K-12 School Drives Digital Transformation with Blackbaud's Total School Solution

Rhea-AI Summary

Blackbaud's integrated technology boosts operational efficiencies and enhances student and alumni engagement at Ensworth School. The school leverages Blackbaud's K-12 education management portfolio, Total School Solution, and Raiser's Edge NXT for fundraising and financial management. The technology streamlines enrollment, tuition management, and alumni relationships, saving staff time and fostering collaboration.

Insights

Market Research Analyst

The integration of Blackbaud's technology within Ensworth School's operations exemplifies a growing trend among educational institutions to streamline administrative processes and enhance engagement through digital transformation. This is indicative of a broader market shift towards comprehensive software solutions that can manage various aspects of an organization's workflow. By offering a 'Total School Solution', Blackbaud is positioning itself as a one-stop-shop for educational management needs, which could potentially lead to increased market penetration and customer retention.

From a market perspective, the adoption of such technologies by schools can signal an increased willingness to invest in software solutions that promise operational efficiencies. As Blackbaud expands its portfolio and integration capabilities, it can potentially increase its total addressable market and create new revenue streams. For investors, the key interest lies in the scalability of such solutions and the long-term financial benefits that might stem from increased efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Financial Analyst

Blackbaud's announcement highlights operational improvements that have led to significant time savings for Ensworth School, which translates into cost savings and resource optimization. The reduction of nearly 100 annual work hours in data entry during peak enrollment periods is a tangible benefit that can be extrapolated to forecast potential savings for other institutions adopting similar technology. This efficiency gain can improve Blackbaud's value proposition and serve as a compelling selling point for its K-12 education management portfolio.

Analyzing the financial implications, the streamlined process reduces the need for manual labor, which may lower operational costs for educational institutions. For Blackbaud, such testimonials can enhance its reputation and drive sales, potentially impacting the company's revenue growth and profitability. The integration of fundraising and financial management systems like Raiser's Edge NXT and Financial Edge NXT within the school's operations also suggests a deepening product penetration, which could lead to upselling opportunities and expanded recurring revenue.

Educational Technology Expert

The case of Ensworth School showcases the practical application of educational technology in creating a cohesive ecosystem that supports the entire student lifecycle from enrollment to alumni engagement. The ability to integrate various systems such as enrollment management, tuition handling, student information and fundraising into a unified platform is a significant development in the EdTech field. It not only simplifies data management but also enhances the user experience for students, families and staff.

The adoption of electronic textbooks and the compatibility with Google Classroom applications signals an alignment with contemporary educational trends and digital literacy standards. The focus on user-friendly interfaces and customizable dashboards reflects an understanding of the importance of user engagement and the role of technology in facilitating personalized education. The continuous improvement and expansion of Blackbaud's offerings through the Blackbaud Marketplace suggest a commitment to innovation and responsiveness to the evolving needs of the education sector.

Blackbaud's Integrated Technology Creates Operational Efficiencies, New Ways of Working and New Possibilities for Student and Alumni Engagement

CHARLESTON, S.C., March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, today shared how a Nashville, Tennessee-based independent K-12 school, Ensworth School, has deepened its use of integrated technology to nurture collaboration, strengthen communication, break down silos, increase efficiency and provide an intuitive user experience that supports all of the school's stakeholders.

With more than 1,200 students enrolled, Ensworth relies on Blackbaud's K-12 education management portfolio to power enrollment, tuition, the school website, student information and classroom learning, in addition to leveraging Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT® for fundraising and Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT® for financial management.

With Blackbaud's Total School Solution, Ensworth's stakeholders have seen notable leaps in efficiency. Blackbaud Tuition Management seamlessly synchronizes with Blackbaud Enrollment Management, which then connects to Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT, so the school can track a student's progress from inquiry to alumni without data re-entry by staff or parents.

"From the moment they visit or inquire, students and their families are in our system," said Jason Hiett, Director of Technology, Ensworth School. "Once we go through the enrollment piece, all the checklists and the application are there for them. If they accept that, they complete the enrollment contracts and their data flows into tuition management with a contract." With this technology, the school has saved close to 100 annual work hours for its staff by reducing data entry during enrollment—the busiest time of the year.

Blackbaud's education management portfolio provides a framework to strengthen teaching and learning with solutions that open doors to new ways of doing things. Students and family members are able to connect to the school community through Tigernet, the school intranet named for its mascot. Tigernet incorporates Blackbaud solutions for the school website, student information and learning management. Users have customized dashboards tied to class pages and an easy-to-navigate assignment center, as well as user groups that support meaningful collaboration.

Teachers also have the flexibility to tie into Google Classroom applications, and the school has added a growing number of electronic textbooks available through the single sign-on set-up. Ensworth also looks to the Blackbaud Marketplace for applications from Blackbaud partners that are designed to complement Blackbaud education management offerings.

When students graduate, their status is updated in Tigernet and synced to the school's Raiser's Edge NXT database, which the school uses to fundraise and nurture relationships with alumni and supporters.

"Before it had all been so siloed," said Registrar and Database Manager Susan Ott. "We decreased the amount of double and triple entry into systems." With that time savings, Ensworth can explore ways to tailor communications to nurture stronger relationships, for example, engaging alumni in more unique and targeted ways.

Learn more about Ensworth School's story here and get more information on Blackbaud's Total School Solution here.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud's essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud's solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies, Quartz's list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes' list of America's Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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SOURCE Blackbaud

FAQ

How does Blackbaud's integrated technology benefit Ensworth School?

Blackbaud's integrated technology at Ensworth School enhances collaboration, communication, efficiency, and user experience, supporting stakeholders and saving staff time.

What solutions does Blackbaud provide to Ensworth School?

Blackbaud offers K-12 education management portfolio, Total School Solution, Raiser's Edge NXT for fundraising, and Financial Edge NXT for financial management to Ensworth School.

How does Blackbaud's technology streamline enrollment at Ensworth School?

Blackbaud's technology synchronizes enrollment management with tuition management and Raiser's Edge NXT, reducing data re-entry and saving staff time during enrollment.

How does Blackbaud support alumni engagement at Ensworth School?

Blackbaud's technology updates alumni status in Tigernet and syncs it with Raiser's Edge NXT database, enabling personalized communications and relationship nurturing.

What benefits do Ensworth School stakeholders see from Blackbaud's Total School Solution?

Ensworth School stakeholders experience notable efficiency improvements with Blackbaud's Total School Solution, connecting enrollment, tuition management, and fundraising seamlessly.