Philanthropy makes UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh a special place where excellence in patient care, teaching, advocacy, and research intersect.

Because of private gifts, the hospital can provide world-class care to families who lack insurance or cannot afford treatment. Philanthropy also powers research, therapeutic play, and thoughtful touches—colorful, themed rooms and tactile objects, such as glitter wands and bubbles—that distract young patients from stressful procedures.

As the sole fundraising arm for the hospital, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation relies on strategic planning to achieve its goals. “Part of our mission here at UPMC Children’s Hospital is to provide care for all children needing our services,” said Krista Lippert, associate director of the foundation’s data center. “Sometimes that means helping those unable to pay with funds set aside for just this purpose. We wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of generous donors.”

When she joined the team, Lippert took a critical approach to the foundation’s database and strategies and identified room for improvement. She saw a demonstration of Blackbaud’s flagship fundraising solution at Blackbaud’s annual user conference and knew Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® could transform the foundation’s fundraising. She recognized that its capabilities—including user-friendly dashboards, manager portfolios, and portability—would drive donor relations success to the next level.

“One of the aspects of Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT that we love is the mobility of the solution,” Lippert said. “Being able to pull up a donor’s name, photo, contribution history and more—while at an event—is huge for us. Sometimes it’s as simple as being able to identify those you know have been supporters and engaging in more meaningful conversations with them.”

The Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT portfolio manager, which provides customized to-do lists, also streamlined work for Lippert’s colleagues. The tool breaks down tasks in a manageable way to reach outcomes, and the Analyze tab provides insight into next steps.

“Each morning, our staff members can see, ‘Here’s what I have to do, and here’s who I need to call,’ and their days are laid out for them so easily,” Lippert said. “We are able to divide and conquer, focusing on the important fundraising aspects that help us reach our goals.”

After adopting Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation implemented Blackbaud’s peer-to-peer fundraising solution Blackbaud TeamRaiser® to expand its reach. Within three years, the foundation grew its annual Walk for Children’s event from $600,000 to $880,000. And because Blackbaud TeamRaiser integrates with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation could easily track and report on its achievements.

The foundation continues to exceed goals since implementing Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT. Continued success and improved efficiencies highlight the importance of using the most effective tools to drive the greatest outcomes.

“Having a culture of philanthropy from the top down, making our fundraising mission a priority, and getting everyone on board with our processes and solutions combines for greater success,” Lippert said. “We have a saying now: ’If it isn’t in [Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT], it didn’t happen.’”