Blackbaud and Microsoft's Tech for Social Impact Team Collaborating to Bring Sophisticated Cloud Technology, AI and Analytics to Nonprofits

Rhea-AI Summary

Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) have announced plans to enhance their offerings for the nonprofit and education markets. Blackbaud will integrate Microsoft AI and analytics into its purpose-built software for social impact organizations. Key points include:

1. Integration of Microsoft Fabric™ to enable new capabilities like comprehensive productivity dashboards.
2. Leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft Fabric within Blackbaud solutions.
3. Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT® will soon use Microsoft Azure AI Document Intelligence for invoice and receipt scanning automation.
4. Microsoft is the presenting sponsor of bbcon 2024, Blackbaud's annual tech conference.

This collaboration aims to help social impact organizations accelerate their impact through innovative technology solutions.

Positive

• Integration of Microsoft AI and analytics into Blackbaud's purpose-built software for nonprofits
• New capabilities like comprehensive productivity dashboards using Microsoft Fabric™
• Automation of payables process in Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT® using Microsoft Azure AI Document Intelligence
• Potential for increased efficiency and fundraising effectiveness for Blackbaud customers

Negative

• None.

Upcoming Product Innovations Will Enable Nonprofits to Leverage Innovative Blackbaud and Microsoft Technology to Achieve Greater Impact, Gain In-Depth Insights and Increase Efficiency

CHARLESTON, S.C. and REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced plans to enhance the value provided to the nonprofit and education markets. Blackbaud customers will soon benefit from deeper integration of Microsoft AI and analytics into software that is purpose-built for the unique business operations of social impact organizations — without the need for costly customizations. 

Underpinned by Microsoft technologies, Blackbaud's industry-leading donor management software, Blackbaud CRM® and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®, are engineered using the world's most comprehensive fundraising data model. These purpose-built, powerful solutions are proven to enhance data understanding and consistency, helping social impact organizations manage complex fundraising operations and ultimately increase the number of donors, gifts, and amounts raised.  By integrating Microsoft Fabric™ in its architecture to unify data sources, Blackbaud can enable new capabilities like comprehensive productivity dashboards designed for the unique needs of their customers. These dashboards, personalized by role, are designed to enable every user to focus on and prioritize their next actions and critical tasks. 

These capabilities build upon the productivity increases that thousands of Blackbaud customers are already realizing as they use Blackbaud's Microsoft Power Platform™ connectors, available on the Blackbaud Marketplace, to extend and enhance their solutions. Blackbaud is a leading producer of Microsoft-certified Power Platform connectors, and its customers use this rich Microsoft toolset to create custom apps, automate workflows, build dashboards, and fine-tune reporting for their Blackbaud solutions, helping them save time and ultimately raise more funds for their world-changing organizations.  

"A tremendous opportunity exists for our two companies to collaborate on ways to help social impact organizations use AI and automation to address key operational and financial challenges," said Sudip Datta, Chief Product Officer, Blackbaud. "As a longstanding Microsoft partner and leader in the nonprofit technology space, we're committed to making sure our customers have access to the latest innovation within a connected ecosystem purpose-built for the social impact sector. We're excited to be leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft Fabric within our solutions, helping social impact organizations accelerate impact."

"Microsoft is committed to empowering social good organizations with the technology and tools they need to achieve more impact," said Justin Spelhaug, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's Tech for Social Impact, part of Microsoft Philanthropies. "We are grateful for the collaboration with Blackbaud who has been a pioneer in applying AI and cloud technologies to the social sector. Together, we are enabling social impact organizations to transform their operations, optimize their resources and amplify their outcomes."

Blackbaud and Microsoft have a long history and shared commitment to the social impact space, rooted in Blackbaud's early adoption of Microsoft Azure as a critical foundation for many of its core products and ongoing adoption of new Azure capabilities. Blackbaud's leading financial management software Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT® will soon leverage the Microsoft Azure AI Document Intelligence service for invoice and receipt scanning automation. This marriage of Blackbaud's leading financial management software with Microsoft technology will allow organizations to automate their entire payables process, from start to finish, directly within Financial Edge NXT. Blackbaud also leverages Microsoft AI Services to bring many aspects of their Intelligence for Good® strategy to life, making AI powerful, accessible, and responsible for social impact, such as in Blackbaud Impact Edge™, the company's new data and storytelling solution that's currently under development.

Microsoft is the presenting sponsor of bbcon 2024, Blackbaud's annual tech conference, taking place Sept. 24-26 in Seattle. Microsoft will deliver several sessions at the conference focused on how nonprofits can use AI with their data to drive mission success around fundraising and campaign planning. Learn more and register for bbcon 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.

Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com 

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; 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.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackbaud-and-microsofts-tech-for-social-impact-team-collaborating-to-bring-sophisticated-cloud-technology-ai-and-analytics-to-nonprofits-302250118.html

SOURCE Blackbaud

FAQ

What is the purpose of the collaboration between Blackbaud (BLKB) and Microsoft?

The collaboration aims to enhance the value provided to the nonprofit and education markets by integrating Microsoft AI and analytics into Blackbaud's purpose-built software for social impact organizations.

How will Blackbaud (BLKB) integrate Microsoft technologies into its products?

Blackbaud will integrate Microsoft Fabric™ to enable new capabilities like comprehensive productivity dashboards, and use Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Azure AI Document Intelligence in various solutions, including Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT®.

When and where is bbcon 2024, Blackbaud's (BLKB) annual tech conference?

bbcon 2024 is taking place from September 24-26, 2024, in Seattle. Microsoft is the presenting sponsor of the conference.

What benefits can Blackbaud (BLKB) customers expect from this collaboration?

Customers can expect deeper integration of AI and analytics, personalized productivity dashboards, automated payables processes, and potential increases in efficiency and fundraising effectiveness.