Connect Raiser's Edge

Connect Raiser’s Edge enables you to automatically update and add information to your Raiser’s Edge database based on information entered into your Blackbaud Education Management products such as Blackbaud School Website System. For example, when a parent updates his address or a student graduates, that information can be easily shared with your fundraising team.

Keep in mind that the Connect Raiser’s Edge integration is designed as a one-way sync from the Blackbaud Education Management products into Raiser’s Edge. The 'Education Management products database must be the most current information or else you may lose data in Raiser’s Edge. This lost data could include specific field values, spouses, and other relationships. Therefore, it is very important to carefully complete these steps to prepare for your data for before you use Connect Raiser’s Edge.

  1. Before you can use this integration, follow these steps to prepare for the installation.

  2. Be sure to also carefully review how the integration will handle data.

    Note: If you currently have integration between the Education Edge and the Raiser’s Edge, then the Raiser’s Edge will use enrollment data from the Education Edge instead of the 'Blackbaud's Education Management' products .

  3. When you're ready, install and set up the Connect Raiser's Edge plug-in.

  4. After you set up Connect Raiser's Edge, the plug-in attempts to match records in your Raiser’s Edge database with ones from your Blackbaud Education Management products database.

    You must then review the information and match records together. The integration syncs data for any linked records.

  5. From then onward, the integration manager should periodically access Connect Raiser’s Edge and click Process now to check the Blackbaud Education Management products for updated information to integrate into your Raiser’s Edge database. Whenever data is synced, a summary appears but must still review possible matches for existing records. When Connect Raiser’s Edge identifies new records from your Blackbaud Education Management products, it’ll attempt to match them to existing records in the Raiser’s Edge; you can confirm to create new records or search for existing records that the integration didn't detect. For details, refer to Match records.

You can change how Connect Raiser’s Edge handles data after you start to use it. From the summary page select Settings, enter your changes and select Save .

To access advanced settings, scroll to the bottom of the Settings page, select I actually need the advanced settings, confirm that you want to make significant changes, and enter the changes.

  • Reset to defaults - Select this if you need to change all settings to the default and delete the history of all processed changes.

  • Unlink a record - Search for the record in the Raiser’s Edge which should no longer be updated based on Blackbaud Education Management products data. Then select Un-link and Save changes. Any data already updated or added to the record in the Raiser’s Edge will remain as it is currently.

Note: Because Connect Raiser’s Edge is a plug-in for Raiser’s Edge, enhancements and updates are released on a schedule that may differ from the Blackbaud Education Management products.