Agenda Builder

Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to hear from Emmy award-winning actress, producer, and advocate Sheryl Lee Ralph! Whether you know her from ABC’s current smash hit Abbott Elementary, Sister Act 2, or Broadway’s Dreamgirls, you’ll be inspired by Ralph’s passion for building a better world. She’s an advocate for education, a nonprofit founder—and a spellbinding voice for change.  Sheryl Lee Ralph will share empowering, confidence-boosting wisdom from her impressive five-decade career, along with fresh inspiration for anyone who wants to make a difference.

Featuring Sheryl Lee Ralph

More schools are evaluating and transitioning toward Mastery Assessment. Blackbaud has expanded its Mastery Assessment capabilities to allow for a continuous, informed, and accessible understanding of individual student learning. Learn about how you can utilize the newest Mastery Assessment functionality within assignments, gradebooks, and report cards.

Many changes are coming to payments processing in Blackbaud Luminate Online and Blackbaud TeamRaiser®. This session will help you navigate all the changes and determine what the next steps are for you with PCI v. 4.0, as well as the new Payments Checkout toolset. This is not your ordinary payments processor, and we want you to get excited!

Dr Alex George will share powerful, practical insights on strengthening the most important asset you have in your work to drive impact: yourself!  Dr Alex is the bestselling author of Live Well Every Day and The Mind Manual For Adults, Youth Mental Health Ambassador to the UK government, and a beloved public voice for mental wellness.   We’ll announce the winner of the Social Good Startup Pitch Contest (so get your votes beforehand) and the winners of the Blackbaud Impact Awards.

Are you focused on making data-driven decisions, but unsure where to start? Does your team know how to utilize the analytical tools at their fingertips effectively?

Join Knox College as they reveal how they’ve utilized Blackbaud solutions—including Blackbaud Fundraiser Performance Management®, ResearchPoint™, and ProspectPoint® predictive models along with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT®—to become a more data-driven operation. Learn how they are using Blackbaud solutions to create a pipeline-driven annual and major giving program during an era of change for Knox College.

This session is focused on providing critical data and insights to help drive action and impact. Several key external factors can influence and impact our employee and community engagement, however there are also key corporate social impact sector trends in volunteer, giving, and broader philanthropic activity that can help provide insight into ways that CSR strategies and programs can further evolve. In this session we will explore a mixture of data and insights from the YourCause 12th Annual Industry Review, ACCP’s 5th Annual CSR Insights Survey, as well as key points from various 2024 data and research reports from CECP. In turn, we will explore the intersection of broader sector-wide investments and trends, insights into trending levels of engagement tied to various programmatic offerings, and the corresponding pressures and impacts on corporate social impact professionals and leaders. 

In this session, we will speak to the past, present, and future of financial aid in the K-12 space. We will look at trends, data, and customer stories to guide us toward a sustainable and effective future of needs-based financial aid.

Embark on a journey into the future of payment processing with Financial Edge NXT’s groundbreaking automated solution: Payment Assistant. Discover how this innovative feature, seamlessly integrated into Financial Edge NXT, revolutionizes payment workflows. Explore the myriad benefits of automated payments, including enhanced efficiency, fraud reduction, and significant time savings for your Accounts Payable staff.

Dive deep into the realm of virtual card payments and unravel why they stand as the ultimate solution in fraud prevention. Learn how virtual card payments offer unparalleled security measures, safeguarding transactions against fraudulent activities effectively. Additionally, gain valuable insights into the strategic partnership with Repay, the driving force behind this cutting-edge solution.

Join us as we unveil the transformative potential of Payment Assistant, redefining the landscape of payment processing within Financial Edge NXT and beyond.

If you've been following the Data Intelligence Product Update Briefings, you'll know that we've been on a journey with artificial intelligence and data at scale over the past few years. We believe recent developments in the technology landscape open up radical new opportunities for the nonprofit landscape, particularly when combined with new conceptual frameworks like "data products" and the "data mesh." In this session, product and data science team members from Blackbaud will share key lessons we feel that will be important in your go-forward strategy: what we have learned over the past four years of our AI transformation, recent developments that have emerged in Blackbaud's tech stack, how those changes impact our product development, and areas where we see an emerging picture of what the future will look like.

We will cover the strategy of using Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT Optimized Donation Forms to quickly convert new donors, as well as how you can leverage email to encourage donors to create a donor portal account where they can provide additional information, like their mailing address, and then feed into Prospect Insights/Analytics.

Everyone in a school knows that tuition and fees are not the only items a family needs to pay for each year. Come see how Blackbaud Tuition Management can help you create a shopping cart for all the add-ons students and parents need. This session will also include a bonus tip on a shopping cart that can be made available to alumni, grandparents, and other non-tuition paying members of your community.

Are you managing Blackbaud Raiser's Edge but unable to work out what your users are doing in the system? The tale that Audit Trail tells may be one of badly handled changes and unsanctioned record viewing or it could be efficiency gains and improved productivity. Let us show you how.

Join us as we explore the pivotal role your employee well-being strategy can have on corporate social impact programs. While there are many levers that drive and inspire employee engagement in corporate social impact initiatives, too many organizations fail to see the intersectionality between well-being and engagement. In this presentation, we will delve into the research that identifies why organizations need to prioritize employee well-being, outline how HR, DEI, and CSR colleagues can collaborate on transforming their work environments to support well-being, and share strategies to increase employee participation across volunteering, philanthropy, and Employee Resource Group (ERG) initiatives. Attendees will also have a chance to participate in group discussion to learn from peers and share their own insights and challenges in this area.

Let’s Marie Kondo your database! We’ll start with a deep dive into Duplicate Manager and give you a tangible plan for tackling clean-up. We’ll also explore the new online data review tool and demonstrate how you can use it to help decrease the number of new duplicates. Finally, we’ll give you a recap of work Blackbaud has done to help make data hygiene easier, along with a sneak peek of new AI product enhancements that will further lighten your load.

Through a lens of efficiency and innovation, join Canadian and US customers who have leveraged Blackbaud Award Management to unleash the transformative potential of software-driven scholarship management practices. Gain perspectives to streamline data sources across campus, consolidate approaches, increase application rates, expedite processing times, improve the reviewer experience, enhance campus engagement and optimize processes. Get insights about site configurations to accommodate future institutional expansion, with provisions for graduate student inclusion and broader stakeholder access to increase institutional alignment, freeing frontline teams to focus on strategic initiatives and mitigating risks.

Blackbaud tech leaders will take you on an exciting tour of new announcements and recent enhancements across Blackbaud’s software. You’ll learn about the future of software for the business operations of social impact and get a first look at enhancements to more closely connect the business offices of your organization, help you work more confidently and efficiently than ever with useful AI tools designed for you, and much more.

You can watch this session in its entirety or choose to navigate through the six waves of tech innovation by viewing the chapter icon in the video viewer. 

• Wave One: The future of fundraising software
• Wave Two: Expanding Intelligence for Good Approach®
• Wave Three: Accelerated giving and enhanced online giving
• Wave Four: Next-level digital marketing
• Wave Five: Connected financial management
• Wave Six: Extensibility and flexibility to create your complete solution

Featuring Catherine LaCour, Todd Lant, Mike Gianoni, Sudip Datta, Kevin McDearis, Neena Gupta Needel, Andy Snyder, Jerry Needel, Linton Myers, Carrie Cobb, Ben Wong, Heather R. Johnson, Allison Van Diest, Dondi Cupp and Nohe Ka

Whether you are new to automatically processing recurring gifts, you've been automatically processing for a while, or you just want to know more before you get started, this is the session for you. Automated recurring gifts are currently available with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT®️ web view and coming soon to Online Giving for Blackbaud CRM™️ and Blackbaud Altru®️. Join Principal Project Manager Juliana Lawson and your peer Keith W Wilson from GuideStone®️ for an in-depth session on automated recurring gifts to better understand the advantages and capabilities of automated tasks. They will discuss features that align with recurring gifts, including donation forms, back-office administration, and Portal (Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT web view). Let's dive deep and make your day-to-day tasks simpler.

Attention all organizations that run Auctions, Galas, Golf Tournaments and other fundraising events. Learn how you turn event attendees into longtime donors for your organization. In this session, we’re breaking down three critical steps to secure more longtime supporters for your cause. But the best part is, these tactics will also allow you to raise more money for your next fundraiser too. We will delve into real-world case studies showcasing innovative event optimization techniques straight from seasoned fundraising event leaders. Additionally, learn how integrating their Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT and Blackbaud Merchant Services with their event and auction platform saved them time, reduced fees, and boosted donations, driving unprecedented success into their organizations. From donate-your-bid auction upsells to pre and post event tactics to ensure you get the most out of your next fundraising event.

Do you have to manage a large number of fund balances? Do you have many entities spending down balances throughout your organization who constantly want to how much money they have left? Are you an organization that receives grants? Do you give out grants? Are you a “passthrough” organization? Do you do internal grants or awarding of funds throughout your org? Do you have to report on the outcomes of group of programs back to your funders? If any of these questions resonate with you then this session is for you. With so many needs, it can be hard to know what data should be stored where. Enter the RENXT + FENXT + Blackbaud Grantmaking total solution. Each are powerhouse solutions on their own, but when used together to complete the organizational ecosystem, you have a winning trifecta. Join us for a session to understand how these pieces work together to raise the most money, help you make impactful granting and funding decisions, collect the full impact picture and report it back to donors to power their next gift.

We hear you! After our bbcon 2023 session was viewed by over 500 Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT users, we listened to your recommended "little things" and challenges. Organizations and technology are ever-evolving. We have compiled 50 more tips and tricks to help database managers keep up and stay on top, by using tools that are hiding in plain sight.

Blackbaud University Instructors, Henry and Chrissy, will guide attendees through the advancements made to the Blackbaud Grantmaking Online Application tool in 2024. The session will begin with highlighting the stand-out new features that will excite users, including conditional logic, basic e-signature, and language translation. Henry and Chrissy will demonstrate building an applicant-friendly form that highlights their expert tips and share suggestions to keep online application management processes organized. The session will end with an opportunity for attendees to ask their questions surrounding Online Applications.

Explore the transformative power of AI as it has the "Amazon Effect" on traditional prospect research. Uncover the parallels between Amazon's disruption of the traditional brick-and-mortar business model and how AI, through tools like Blackbaud’s Prospect Insights, can simplify prospect identification for your organization. Learn to transition from reactive to data-driven research, utilizing donor modeling to prioritize efforts then showcase your impact on your team’s fundraising outcomes. Join us as we discuss the real-life application of Prospect Insights with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT® to explore how AI isn't exclusive to big companies—it's a powerful tool accessible at your fingertips, revolutionizing prospect development strategies.

Uncover the secrets of conditional logic and unleash its full potential to revolutionize your application processes.

• Unravel the Mysteries: Learn how conditional logic weaves its magic, making your forms smarter and more responsive.
• Master the Craft: Harness the power of conditional logic to create dynamic forms that adapt to applicants' responses in real time.
• Strategic Considerations: Gain insights into the strategic implications of conditional logic and how to use it effectively.
• Optimization Secrets: Explore ways to streamline and consolidate your application forms, reducing complexity and enhancing user experience.

Join us on this adventure to elevate your grantmaking experience and empower your organization with the tools for success!

This session will discuss best practices for setting up regular data management projects for a tidy Blackbaud eTapestry database. It will include a review of the options available to assist within the database, plus discuss how specific data guidance can be provided by Blackbaud consultants. We will also discuss the paid data services available to remove dead weight within the database.

Do you have a 360-degree view of your financial processes, from requisition to invoice to payment?

PaperSave by PairSoft’s natively integrated AP, procurement, and payments automation work to streamline your entire procure-to-pay process from the comfort of Blackbaud. Join this session for a live look into how this powerhouse combination works in Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT — including the exponential time and cost savings, fully secure platform, visibility over spend management, and out-of-the-box workflows.

This session will delve into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) within the nonprofit sector, emphasizing the critical importance of data quality. Participants will discover how AI and ML technologies can revolutionize nonprofit operations, from enhancing donor engagement to optimizing resource allocation. The session will address the paramount significance of data quality in driving informed decision-making and organizational success. Attendees will learn actionable strategies and best practices for ensuring the reliability, accuracy, and relevance of their nonprofit's data assets.

Supercharge your social fundraising on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. We’ll share case studies from customers including American Cancer Society acovering the results they have seen with the JustGiving and GivePanel integration. Find out how this has helped them with supporter acquisition through social channels, creating a seamless supporter experience and monitoring social fundraising performance, all in one place.
Packed with data and analysis from raising over $1b through Facebook fundraising, this session will cover the latest social media network trends, and 10 actionable takeaways designed to help you enhance your fundraising outcomes.

As Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT becomes the standard and is being consistently upgraded by Blackbaud, accounting teams can unlock new worlds of efficiency. Unfortunately, with the consistent updates and new features, organizations can miss out. This session will show five things FORVIS and their clients have done to enable efficiencies that can allow people to maximize Financial Edge NXT.

In this presentation, we delve into the creation of an intermediate platform designed to serve the processed data in a standardized format for our school users. The focus is on establishing a central hub that can efficiently handle diverse data sources into a common format that is easily accessible and usable by specific users. Throughout the presentation, we explore the key components and functionalities of this intermediate platform, including data download and transformation processes, data quality controls, and data access opportunities. We discuss how these components work together seamlessly to streamline data processing workflows and enable the generation of meaningful insights.

In this session, The Nature Conservancy will showcase the myriad ways it uses the BrightVine Data Link (BVDL) product to enhance its daily operations and make processes more streamlined and efficient. Partnering with Rich Muniz of BrightVine, we will describe at a high level all the ways The Nature Conservancy has implemented BVDL and describe future ideas and product abilities that we have yet to tap into.

This session will provide tips and tricks for using automation and APIs to share information between multiple systems and your Blackbaud Award Management™ system, beginning with automating the import of student data from multiple sources and using APIs to share award information with the systems that need to know—with the least amount of IT assistance possible.

Technology is changing and with that comes new opportunities for increased process automation and extending the features and functionality of existing solutions. Many of these options can tackled by those who work with these process and solutions on an everyday basis so know first hand the requirements and desired results. This session will be an overview of the current landscape and how this applies to Blackbaud Solutions. Geared to those decision makers who have staff looking to devote time to exploring these possibilities.

Session will use real life example of fundraising business needs to discuss tips and tricks of creating Power Automate flows, including how to use some of the mostly used expression and data operation action to make the flow more efficient and avoid unnecessary loops. Will also discuss pros and cons of the New Editor on Power Automate flows and when to use or avoid it.

Learn about the things you should be doing in your Altru database directly from a changemaker!  Join Customer Success Manager, Rosita Bradham, as they reveal tips and tricks to maximize efficiency, and the most important things you should be doing in your database to get the most out of Altru and fulfill your organization’s mission.

If your organization has new challenges, then you need new, complementary solutions- and the companies chosen to participate in Blackbaud's Social Good Startup Program might just have the answers you're looking for!
 
Join the 2024 Startup Showcase event to hear from the companies in the January and July 2024 cohorts of Blackbaud's Social Good Startup Program as they pitch their impactful, innovative and extensible solutions to a panel of judges including members of Blackbaud's executive leadership team.
 
All bbcon attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites following the event, with voting open for the duration of the conference and winners announced during our closing mainstage session.

With over 80% of RENXT clients utilizing 4 or more third party applications, the need for an integration strategy is critical. Join this session to learn best practices for establishing and improving an integration strategy that scales with your organization. We have seen a tripling of technology systems, in the past 10 years, leading to significant adoption of best-of-breed technology. Simultaneously, Raiser’s Edge NXT opened APIs, enabling external applications and individuals to write code to push and pull data. This adoption of technology, and ability to seamlessly move data from point-to-point, marks significant progress for nonprofits. That said, there are some critical elements you should consider when it comes to managing, maintaining, and nurturing your data. With open APIs, we are seeing many external applications build their own integrations to move data into Blackbaud and while the potential automation enhancements sound like progress, we want to encourage caution. No two sources of data, or integration solutions, are the same and without an intentional data management strategy, you sacrifice the ability to maintain control leading to untrustworthy data, poor donor stewardship, and missed opportunities. Do you have a data management and integration strategy to nurture your greatest asset and be good data stewards?

Embark on a journey of exploration with Alvernia University Director of Advancement Operations, Hallie Guiseppe, as she dives into the realm of data management using Microsoft Power Automate and Blackbaud SKY APIs with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®. Hallie will showcase how these powerful tools have enabled Alvernia to enhance data integrity and streamline processes and she will share practical examples and insights to inspire low-code data management strategies at your own organization.

Embark on a journey into the future of accounts payable automation with Financial Edge NXT. Explore the comprehensive procure-to-pay processes already embedded within the product and gain exclusive insights into the envisioned future state. Dive deep into the intricacies of Expense Management, Purchase Requests, WebPurchasing and Approval Workflows, uncovering their native and seamless processes within Financial Edge NXT.

Moreover, discover the cutting-edge developments in AI-powered document intelligence tailored specifically for invoice scanning and automation. Witness how Financial Edge NXT leverages artificial intelligence to streamline and enhance the efficiency of accounts payable workflows, revolutionizing traditional processes with unprecedented speed and accuracy. Join us for an illuminating exploration into the transformative power of automated AP workflows and AI advancements within Financial Edge NXT.

In a world where hundreds of other vendors and worthy causes clamor for the attention of your supporters - and regulatory environments restrict access to varying extents around the globe - how do you ascertain the
right message still gets to the right person? Join Raiser's Edge NXT product experts to get a glimpse into optimizing consent and preferences to deliver communications your supporters want to receive - and comply with the prevailing regional regulations.

This session will reveal tips and tricks to using Chart Organizers and other tools in Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT to create custom reports that will eliminate the manual processes to create a report specifically for various stakeholders.

AI is a hot topic in grantmaking. Join us to learn about trends in philanthropy, Blackbaud's approach to incorporating trustworthy AI, and what's on the horizon for new tools in Blackbaud Grantmaking™ solutions.

This session will offer a review of advanced list logic with a few helpful examples to get you started.

Do you need tips and tricks to make web view easier? Explore the latest features available in web view and Omatic Cloud, and see how they can support your mission. We’ll take a closer look at the new capabilities in the SKY API® and discuss ways to become more efficient in your daily tasks. Join us to learn how Omatic and Blackbaud are working together to support your needs!

This session is focused on harnessing the power of employee volunteers from diverse backgrounds in 30+ communities around the world to amplify strategic philanthropic initiatives on a global scale. This approach taps into the unique reach and persuasive power of ambassadors to transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, thereby driving significant impact in targeted areas of concern. We'll cover strategies for selecting the right ambassadors, aligning their strengths and platforms with organizational goals, and creating symbiotic relationships that benefit both the ambassadors and the cause. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on building and optimizing ambassador programs to achieve measurable outcomes and foster sustainable change.