What's new (service pack 39)

Check out the new features and enhancements for Blackbaud CRM.

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Blackbaud CRM

Service pack 39 expands on gender code enhancements which were originally introduced with service pack 36.

Relationship types

With this release, Relationship types are now displayed based on gender values supported by the new Gender (GENDERCODEID) field.

The original Male, Female, Unknown, and Other values were converted to the new Gender (GENDERCODEID) field.

With this conversion, the Relationship type settings you originally configured for Relationship types continue to be supported and the default functionality is preserved. You don't need to take any action.

Specifically, for Relationship settings, when a Relationship type is set to the gender:

  • Female, then the Relationship type will appear as an option in the Relationship dropdown menu when the linked constituent's GENDERCODEID is Female, Unknown, or Blank (Null). It won't appear if the GENDERCODEID is Other or a new value from the code table.

  • Male, then the Relationship type will appear as an option in the Relationship dropdown menu when the linked constituent's GENDERCODEID is Male, Unknown, or Blank (Null). It won't appear if the GENDERCODEID is Other or a new value from the code table.

  • Any, then the Relationship type will appear as an option in the Relationship dropdown menu regardless of the linked constituent's GENDERCODEID field value.

Additionally, with this release, you can now also choose to set all Relationship types to Any gender. You don't need to manually reconfigure each type.

  1. Start from Constituents. Then, under Configuration, select Relationship settings.

  2. Under Tasks (left panel), select Set all relationship types to "any" gender.

    This configures all Relationship types to default to Any gender. This can't be undone. Users must have a feature permission set via their System role to enable them to make this permanent change.

To learn more about the new Gender (GENDERCODEID) field, see service pack 36.

Title codes

Service pack 36 also included updates for Title codes and service pack 39 provides additional enhancements.

You can now also choose to set all Title codes to Any gender. You don't need to manually reconfigure each type.

  1. Start from Constituents. Then, under Configuration, select Title codes.

  2. Under Tasks (left panel), select Set all title codes to "any" gender

    This configures all Title codes to default to Any gender. This can't be undone. Users must have a feature permission set via their System role to enable them to make this permanent change.

Life changes

You can now specify what happens when your constituents marry. Do this from the Marriage options under Life changes.

Consider specifying new familial relationships to create for married constituents. For example, enable "step-" and "-in-law" relationships.

You can choose to base these new relationships on gender. When you create new individual relationships, the new GENDERCODEID is supported for existing Male and Female gender options.

Marketing and communications

This area now uses the new gender values from the user-defined code table.

Reporting

The following reports now use the new gender values from the user-defined code table.

  • Constituent profile

  • Research group prospect & spouse details

  • Prospect research additional & spouse details

Blackbaud Data Warehouse (BBDW)

This area now uses the new gender values from the user-defined code table.

As you upgrade to service pack 39, the following component upgrades will be installed, in order, on your application's web servers. You don't need to take specific action to install these.

  1. Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Common Language Runtime (CLR) 2014

  2. Microsoft Report Viewer 2015 Runtime

However, as a security best practice, if your Blackbaud CRM environment's web server is on-premise, remember to uninstall the following older components after you upgrade to service pack 39.

  • Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Common Language Runtime (CLR) 2012

  • Microsoft Report Viewer 2010 Runtime

This release includes a number of updates for this connector.

  • The connector includes default mapping to support new types of tender and credit cards for Luminate Online (LO). They now include:

    • PAYPAL,

    • APPLE_PAY,

    • GOOGLE_PAY,

    • and VENMO.

  • The Constituent Group Export now includes an option to use Luminate Web Services instead of a REST API to send data to Luminate Online (LO). This enables the service to handle record updates faster.

  • You can now configure Advocate interaction category and Tributes revenue note type using global settings. Previously, these were hard coded. By default, they're set to their previously hard coded values.

Refer to the LO-CRM Connector user guide for details.

This update fixes multiple defects and issues. For details, review the patch notes for service pack 39.

Blackbaud Cloud Operations

Organizations hosted by Blackbaud Cloud Operations can use our new service to directly request database backups and access relevant information.

Benefits:

  • Saves time and increases autonomy. The new self-service tool reduces the need to file customer support tickets.

  • Enables you to specify a date and time (from the previous seven days) for your backup.

  • Improves security.

  • View a history of backups and requests in progress.

  • Copy the SAS URI and download your TDE certificate bundle.

Organization administrators can access the tool now. To grant access to other users, enable permission with the Backup requests – Backup Administrators permissions role.

To find the tool, go to Blackbaud CRM's Cloud Portal and select Backups.

For instructions, see Request a backup. This service is not dependent on a service pack. You can use it even if you aren't yet on the most recent service pack.

Blackbaud Internet Solutions (BBIS)

Blackbaud Internet Solutions has upgraded TinyMCE for:

  • email templates,

  • email messages,

  • layouts,

  • discussion groups,

  • formatted text and image parts.

Blackbaud Internet Solutions now requires Blackbaud Checkout as payment method for all existing payment transactional parts. This is the only accepted payment method.

Direct to payment (Blackbaud Secure Payments, BBSP) is now retired.

The following message now appears to admin users at login and in the merchant account gallery.

  • "IMPORTANT! With the release of Service Pack 39, payment workflows that do not use Checkout have been discontinued. If any of your forms are configured to use a Merchant Account that is not compatible with Checkout, or use the Direct to Payment option, they will no longer function."

Transactional parts and pages configures with unsupported merchant accounts may still show Direct Debit and Bill me later options for payment, but the credit card option will be hidden. Admin users should edit the transactional part to include a merchant account that supports Blackbaud Checkout and save the changes. This ensures that a credit card option will appear for payment on these pages.

Unsupported merchant accounts will not appear in existing or new transactional parts.

Additionally, the user interface text to label the tab was updated to "Use checkout" instead of "Proceed directly to payment” in payment setup.

With this release, users can reorder the position of the Default Batch in Blackbaud CRM Donation Web Batch Assignment. This enables users to place it in the bottom or lowest position. Previously, it couldn't be reordered.

The version number for Blackbaud Internet Solutions is now 7.2.3.4539. This update includes notable updates to payments.

This update fixes multiple defects and issues. For details, review the patch notes for service pack 39.

Donation Forms

If you also use Blackbaud Donation Forms, see What's new in the help center for Online Giving to stay informed about the latest new features and enhancements.

To encourage donors to share their support of your organization with their friends, you can enable social sharing for Optimized Donation Forms. Social sharing options will appear to donors when the form launches from a hyperlink or button using the Optimized Loader Script on your website.

From Online Giving, Overview, create or edit an Optimized Donation Form. Next, from Confirmations, select Display social sharing options under Social sharing. To learn about social sharing and how to use the Optimized Loader Script, see Enable social sharing and Publish an Optimized Donation Form.

To simplify organizational role identification, admins can now specify job titles when they add or edit users. For more information, see Users.

To make managing user access easier, admins can now limit user access to a specific time frame by setting an access expiration date for a user. After a user's expiration date, that user becomes inactive and can no longer access the Blackbaud solutions and features that admins manage on the Users page in Security. For more information, seeAdd userAdd user and Edit user roles.

To reflect the total amount of a specific fundraising effort in an Optimized Donation Form's goal meter, you can add gifts, such as cash and checks, received outside the form.

From Online Giving, Overview, edit an Optimized Donation Form that has a goal meter in its branding card. Under Donation, Goal meter, enter the offline gift amount. For more information see, Branding Cards and Optimized Donation Forms.

Now, you can create batch distribution rules that determine which Blackbaud CRM batch automatically receives a gift from Optimized and Standard Donation Forms. You can base a rule on an appeal, donation forms, designations, or cards and wallets. To create a rule, select Batch distribution rules from Settings in Online Giving. To learn more about how to set up rules, see Batch Distribution Rules.

To show the impact of your recurring gift plans, view the Total raised from plans from Contributions. The chart displays the amount raised across all recurring gift plans and the amount raised from all types of payments. For more information, see Contributions.

To show the impact of your organization's recurring gift plans, you can view the Recurring gift plan forecast chart in Contributions. It displays past performance, future projections, and potential revenue across active plans and includes a recommended set of action when plans meet specific criteria, such as contacting donors when their plans are paused past 90 days. To learn more about the chart see, Recurring Gift Plan Forecast

To ensure accurate reporting in Blackbaud CRM and Altru, if you try to skip the last payment of a recurring gift plan before its end date, you now have the option to terminate the plan. To learn how to skip payments, see Pause, Resume, or End Recurring Gift Payments.

Now you can add gifts received via cash or check to a goal meter in website components to reflect the total amount received for a giving event. From a goal meter in website components, under Source, enter the total number and amount received for offline gifts. For more information, see Goal Meter.

To help you manage recurring gift plans, now you can view plans ending in 90 days, enabling you to contact donors for an extension. For plans that meet this criteria, select the prompt Contact donors with recurring gift plans that end in 90 days under Needs Attention in Contributions. To learn how to update these plans, seeRecurring Gift Plans Ending in 90 Days.

Remember, you need to be on the most recent service pack of Blackbaud CRM in order to receive these features from Blackbaud Donation Forms (Online Giving).

Tip: Looking for previous service packs? Find them in What's Recent. Looking for a schedule for upcoming service pack releases? We can't promise when a future update will be available, but they typically occur approximately once per quarter.