Raisers Edge Software

Hello,

Would you know how raiser edge is similar and different from ms access. How easy/difficult is it to learn raisers edge?

Thanks,
Zeba

Zeba,

MS Access is a database management system (dbms) that can be used to build many different applications. Raiser's Edge is an application built for a specific purpose: managing fundraising. It's sort of like comparing Visual Basic to Excel.

It will be difficult to learn Raiser's Edge effectively if you're not a Blackbaud client. You can pay to get trained (from Blackbaud or a third party), but unless you can practice with it you will quickly forget what you learned. If you want to learn Raiser's Edge and don't work for a nonprofit that uses it, consider volunteering for one that does.

Training options for RE have been discussed on TechSoup before. Click here to read the discussion.

Robert

The suggestion to volunteer for an organization that uses Raiser's Edge is a sound one. This raises the question of how to find local organizations that use Raiser's Edge. I can ask around, but I wonder if Blackbaud might be any help. Has anyone tried to get a list of users from Blackbaud?

Dear billfish,

Welcome to TechSoup!

Blackbaud lists some of their clients on their web site: http://www.blackbaud.com/customers/overview.aspx  But I doubt they would give you their whole client list. 

You could look at http://www.volunteermatch.org/ and see whether there are opportunities for Raiser's Edge volunteers.  Or post a message at http://www.blackbus.org/forum/raisers-edge-re/ offering your services.

Robert

I worked in the Foundation office at the local university and we invested in Raisers Edge. It was quite costly then but extremely powerful. I was lucky enough to get training on it and then was able to fully realize the potential it had to offer. If you have an organization which can afford the software and the high support fees it's good.

The nonprofit I currently work with uses Giftworks. I find the program does what I need it to do. Will integrate with Quickbooks...although I prefer to keep the two separate. There are a few limitations [and bugs] that I've found with the program...but overall it's wonderful for us.

I would not use MS Access unless you're into setting up everything to give you what you want. I tried that in the beginning and spent more time trying to "tweak things" here and there and gave up.

Hi, Grannykrk,

Thanks for sharing your experience of the software that you have used. We often have people come here asking for users experience on differnt donor management programs, so your post if very helpful.

Thanks,

Sasha