How QIMR Berghofer is Transforming Fundraising

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has been at the forefront of pioneering medical research in Queensland for nearly 80 years. As one of Australia’s most respected institutes, its team of over 1,000 scientists, staff, and students tackles a wide range of diseases and conditions, from cancer to mental health. With a mission to prevent illness, improve care, and elevate the quality of life for Australians and their regional neighbors, QIMR Berghofer combines cutting-edge research with real-world impact. Central to this mission is the need for efficient fundraising efforts that empower their groundbreaking work.

For more than 16 years, Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge NXT has served as the cornerstone of QIMR Berghofer’s fundraising efforts, providing a unified platform for donor data and campaign management. As the organization expanded, it became clear that overcoming challenges like siloed processes and complex data management required more than robust technology alone.

While Raiser’s Edge NXT offers exceptional flexibility and control for in-house fundraising management, QIMR Berghofer recognized the value of having expert partners to support their evolving needs.

This realization led them to deepen their partnership with Blackbaud, engaging Managed Services and Advisory+ not merely as consultants, but as integrated members of their team. With this support, QIMR Berghofer retained full ownership of their Raiser’s Edge NXT environment and strategic direction, while benefiting from Blackbaud’s specialized guidance and hands-on assistance—especially valuable during peak periods or staff absences.

The added collaboration streamlined workflows, fostered best practices, and accelerated the institute’s return on investment. Through ongoing, strategic support, Blackbaud’s consultants helped refine processes, enhance donor engagement, and unite departments, enabling staff to work more efficiently and maximizing fundraising impact in support of QIMR Berghofer’s mission.

Accelerating Efficiency: Streamlined Fundraising Operations

Previously, QIMR Berghofer’s finance team managed gift entry and processing, limiting fundraising’s direct access to data and causing donation processing delays of over a week. These delays increased staff workload and complicated data management.

“We didn’t have control of our own data entry and that was a huge issue for us. Having our consultant come in and draft the current state of things and then set the process for the future was a huge help,” said Reeva Barot, QIMR Berghofer’s database administrator. Blackbaud’s Managed Services consultants assessed workflows and designed a more efficient approach. The impact was immediate. The new workflows simplified processes, broke down siloed departments, automated previously cumbersome tasks and unified efforts.

“Having Blackbaud’s Advisory+ and Managed Services to guide us has been such a tremendous benefit,” shared Barot, “our consultants have been like having an expert extender arm.”

Fostering Collaboration: Breaking Down Silos for Unified Success

Transformation required dismantling silos between finance and fundraising. Blackbaud’s Managed Services consultants fostered collaboration and built shared processes. “Having our consultants attend meetings, both in-person and virtually, was key to overcoming these challenges,” Barot noted. “They’re so knowledgeable and diplomatic.” As impartial experts, they addressed concerns and advocated for best practices, helping push forward initiatives that had previously faced resistance.

Under the expert guidance of their Managed Services consultant, QIMR Berghofer also improved donor data management. Outdated solicitation codes and donor categories were cleaned up, resolving years of ambiguity and errors. For example, some donors were accidentally opted out of all communications simply because a direct mail piece was returned. “Going through the data with a fine-tooth comb with our Managed Services consultants has reengaged donors we had unintentionally ignored,” Barot shared. This collaboration empowered fundraising to execute more targeted appeals. “Year over year we’ve seen a 25% increase in tax appeal responses. The consultants helped us maximise the potential of Raiser’s Edge NXT, enabling these results,” Barot stated.

Driving Innovation: Streamlining Automation and Integration

Automation became central to QIMR Berghofer’s operational overhaul. With Blackbaud’s Managed Services support, key automations were implemented to save time and improve accuracy.

One of the biggest improvements was the automation of recurring credit card gifts. “It’s made everything so much easier. We are saving time, improving accuracy, and it’s allowing us to offer donors flexible payment options without adding any administrative burden,” Barot said. This streamlined process allowed the fundraising team to proactively manage declined or rejected payments in real time, enhancing the team’s ability to steward its donors.

Receipt processing improved with the implementation of automatic queries, ensuring receipts are generated and sent in a timely manner. “Automated queries are really helping us with our whole receipting process. Once we get the donations, receipts are now issued within 48 hours,” shared Barot. These automations eliminated variability and replaced manual mail merges with efficient batch printing and emailing through Letterbox.

Integrating third-party fundraising data was another breakthrough. Before working with Managed Services and Advisory+ consultants, donations from Blackbaud partner platforms like Raisely were lumped together, making individual donor engagement impossible. With the support of their consultants, QIMR Berghofer created an import profile to accurately bring Raisely data into Raiser’s Edge NXT. “Now we can acknowledge individual donors and take them on a personalised journey. Our consultant’s presence when implementing this new process across departments was also incredibly helpful,” Barot said.

Achieving Impact: Unified Efforts Deliver Breakthrough

QIMR Berghofer’s collaboration with Blackbaud’s Managed Services and Advisory+ brought about meaningful operational changes that reached beyond technology alone. By enlisting expert support, the organization was able to streamline its processes, boost efficiency, and allow the fundraising team to devote more attention to their essential work.

Transitioning from traditional spreadsheets to integrated reports and dashboards within Raiser’s Edge NXT improved the quality of their data and enabled faster, more informed decisions—ultimately deepening donor engagement. Automation of day-to-day tasks created more time for staff to concentrate on strategic priorities, fostering a healthier work-life balance and greater job satisfaction. The ongoing assistance from Managed Services and Advisory+ ensures that whenever challenges arise, staff have immediate access to practical solutions and knowledgeable guidance.

Tiffany Hardy, philanthropy manager at QIMR Berghofer, concluded “I think there’s comfort knowing that we have support. Our staff is not battling things alone, whenever they’re unsure, whenever they’re bogged down, whenever they’re stressed out, they have someone that they can send an e-mail to or pick up the phone and call. They have a real solution at their fingertips.”