Great product, but the lack of customer service for the price point leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

This is definitely a nice product that does everything that it promises, and helps us keep track of all of our donors.

The price point is high for what you are getting, and customer support for this product is extremely poor at best.

I think the RE NXT interface is incredibly intuitive. It helps new team members get on the ground faster with learning how to search records and find the information that they need. That said, a strong background in the database view is helpful to any member of your team, whether they are on the road or not. I would strongly suggest having teams trained formally on both systems.

What I love about RE NXT is that it helps to visualize graphs, such as donor patterns and key financial data, automatically. You no longer have to have endless queries and exports and dashboards to access the data you want the most. This helps facilitate staff meeting discussions, and also keeps all team members informed on the fly. Secondly, the prospect profiles for managers. Gone are the days of exporting travel profiles in plain text. Now a PM can login from the road to see all the details they need in a useful manner -- and what's even better? They can change how the data is displayed so that it is personalized to them. It is clean, well constructed, and yet also flexible enough to be able to dig deeper with a couple of clicks. And if they need to find a new person to visit in their area, the map tools are perfect. Highly recommended for offices with lots of traveling teammates.

As with both versions of RE, you only get out what you put into it. You need to make sure you have the right policies and procedures in place, for example, to make sure that certain fields in actions are required. You'll also need to work with your team to make sure they understand the updated language from the database view to the NXT view. For example, proposals and opportunities are the same thing. This is a bit of a challenge in offices where the NXT vs. database team may not interact that much and will be speaking slightly different languages about this software. It is not a deal-breaker, just a trainable moment.

Either have SalesForce build software for you - disadvantage being that no one will be on exactly the same software so if you need changes or upgrades, you will need to pay for the programming. Advantage is that you have control over the product, and most of the expense is up front. Or go with Donor Perfect, which is truly relational, far less expensive, highly configurable, and has the best mobile ap around. And I am NOT paid by DP to say that, nor did I ever work for Blackbaud or RE.

Batch entry. That's it. If ALL you do are massive fundraisers where you bring in a thousand donations of 10 bucks apiece in one day, then RE has the batch entry system for you.

Blackbaud's contracts all have clauses that prevent users from making derogatory statements or posting negative reviews. The contract allows them to lock you out, kick you off, charge for the remainder of the contract, blah blah blah. And they enforce it. Ask yourself why a decent software would need something like that? This is NOT a relational database, and if you understand anything about software file structure, then that explains why RE is so flawed: If someone hits all of those categories, they will appear three times. Ask for their phone or email and they are now listed six times. Process to get rid of dupe listings of the same name loses all of the field access with the exception of addresses - because it's not relational that's the only way they can do it. Raisers Edge NXT has been designed to hide the 'background' so you have less access to work-arounds, but in order to do that they have had to 'assume' what fields are really important to us to be able to export from a specific query. RE is designed to archive a ton of information, it is simply not designed to use it or get it out. Support is dismal, and most support staff have never been users; not customizable; clunky, slow; embedded Word is out-of-date and difficult to update; proprietary e-mail communication tool extremely limited; nothing is intuitive; research analytics and events modules are extremely weak. A waste of money.

I'm speaking to RE7, i.e. the database view specifically, which many nonprofits use exclusively but those who purchase the NXT bundle also have access to the full database view as well. I've been using RE7 for 12 years and overall I love it, especially in combination with the NXT web view.

There is so much you can do with Raiser's Edge, it's a robust and powerful tool. It works "out of the box" without need for programming or customization per se (other than settings and configuration etc.) so you don't need to be a coder to set up and use. I particularly love queries to pull together lists of donors who meet certain criteria, which can then be used for mailing lists, reports, exports, etc. The acknowledgement letters are incredibly valuable, allowing variable data and personalized language, e.g. when a gift is designated to a particular program we pull in a paragraph about that program without our gift entry staff having to do any manual or extra work.

Can be a bit clunky, and not always intuitive (NXT web view is a huge improvement in those areas). The reports aren't pretty (again NXT is astronomically better there) and sometimes there isn't a report that will work for our needs so I have to set up with queries and exports. There is almost always a way to do what I need to do, but I sometimes have to go through some complicated digital acrobatics to get there.

Raiser's Edge NXT has notified us when prospect donor pledges are ending and recommendations for cultivation which has increased our major giving donors.

The Raiser's Edge database was very outdated however with the addition of NXT it's now very visually appealing and user-friendly. They took the old database look and revamped it to include charts, recommendations for donor cultivation and alerts daily referencing which donors to reach out to. It's very mobile friendly and great for major giving officers so they could make notes and assign tasks to their team while on the road. You could easily look up donor records and it's all accessible from Blackbaud.com so you don't need to download an app. It's good to have when on meetings and if you have to be an exhibitor for your Foundation and quickly look up donor records.

NXT shows consecutive donor years at the top of each profile however the years are not always accurate with the years in Raiser's database. Sometimes the years are way off. Also, they should make it easier to view outstanding pledges in NXT. NXT is a bit pricey however worth the cost and your return on investment is improved as it notifies you when you have major giving prospects to reach out to.

Very good.

Integration with onsite systems made it easy to use.

Hard to train other users on how to use with our systems.

Raiser's Edge NXT has so much potential and is a worthwhile product as long as you have a team that's comfortable using both web and database view. As a non-profit CRM, it's still hard to beat - especially for organizations with a large donor base and fundraising capacity.

I love the user interface and the ability to "drag and drop" objects within constituent records to customize how I want to see information. The dashboard design is lovely and, after a bit of a learning curve, can be used to display some really helpful information for fundraisers.

This is not yet a completed product and shouldn't be used without the RE 7 database view. RE NXT has all the basic functionality needed for fundraisers to use exclusively, but not database admin staff. A lot of gift processing functionality, and even reporting fields, have not been moved over from RE 7. For any detailed reporting using OR or NOT, custom attributes, or gift amounts requires one to go back into database view to use queries/exports/canned reports.

I found the use of this very basic. It does not do all that I would like it to do. First of all, we did not have a a way to link relationships. So, if there was an umbrella organization that donated, and other related groups under that umbrella, then those all had to be accessed separately. In all fairness though, I was only a user and did not have admin abilities, so this may be an option offered. What I do know it that when I started my own non profit, Blackbaud did not even make the "to be considered" list for my organization.

I like how it displayed and gave a good overview of donations. Very easy to navigate and access that information.

Unless you enter a name specifically as it is entered, it is hard to find. In fact, often it took me much longer to find a client then it should have.

Database for all donations - information is kept reliable, complete (can be used to store a lot of data/facts) and accessible for reports

Data entry is easy and reports are dependable. Versatility in the type of information that can be stored in each constituent record.

the software programmers I know say the set up is very 'old school.' I use batches a lot in RE - and the setting up of each is not as intuitive as some software programs out there.

Ease of access is great, very user friendly and visually appealing/easy to use

Some reporting and query functions are difficult to navigate

I previously worked with many other database interface software in the for-profit world, where I worked for the first 15+ years of my career. So when I started using Raiser's Edge, it came relatively easily to me as it reminded me of other previously used interfaces. We have a large database of over 350K donors, and Raiser's Edge has no problem handling our volume. The Raiser's Edge 7 is now showing some age in how it's structured and functions, but mostly in look and feel. We have been using Raiser's Edge with our database on premise. With the seismic shift into cloud computing, we are planning to move to a Blackbaud hosted environment, which will, in and of itself, bring us closer to feeling like it's not the 90's anymore. But the good news is that Blackbaud knows that the look and feel, usability, functionality and ability to play well with others need to catch up with the rest of technology, and so they introduced Raiser's Edge NXT a couple of years ago. RE NXT looks modern and fills many checkboxes of what fundraisers need to do their jobs in today's environment. (See Pros to find out more of what I like about RE NXT.)

Raiser's Edge 7 gives you the tools (and/or gives you optional add-on tools) to manage your donor relationships and data in just about any way you can think of. It's a great all-purpose fundraising tool for non-profit organizations. Raiser's Edge NXT (RE NXT) is the next generation, and we are most likely moving to that within the next year. The awesome things about RE NXT are 1. User access to your donor data from anywhere on any device, 2. Unintimidating ease of use for non-techie and techie alike, 3. Open API which means lots of more fantastic compatible tools are being built by Blackbaud partners, 4. Unlimited users - which means now our Board members and many other stakeholders will be able to login and get their reports on the dashboard instead of waiting for emailed or, even worse, hard-copy reports to be run and delivered to them by our staff.

My experience with the Customer Support has been less than stellar. Sometimes it seems like the Customer Support's go-to answer is, "No" or "No, you can't do that." Unless the answer is, "Well, if you buy this other tool we have, then you can do that." But since we have no plans to move off of Blackbaud products, thank heavens they have an amazing Blackbaud Community network where you can ask any question and get tons of advice from folks just like you working in this software daily. Blackbaud Community is now the first place I go when I need support. Many times the question I have has already been asked and answered in the past, and so just searching through the discussions will get me my answer or point me in the right direction, instead of wasting time trying to re-invent the wheel. My fairly high rating in this review on Customer Support is mostly because of Blackbaud Community and our fairly newly assigned account manager.

I believe Raiser's Edge allows you to track a lot of informaiton in its constituent-relationship database and I like that it has products which it speaks to easily, i.e. a financial product (Financial Edge) and an Internet option (NetCommunity.) I enjoy having the subscription that we have which allows us access to unlimited online and phone questions/issues and also unlimited online training. Very pricey, but worth it, because of the complexity of the system. Blackbaud makes a habit of buying out a lot of their competitors which makes them "the only game in town" in some aspects, but also allows them to take the best of their competitors products and incorporate them into Raiser's Edge, etc. I am most excited about their new product launching July 1, 2015 called RE NXT. This is a cloud based application which will be a great asset to any non-profit focused on major and principal gifts. The only caveat at this point is that non-profit has to have its RE environment hosted by Blackbaud in order to purchase this product.

The customer service leaves a lot to be desired. They often do not get back to us when we have issues with RE; they seem to focus most of their customer service toward "hosted" clients (and we are not hosted at the present time); we still have cases open with them and unresolved since November 2014 (and this is now April 2015); they do not exude the "customer is always right" attitude and they are a very expensive product. Also be careful with their pricing, different customers pay different costs for the same service/products. There also seems to be a lot of hidden costs when purchasing new products or modules from Blackbaud for the RE so make sure that you delve into that with your customer representative if you are looking to purchase anything from them.

Overall, since we transitioned from a very flexible database system, we eventually found that our data and needs for customization simply aren't supported by Raiser's Edge. Additionally, learning how to use the functions of Raiser's Edge if you don't already know can be very difficult, as customer support can be hard to get a hold of.

Records in Raiser's Edge are very stiff - as in very difficult to customize. This can be good if you are starting out in it, as you can set a standard of how to keep data, and it doesn't give employees the opportunity to create messy records. Adding information is simple and easy.

Many features of Raiser's edge can only be accessed in the Data base view, which is way less user friendly, and requires you to open a whole different software. For example, to you want to add a new kind of relationship? Need to go to Database view. Additionally, Records are so not customizable, that if you are moving data from a different system, you're data could easily look like a huge mess if you don't fit them exactly into Raiser's Edges categories.

Overall, Raiser's Edge is a helpful tool and provides the information which helps me do my job.

The ease of use which makes training co-workers much quicker and more easily understandable. The various modules make database management more effective (specifically EVENTS).

My biggest complaint with Blackbaud is customer service. Prior to the new procedures, I was able to call and speak to a human being and explain my issue. Currently, I can only get a CSR via CHAT, and that is only if someone is available at that time. Even during times where someone is supposed to be available, I frequently receive a message to try again later. When I CAN get a chat session, I find the CSRs are not as knowledgeable as they should be. I also find the CSRs have a hard time comprehending exactly what I'm asking and usually give up and find another way to get the information. In addition, while the standard reports typically give me the information I need, there are some that are sorely lacking and we are presently not in a position to create new ones (time and resources limitations) so we will piece together numerous reports.

We are a higher ed institution and we have moved from Banner to Raiser's Edge to NXT. What we saw right away was that NXT is very intuitive and easy to use. Our frontline gift officers love that they can use it on their phones, computers, tablets, and laptops, and that it's just a website away. Pulling lists is a lot easier and more accessible than the database query and the built-in mapping feature is widely used. It is a very clean and easy interface, which has made it a clear winner with our frontline staff.

Some very basic components are missing, which can be very frustrating. For instance, you can view an list of your Opportunities (Proposals) and a list of your Portfolio assignments, but not a list of them together. You also can't filter lists by looking for missing values (e.g., Prospect Status is blank), which creates some headaches. You very much have to adapt your processes to the database, rather than adapting the database to your processes. That can create some serious headaches during conversion, but overall it will save time.

RE NXT meet the basic needs for fundraisers and administrators. But any complex queries, reports, import, integration with other system requires lots of 3rd parties tools to achieve.

Visuals is based on permission and search button on the top of the browser is useful. Tiles are collapsible and dashboard is easy to view. Comparing to the database view, opening a new browser tab is useful when doing some comparisons between screens. Data Health (Deceased/Email/Duplicate Finder) is a great feature in web view. We use it all the time. The availability of ResearchPoint on dashboard is great feature for prospect management team.

RE NXT is a web view that is not as fully integrated as the database view. List, import and reporting are not adequate as the database view. Although SKI API is available, not all of the data point in database is available.

Having NXT is invaluable to having donor information at our fingertips, and for having an efficient process for recording contact and actions with donors for historical purposes.

I work a lot on the database side of Raiser's Edge, but NXT is super user friendly for those on your team that need information at their finger tips but aren't "database administrators".

There are a few functionalities that cannot be done in NXT and must be done in the database, and a few that do not report clearly (i.e. soft credits).

The software is great for constituent management and tracking donors and gifts for non profits.

The vendor fees are extremely high. Once you commit to their software, they have you. It is near impossible to leave. They used to have great customer support. Their staff was always knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile to help you with their product. Now you never hear from your account executive unless you contact them and then they pass you off to one of their assistants. Their assistants push you into buying products you do not need and then when you do purchase a product from them and sign the agreement to purchase, you cannot get answers. We purchased an add on module, we contacted them and we were passed to the assistant to our account executive. The assistant got the paperwork signed and it has been over a month and the add on product has still not been activated in our database. I have emailed and called the account executive assistant because we cannot talk to the account executive, i have talked to customer support and have been passed around. This is not the first time I have had this SAME experience from the new Blackbaud. New leadership appears to be clueless to the horrible experiences from their staff.

The data is well organized, easy to pull, and easy to export. Although this is the only major database software I have used personally, I have heard multiple comments from others that Raiser's Edge is so much easier and more efficient than other software types on the market. Our organization has been using Raiser's Edge for over 15 years, and we are well pleased with its capabilities and performance. This software manages everything fundraising related - donor profiles, biological data, giving history, mailing histories, event attendance and seating, EFT and automated credit card transactions, memberships, to-do tasks, alumni information, online giving forms and email blasts (with the optional Online Express module), etc. BlackBaud has an easy-to-access support system if you need help, as well as training, blogs, free webinars and videos so that beginners can easily learn the system.

BlackBaud is a little over-priced on some of its data cleansing services, like EmailFinder and Deceased People Finder. We often get the same service for much cheaper through our mailing house vendors.

Overall experience has been positive. And for those items that may come up as a challenge, the customer support team is always willing to dive in and do what they can to help.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT is an efficient and effective way to manage a donor database. It's user friendly for front line fundraisers, and the reports are helpful in retaining current donors and moving new donors through the moves management process.

While it is user friendly and has some really good aspects, there are still some restrictions on data viewing that could be improved. But Blackbaud is working on these to improve the overall experience.

The modern interface is intuitive, robust and incredibly mobile-responsive. The reporting options are great for CEOs, board members, and Development departments. The 360-degree view of each constituent is insightful and helpful. Love the ability to log in from anywhere with no additional downloads needed. Real-time constituent updates keep everyone in the loop. Blackbaud is continuing to develop and push out additional features that will make this more and more useful and relevant.

Honestly, for what I use it for, it's hard to find anything missing that Blackbaud isn't addressing and planning for future releases.

Ease of integration for the front line fundraisers

It is not yet as flexible as the Database View (RE7)

I would not recommend it for small organizations.

Raiser's Edge has wonderful reporting capabilities. It definitely personifies garbage in, garbage out though, so you want to be sure to set things up the correct way right from the beginning. Also if you want to be able to quantify your data you have to put in fields that you can do so - not something like notes.

It is not the easiest to learn and I don't feel like we ever used the full capability of the software. I wish there were more opportunities for general training's using it and learning how other companies are utilizing it.

RE NXT is very easy to navigate and colleagues who have little or no experience with the database view are able to find the information they need without a hassle. I like that NXT offers suggestions and specially prepared reports that provide useful information for reigniting lapsed donors and gauging capacity for future asks. I also love the visual analytics offered, as they help to segment and illustrate the entire scope of our constituent base rather than just looking at spreadsheets.

There are some limitations as to how much information can be added to lists in NXT, making it easier to generate more complex lists in the database view. I also think it would be beneficial to offer a complete guide of all of the training and webinars available as a benefit of NXT, as our team has not taken advantage of many useful resources because we have not been aware of them.