Tip: To improve to user management and security in Blackbaud solutions, we are consolidating user management options in Security and streamlining admin roles to enable more granular admin permissions. This help topic describes the updated admin types, but we are also temporarily including the previous version of the help content for reference after the new content.

 

Admins Tasks

Three types of users have rights to perform admin tasks for an organization and its Blackbaud solutions.

  • Organization admins have full admin rights to manage all organizational tasks. They also have rights to manage users and roles within their organization’s Blackbaud solutions.

  • Solution admins have rights to manage a specific Blackbaud solution or solutions, but they don’t have rights to perform organizational admin tasks unless an organization admin assigns the required permissions.

  • Regular users can manage specific admin tasks when organization admins or solution admins assign the required permissions to perform organizational tasks or solution-specific tasks.

We recommend two Blackbaud IDs for organization admins and solution admins so that they can use one Blackbaud ID for their admin tasks and the other for their day-to-day activity.

Organization admins can manage or delegate all admin tasks for their organization. They can perform organizational admin tasks, such as managing the organization profile, that impact the entire organization. They can also perform solution-specific admin tasks, such as managing user roles, that impact a specific Blackbaud solution.

To delegate admin tasks, organization admins can designate other organization admins, designate solution admins to handle all solution-specific admin tasks, or assign permissions to regular users for specific admin tasks.

Only organization admins can designate other organization admins or grant permissions to manage organizational admin tasks. Blackbaud recommends that organizations designate at least two organization admins to ensure access if one leaves. To designate an organization admin:

  1. On the Users page, select Add user for a new user or find an existing user in the list and select Manage roles in the context menu.

  2. For a new user, enter a name and email address.

  3. Under Security, select Make organization admin.

  4. For a new user, select Send invite, or for an existing user, select Save.

Organizational admin tasks include:

  • Managing the organization profile, such as the address and other contact details

  • Tracking and managing user authentication with Blackbaud ID, including the option to enable single sign-on

  • Handling billing details, such as invoices, payment methods, and subscription renewals

  • Setting up Blackbaud Merchant Services to process and disburse funds, and managing passwords for Blackbaud services, such as Blackbaud Payment Service

  • Defining branding elements to create a familiar user experience

  • Managing access to Blackbaud ID, including invitations and inactivating users

  • Designating other organization admins or assigning admin permissions to solution admins or regular users to enable them to perform specific organizational admin tasks

  • Keeping the list of active users and admins current

In addition, organization admins also perform all solution-specific admin tasks.

Solution admins can manage a specific Blackbaud solution or multiple solutions. They can access all features in the solutions where they are designated as solution admins, and they can manage all users and admins for those solutions.

By default, solution admins don't have admin rights for organizational admin tasks, such as managing the organization profile, but organization admins can assign permissions as necessary to enable solution admins to perform specific organizational admin tasks.

Organization admins can designate solution admins for any of their organization’s Blackbaud solutions, and solution admins can designate other solution admins for the solutions where they are solution admins. To designate a solution admin:

  1. On the Users page, select Add user for a new user or find an existing user in the list and select Manage roles in the context menu.

  2. For a new user, enter a name and email address.

  3. Under Security, select Make solution admin for each applicable solution.

  4. For a new user, select Send invite, or for an existing user, select Save.

Solution-specific admin tasks include:

  • Access to all features within a solution, including Security where admins manage user access

  • Designating other solution admins or assigning permissions to enable regular users to perform specific admin tasks

  • Managing user roles within solutions to control the features that users can access

Regular users can manage specific admin tasks when organization admins or solution admins assign the required permissions. Organization admins can assign permissions to enable users to manage specific organizational tasks, and both organization admins and solution admins can assign permissions to enable users to manage solution-specific admin tasks.

To assign admin permissions to a regular user:

  1. On the Users page, select Add user for a new user or find an existing user in the list and select Manage roles in the context menu.

  2. For a new user, enter a name and email address.

  3. Under Security, select the required admin roles.

    • For organizational admin tasks, select Blackbaud account management from the solution list on the left side of the section and then select the security roles.

    • For solution-specific admin rights to manage users and roles, select the solution from the solution list on the left of the section and then select the security roles under User management.

  4. For a new user, select Send invite, or for an existing user, select Save.

 

 

Warning: The remaining content describes admin types and tasks before recent improvements. We are keeping this content temporarily for reference, but for the latest information, see the content above.

 

You have three types of admins. One type has full access to specific Blackbaud solutions, another type has full access to all your solutions, and the other manages your organization's profile and other tasks on Blackbaud's website.

  • Solution admin — Enables full access to specific Blackbaud solutions. They can view and manage users and admins for their solutions, but they can't manage users and admins for other solutions.

    To designate a user as a solution admin, select Make solution admin under each applicable solution.

    Note: These admins can't make users inactive, and they can't designate environment admins or organization admins.

  • Environment admin — Enables full access to all your Blackbaud solutions. They can view and manage users for all solutions and can make them inactive. They can also designate solution admins and environment admins.

    To designate an environment admin, select Make environment admin when you add the user or manage their roles.

    Note: These admins can't designate organization admin or access other environments without additional permissions.

  • Organization admin — Enables the ability to manage your organization's profile and other organizational tasks on Blackbaud's website, such as managing authentication settings and setting up single sign-on.

    To designate another organization admin, an organization admin must:

    1. Sign in to Blackbaud’s website.

    2. From the solution menu, select Admin.

    3. Select Users and admins.

    4. Select Add admin.

Organization admins have the ability to manage your organization's profile and other organizational tasks in Admin. These admins don't have access to Blackbaud solutions unless you invite them. Likewise, you don't have access to Admin unless you're invited to be an organization admin. If you are, you can:

  • Add other admins at your organization.

  • Manage anyone with access to your Blackbaud ID Supported Solutions. This includes inactivating users or admins, such as those no longer with your organization.

  • Make sure your list of active users and admins is current.

  • Manage your organization’s account on Blackbaud’s website. This includes updating your organization’s address.

  • Update your organization's passwords for Blackbaud services, such as Blackbaud Payment Service (BBPS) and Blackbaud Merchant Services (BBMS).

  • Set up single sign-on.

  • Rename environments and select their purpose.

To access these features and tasks, an organization admin must sign in to Blackbaud’s website and select Admin from the solution menu on the left of the page. For more information, see Organization Admin Tasks.

Tip: We recommend admins with access to Blackbaud's website and Blackbaud solutions have a unique Blackbaud ID for their admin tasks, separate from their Blackbaud ID for their day-to-day activity. These admins can be set up with multiple Blackbaud IDs, inviting each one to be an organization admin for Blackbaud's website or a solution admin or user with their appropriate roles.