Have An Idea? Share Your Eureka Moments In The Idea Bank

As you work in Raiser's Edge NXT, you're likely to stumble across a "Wouldn't be great if it just did this..." moment. When that happens, we recommend you add it to the Idea Bank. Not only is it an easy way for Blackbaud to hear your feedback and thoughts, but it also enables others in the Community to share their enthusiasm for your idea by giving it a vote. As you may've noticed, the Idea Bank recently updated with new statuses to better convey the workflow and decision-making as Blackbaud product management reviews your ideas.

• Needs review. When you first share an idea, it automatically gets this status so Blackbaud knows it's new and pending review.
• Already exists. This status indicates you can already accomplish the proposed idea in Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Will not implement. While rare, this status indicates that Blackbaud doesn't intend to address the idea. If your idea gets this status, it likely runs counter to the strategic goals of product management or would compromise the data security or compliance of Raiser's Edge NXT. Examples might be to remove the session timeout or add web view attachments as media in the database view.
• Not a feature request. This status indicates that the idea isn't so much an "idea" as general feedback or reported bug.
• Reviewed — More info needed. This means a product manager reviewed the idea but needs more details before they can act on it. These ideas usually then include comments or questions from the product manager for further clarification.
• Reviewed — Voting open. This means a product manager reviewed the idea but doesn't currently plan to address it. However, the Community can continue to throw their votes to the idea so product management can gauge overall interest and reconsider accordingly. While there's no guarantee product management will implement the idea or adjust the roadmap because of it, the higher the votes an idea has, the more priority and visibility it obviously gets.
• Planned. This status indicates that an upcoming feature — likely within the upcoming quarter — will address the idea.
• Shipped. This status indicates that a recent feature was released to address the idea.

When you share an idea, here are some pointers to help ensure its likelihood for implementation:

• Search before you post. Someone may've had and shared a similar idea, so we recommend you search the Idea Bank for your idea before your post. It's much better to give your support to an existing idea than to add a duplicate that might split the vote. If your idea already exists, it might also include details from product management that would be good to know, such as whether it's planned or needs more information.
• Focus on the problem, not the solution. To enable product management to better understand the Why of your request, center your idea around the problem you're trying to solve. For example, rather than "Release a City filter," post something like "Provide a way to build a list of constituents based on their primary address." This can help others in the Community recognize a shared universal need they can support with their votes, and it helps Blackbaud develop a feature that can address multiple needs at once.
• Be specific. When you add an idea, make it detailed and clear. Vague ideas will likely get a status of Reviewed — More info needed and need further clarification before product management can act on it.
• Post each idea separately. Rather than sharing all your ideas in one big request, split your ideas into separate posts. Not only will it enable the Community to throw their support to specific ideas, but it also enables product management to better address and prioritize each unique idea.