The new platform will provide a connected foundation for all products of Blackbaud, helping institutions to identify growth opportunities, expand their capabilities, and more confidently transform information into action.
Columbus, Ohio, September 29th / PRNewswire / -- Blackbaud (Nasdaq ticker: BLKB) today announced Platform for Good ™, which it calls the Blackbaud Unified Operating System. This system integrates workflows in the social impact sector into a single connected pipeline, with all components operating based on the same set of intelligent processes.
Blackbaud Chief Executive Officer, President, and Vice Chairman of the Board Mike Gianoni stated: "Last year, we demonstrated what can be achieved when we transform products from record-keeping systems into intelligent action systems. This year, what we are showcasing is the transformative potential that arises when all our products, data, AI, and professional expertise work together as a powerful operating system. This system learns from each interaction and becomes smarter with every product that runs on it."
The evolution of Platform, for, and Good was announced on the main stage of the bbcon annual customer conference. Existing customers do not need to take any action; the platform will seamlessly integrate the entire product ecosystem of Blackbaud at the underlying level and operate based on a unified architecture:
- Data CoreThis layer integrates differentiated data assets, including Blackbaud Philanthropic Dataset, research and industry datasets from Blackbaud Institute, as well as Blackbaud Giving Search, thereby forming a unique foundation for industry intelligence.
- Intelligent LayerThis layer is driven by Social Impact Signal Graph, which is proprietary to Blackbaud. It connects various signals within the social impact ecosystem, extracts patterns, relationships, and contexts, and transforms data into intelligence that fits the operational methods of the industry.
- Action LayerAt this level, the AI of Blackbaud transforms intelligence into action through the assistance of AI, proxies, and workflows, helping institutions to take action under appropriate human supervision and control.
Blackbaud indicates that the ultimate outcome is not a single-point solution, but rather a connected operating system aimed at the field of social impact, with built-in risk management and responsible AI practices, which can be expanded through a network of partners, donors, and developers.
Blackbaud also announced a series of innovations that will continue to enhance the composite value of Platform, for, and Good, including:
- Lantern ™ DebutThis is a domain-specific language model designed specifically to optimize fundraising intelligence. Lantern was developed through strategic collaboration between Blackbaud and Databricks. It is built on over forty years of experience in fundraising workflows, decision-making, and outcomes, so it understands donation behavior, not purchasing behavior. Lantern integrates an intelligent layer that provides customized intelligence directly where customers are already working.
- The ever-expanding Agents for Good ™ familyBlackbaud announced an upgrade to Development Agent, aimed at expanding the fundraising team's capabilities by identifying and reaching out to unassigned donors; at the same time, Data Health Agent was launched, which is a continuously running data administrator designed to detect and handle data issues, making large-scale clean-ups easier through an approval workflow. Blackbaud also previewed the agentic experience for financial and educational scenarios.
- Blackbaud Raiser's new chapter with Edge NXT ®Blackbaud has launched a new phase of this industry-leading fundraising CRM. The system has been rebuilt from scratch to become a native cloud, AI-powered platform, which integrates intelligence, automation, and data connectivity. This platform now includes a specially designed AI that can identify high-potential leads and donation signals; it also features Strategy Assistant, which can provide benchmarks directly within the workflow, as well as AI-powered recommendations based on over one trillion dollars in donation history tracked by Raiser's Edge NXT.
- The launch of Blackbaud Marketing ™This product is aimed at non-profit marketers and fundraising personnel. It integrates Raiser's Edge NXT to help teams plan events, identify their audience, coordinate cross-channel interactions, and optimize performance by leveraging connected members and fundraising intelligence.
- More connected, more intelligent financial workflowsBlackbaud has introduced the vision of Accounts Payable Agent within Financial Edge NXT®, which aims to review invoice details, prepare payment batches considering cash positions, and generate recommendations for manual approval. Blackbaud also announced the next generation of Payment Assistant™ through strategic cooperation with BILL, as well as Deposit Connect™, which can automatically integrate donation, expense, and expenditure data between Raiser's Edge NXT, Blackbaud Integrated Payments, and Financial Edge NXT.
- New ways to support the achievements of higher education studentsBlackbaud releases the Higher Education Connected Campus solution, which integrates student lifecycle and development, finance, scholarships, and payments. This solution is the result of a collaboration between Blackbaud and Student First, providing institutions with a more powerful way to gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire organization, take action earlier, and link each fund with the outcomes of the students it supports.
Blackbaud indicates that these announcements collectively demonstrate how Platform, for, and Good can integrate data, specially crafted intelligence, and actions into the various solutions relied upon by social impact organizations. Customers can gradually adopt these new features as they become available, while continuing to use their current Blackbaud products and workflows.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (Nasdaq ticker: BLKB) is a globally leading provider of AI solutions that drive social impact. The company serves non-profit organizations, educational institutions, companies committed to corporate social responsibility, and individual change agents, offering industry intelligence solutions that cover fundraising and engagement, educational solutions, financial management, as well as CSR and grant management. With deep expertise driven by the world's largest charitable dataset, the most tightly connected workflows, and the strongest network of influence, Blackbaud's solutions are creating a future where resources are released at the speed of need. Blackbaud has received recognition from Fast Company, Newsweek, Quartz, Forbes, and other media for its AI innovation, responsible leadership, and workplace excellence. The company operates in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, and the United Kingdom, supporting users in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.blackbaud.com, or follow the company on X/ Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all statements, expectations, and assumptions in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud endeavors to ensure the accuracy of these forward-looking statements, future circumstances may differ from the assumptions on which they are based. In addition, other important factors that could lead to significant differences in results include: general economic risks; uncertainties regarding the business of existing customers and renewal growth; whether sales growth can continue to be successful; management of the integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks involved in the successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks related to growth management; longer sales and implementation cycles; technological changes that could reduce the competitiveness of the company's products and services; and other risk factors occasionally listed by Blackbaud in the SEC documents, which are available for free on the SEC website www.sec.gov, or may be requested from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names mentioned in this text are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
