What’s NXT? Choosing the Right Next Step for Your Nonprofit’s Database

Blackbaud has announced that support for the legacy Raiser’s Edge Database View (frequently referred to as Classic View) will end on September 15, 2027.   According to Blackbaud’s guidance, organizations using the legacy platform should begin preparing now to transition to the Raiser’s Edge NXT experience.

For organizations that have relied on Database View for years, moving to NXT will not be as simple as turning on a new interface. Teams will need to adjust established workflows, retrain staff, review integrations, and reconsider how they manage and report on donor information. If your nonprofit must make that level of investment, this is also the right time to determine whether NXT remains the best fit or whether another database could better support your fundraising goals.  

The Transition Creates an Opportunity

A nonprofit’s database should help the nonprofit understand the full relationship each person has with the organization, not simply record what they have given.  Donations, email engagement, event attendance, volunteer service, program participation, conversations with staff, and other interactions all reveal how someone connects with the mission.

When that information is connected, a nonprofit can see what matters to its supporters, personalize communication, strengthen stewardship, recognize how engagement changes over time, and identify opportunities for deeper involvement.  The requisition is not only whether a database can perform the necessary tasks.  It is whether the system helps the organization see and act on the relationships behind the data. 

Before moving automatically to NXT, take a step back and ask what your organization needs to understand.

• What can you see today?  Can your team view a supporter’s giving, communication, event, volunteer, and other engagement history in one place? 

• Where are the blind spots?  Identify the interactions stored in separate platforms, spreadsheets, email folders, or staff members’ individual records.

• Who needs visibility? Include the people who build relationships, communicate with supporters, deliver programs, reconcile revenue, review results, and make decisions.

• What will each option really cost?  Compare licensing, add-ons, migration, implementation, training, ongoing administration, and internal staff time.

NXT may still come out on top.  Another platform may offer a better fit.  The important thing is that your organization makes that choice based on its own priorities rather than a vendor’s deadline. 

Do Not Move Old Problems Into a New Database

No platform can automatically correct duplicate records, inconsistent coding, outdated contact information, unclear reporting practices, or confusion about who is responsible for data quality.  Moving without addressing those issues simply gives the same problems a new home.

Whichever system you choose, use the transition to clean your data, clarify your processes, and decide how information should be managed going forward.  The preparation will make implementation smoother and help your organization get more value from its investment.

How AG Can Help You Decide What Comes NXT

The Aubrey Group can help your nonprofit use this transition as an opportunity to strengthen its entire fundraising operations. Our role is not to begin with a predetermined platform.  It is to help you determine what your organization needs and which path best supports those needs.

AG can help your organization:

• Clarify what your organization needs to understand about its supporters. 

• Identify the gaps that limit a complete view of each supporter relationship. 

• Bring staff and leaders together to define the information they need to strengthen relationships and guide decisions. 

• Compare NXT and other platforms against your priorities, budget, and goals.

• Clean up data and processes before carrying old problems into a new system. 

• Build a realistic roadmap for selection, migration, training, and adoption.

September 2027 may sound far away.  Database assessment, selection, cleanup, migration, and training take time.  Starting now allows your team to make a thoughtful decision and plan the transition around important campaigns, events, audits, and other fundraising priorities.

Not sure what should come NXT?  The Aubrey Group can help you evaluate your options and develop a practical transition plan to support your fundraising goal.  Contact us to start the conversation.