• Current Donors
• ProspectPoint MGL 701+ (best MG prospects)
• ProspectPoint TGR $1,001+ or any other TGR category
• Affluence Insight Wealth Segmentation begins with “A” or “D” or even “B1” (depending on the numbers you capture)
• Affluence Insight Investments or Net Worth $1M+ or $3M+ or 5M+ (depending on your region and the numbers you capture)
• WealthPoint Estimated Wealth Value (Raiser’s Edge NXT) or Total Confirmed Assets (RP) = what confirmed hard assets does the prospect have from a WealthPoint screening?
• What else?

ResearchPoint

The best way to familiarize yourself with QUERY functions in ResearchPoint is to attend some basic ResearchPoint training(various links to training are included at the end of this post) and to start using it!

To find the QUERY functionality in ResearchPoint find Analysis on the blue navigation bar:

Next, you select the Information Library:

I recommend when you first start using query in ResearchPoint to review some of the queries already created and find one that has any of the outputs you are looking for, then using the “copy” feature.

Now that we’ve reviewed the criteria, let’s start building a query in ResearchPoint

If you are a client who has purchased Affluence Insight and WealthPoint, here is how to create this UPGRADE POTENTIAL QUERY using the criteria available to you.

The criteria you need for Affluence Insight data will be in the ResearchPoint fields category of MODEL SCORES AND RATINGS – “Attributes.” When you select that group, you will notice the fields become available for selection.

When you select any of the specific attributes for your criteria, the appropriate application for that criteria will come up. In this example we are looking at WEALTH SEGMENTATION, so here are the choices, shown in the graphic:

To find the other fields shown in the criteria, look at GIVING TO MY ORGANIZATION and WEALTH INFORMATION accordingly.

Here is what the final query might look like (once you’ve added the criteria in the top section and the output in the bottom section)

💡 Tip: You can click and drag fields between “Criteria” and “Output” so if you simply copy a query that already exists that has the fields you want to use in either the criteria or output, you can easily add them from the query itself! (This is how I build queries 99% of the time, I start by copying one that has most of what I need already in it!)

📝 Note: If your organization purchased any ProspectPoint custom modeling analytics, you could swap out or add appropriate MGL (Major Giving Likelihood) and TGR (Target Gift Range) scores in addition to or in replacement of the Wealth Segmentation scores, but the other criteria should still be applicable.

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Now let’s build that same UPGRADE POTENTIAL QUERY in Raiser’s Edge NXT (for those clients who sync/integrate the data)!

I am sharing the WebView version, but the premise is the same in both web and database views.

In WebView, Query can be found under ANALYSIS.

You will need to create a NEW QUERY. I always recommend putting your queries in a folder that you can find easily in the future.

Once in the QUERY EDITOR, selecting the criteria for your query, you will want to go to PROSPECT- RATINGS - SPECIFIC SOURCES to find the selections you need.

📝 Note: I do recommend some basic Raiser’s Edge NXT training in how to use the query tool to really understand its powerful functionality!

Here is how the final criteria in Raiser’s Edge NXT might look:

💡 Tip: The “Source” and “Category” are redundant by design, but it can be confusing in query! Just note that you go to each “source” to find the Source + Category that go together! So, for each “source” there is only ONE correct category that goes with it.

• For example: For Wealth Segmentation there is only ONE correct selection… (Source) Blackbaud-Wealth Segmentation (Category) Wealth Segmentation, and I selected the qualifier of “Begins With.”

You will repeat this for the WealthPoint datapoint “Estimated Wealth Rating Value” (the “Rating” version is a range, FYI). Note that the source for the WealthPoint datapoints is different than the Affluence Insight. WealthPoint (hard asset) data has a source of ResearchPoint, while the analytics data will have the source of Blackbaud.

Finally, it should be noted that the “Estimated Wealth Rating Value” in Raiser’s Edge NXT = “Total Confirmed Assets” in ResearchPoint.

💡 Tip: You can take this query and add some output for export or use it with Export or Report or make it a static query and use it with lists if you make it a static query! Remember if you do use it with lists in web view, you may need to occasionally go back to the query to refresh it, because a static query does not change unless you make a change to it and gift date fields are going to need to be refreshed over time.

For clients with ProspectPoint and WealthPoint data, some ideas on how to use MGL (Major Giving Likelihood) and TGR (Target Gift Range)!

ResearchPoint

Raiser’s Edge NXT

💡 Tip: If your numbers are too high or too low, you can change the criteria!

• For example, you can increase the Estimated Wealth data point or if your data isn’t producing enough records, you can mix Wealth Segmentation back in or opt to use one of the Affluence Insight Wealth Attribute data points to capture anyone who may fall through the cracks.

Now you can use analytics data in ResearchPoint and Raiser’s Edge NXT!

🔍 Summary

• Use Affluence Insight, ProspectPoint, and WealthPoint data to identify upgrade prospects accordingly.

• Build reusable queries in both ResearchPoint and Raiser’s Edge NXT.

• Use consistent criteria across platforms for better integration.

• Refresh static queries periodically to maintain accuracy.

• Reach out to your Strategic Analytics Consultant for tailored support.

• Remember there are ResearchPointand Raiser’s Edge NXTtraining courses you can attend to further develop your skills in these areas.

And this is just the beginning of what you can unravel as you familiarize yourself with the various analytics data you have available!