Transforming Non-Profit Operations: Streamlined Tax Receipt Reissuing with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

Many non-profits face the challenge of reissuing charitable tax receipts. This tedious process consumes more time than organizations can afford, especially during tax season when demand for these documents surges. Recognizing this pain point, our client, a non-profit that utilizes Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT (RE NXT) for donor management, sought a more efficient solution.

The Problem

Traditionally, when a donor reported a lost receipt, the process to reissue it was cumbersome. Within RE NXT, while a receipt number is recorded with the gift, a copy of the receipt isn’t saved as an attachment to the gift or donor record. This meant revisiting the original gift record, generating a new receipt, and then cancelling the old receipt number for auditing—clearly a cumbersome process.

The Solution

Our client revolutionized this process by integrating RE NXT with Google Workspace products and Zapier for automation. Here’s how they streamlined the reissuing of receipts:

1. Data Export via RE NXT: A query was set up to export a CSV file containing all necessary fields for receipts, such as gift amount, date, fund, and donor address, searchable by Gift ID.
2. Google Sheets for Data Management: They created a spreadsheet mirroring the fields from the RE NXT query to organize the receipt data.
3. Google Docs for Receipt Templates: A customizable receipt template was created using Google Docs, incorporating merge tags linked to the spreadsheet data.
4. Zapier Automation: A multi-step automation was established with Zapier, linking Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Drive, and an email system to automate the receipt generation and emailing process without manual intervention.

How the Automation Works

The automation triggers when a new row is added to the Google Sheet, starting the process that ends with an email sent to the donor with an attached receipt. If no email is available, the receipt is sent to a staff member for printing and mailing. This system simplifies the creation and distribution of receipts and ensures that they are sent as secure PDFs, not editable documents, using a link generated via Google Docs.

The Benefits

This automated system has transformed a previously arduous task into a streamlined, efficient process. It minimizes human error, saves significant staff time during peak periods, and enhances donor satisfaction by providing prompt service. Additionally, integrating RE NXT with automation tools aligns with modern digital practices, setting a standard for operational efficiency in non-profit management.

Conclusion

By leveraging the power of Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT, Google Workspace, and Zapier, our client has addressed a common operational headache and enhanced their capacity to serve their donors better. This case study exemplifies how integrating sophisticated donor management systems with smart automation can significantly improve non-profit operations.