Is Turning Donor Data into Deeper Relationships

Building a Data-Driven Fundraising Operation

While ChicagoCAC has been a Blackbaud customer for more than two decades, the organization continues to build on that foundation—evolving its use of Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT and Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT to enable more data-driven fundraising. The team is focused on improving donor data consistency, strengthening reporting, and driving more intentional strategies for retention and growth.

“Too often nonprofits underestimate the importance of an organization’s database,” said Christyn Schnell, director of development. “They may state that they are data-informed or data-driven, but when you really look at it, who’s managing that data? When you’re pulling that information, how trustworthy is it? How clean has it been?”

The shift toward clean data became a priority within ChicagoCAC’s strategic plan. When Schnell joined ChicagoCAC less than a year ago, she brought 17 years of experience with Blackbaud products—helping the team more fully activate Raiser’s Edge NXT and Financial Edge NXT. With those systems already in place, the development team deepened its use of the tools to build a more data-driven, donor-centered fundraising operation—creating a clearer, more reliable data foundation and a stronger focus on improving donor retention and driving consistent growth.

Strengthening Donor Relationships and Reducing Guesswork

ChicagoCAC’s first priority was centralizing the donor details that turn a name in the database into a real relationship. The team is building a clearer picture of each supporter and engaging with more intention with Raiser’s Edge NXT donor profiles. “We know people support people, not organizations,” Schnell said. “Understanding how someone came to know our organization, where they work, what’s important to them, who they know, who’s in their network, what their giving capacity is, and how they prefer to give of their time, treasure, talent, or team are all important to capture.”

A more complete view helps the team target outreach more effectively and reduce guesswork. “Having a reliable CRM allows us to strengthen relationships and deepen connections, even as the inevitable changeover in leadership occurs,” Schnell said. “Nonprofit fundraising roles have one of the highest turnover rates in the industry; a centralized place to house all of our constituent and donor information is essential to continuing those meaningful touchpoints.”

Full Financial Visibility—from Gift to Reconciliation

The seamless integration between Raiser’s Edge NXT and Financial Edge NXT streamlines vital financial workflows. Every adjustment reflects instantly in both systems, keeping development and finance aligned, eliminating manual reconciliation and reducing risk. Schnell explained, “If I were to go into Raiser’s Edge NXT and adjust a gift amount or change what the gift was supporting, without that connection to Financial Edge NXT we would need to manually review multiple systems to identify that discrepancy.”

ChicagoCAC has also begun exploring Blackbaud Donation Forms and donor cover options to support more efficient online giving experiences. Together, these capabilities give the team clearer visibility into donor behavior, stronger reporting for leadership, and more dollars directed to children and families.

Blackbaud Donation Forms also help them grow sustainer giving programs with automated recurring giving. Blackbaud Integrated Payments offers popular digital wallets and familiar payment methods, reducing friction at the point of giving. This helps ensure donors are more likely to complete—and repeat—their gifts.

Capturing donor intent in the moment, whether in a meeting, at an event, or in the field, ensures opportunities aren’t lost and enables the team to act on engagement immediately. Direct visibility from donation to disbursement means staff no longer need to manage each transaction by hand, freeing time for major donor acquisition, event planning, and nurturing deeper donor relationships.

ChicagoCAC also uses Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT to improve the accuracy, timeliness, and consistency of its financial data and budgeting processes. By connecting development and finance systems, the team can ensure information is entered and reported consistently—reducing discrepancies and increasing confidence in financial reporting.

With more accurate, connected data, the team can operate more efficiently and spend more time focused on fundraising impact. “With less administrative lift due to these now automated processes, we can use our time to strengthen our donor relationships, clean up our data, and work on creating an internal staff of strong ambassadors who can easily speak about our work,” Schnell said. “Not being stuck in front of a computer screen and actually being out there and seeing hard dollars being put to work means we can communicate that out to the people who are making it possible.”

These changes are also helping foster a stronger internal culture of philanthropy, empowering staff to engage with and communicate the mission more effectively.

Building a Foundation for a Capital Campaign and Beyond

With its first-ever capital campaign on the horizon, ChicagoCAC is strengthening the data foundation needed to support long-term growth. In addition to database cleanup, the team is expanding access to Raiser’s Edge NXT across departments, empowering more staff to contribute donor insights from their own work, improving the quality and reliability of donor data.

For an organization where the development team raises nearly every dollar required to keep services free for children and families, having a unified, organization-wide view of donor data is critical. That shared visibility supports stronger collaboration, more reliable reporting, and a scalable foundation for growth—helping ensure the success of their upcoming capital campaign.