Blackbaud

Artificial Intelligence July 7, 2026 | 4 min Read Education has always been, at its core, a profoundly human endeavor. It is shaped by relationships—between educators and students, institutions and families, and across lifelong connections with communities, alumni, and donors. It depends on judgment, care, and trust. And yet, the systems that support those relationships are under increasing strain.

Process Automation July 6, 2026 | 5 min Read If your nonprofit finance team is looking to improve accounts payable efficiency, you’ll likely start by evaluating where automation can immediately reduce manual work. And payments are almost always the biggest opportunity. According to the AFP’s 2022 Payments Cost Benefit Survey, most finance professionals spend at least one hour a week on each of these tasks: reconciling payments, processing ACH payments, and processing checks.

Financial Reporting July 6, 2026 | 5 min Read The board asks a simple question. “How much do we have in unrestricted?” You give a number. Then development gives a slightly different one. Then someone opens a spreadsheet nobody owns and gives a third. Now you’re not answering a question. You’re refereeing a debate about whose figure is real. The answer usually is that none of them are 100% correct. That’s not a reporting problem. It’s a truth problem.

Financial Reporting July 2, 2026 | 8 min Read If you work in nonprofit finance, you’ve probably experienced one or more of these questions: A budget manager needs a quick update. A program lead wants to understand a variance. Leadership asks for the latest numbers ahead of a meeting. Individually, those requests are reasonable. Collectively, they pull your team away from higher-value work and turn finance into a constant reporting queue.

Annual Giving June 26, 2026 | 8 min Read Imagine leaning the entire weight of your nonprofit’s mission on a single pillar. Whether it is a massive annual government grant, a single major donor, or a fundraising gala, relying on one primary source of income is a gamble. If that grant budget gets cut or an unexpected crisis cancels your event, your organization’s community work could come to a sudden halt. To protect your mission, your organization needs to diversify your revenue streams.

Fund Accounting June 25, 2026 | 5 min Read If you sell tickets, you already know the money rarely behaves as simply as it should. A single performance can involve advance sales, walk-ups, exchanges, discounts, comps, fees, and refunds all hitting your books in different ways and at different times. And somehow, it all still needs to reconcile cleanly. That complexity isn’t new, but the volume, speed, and expectations have changed.

Artificial Intelligence June 25, 2026 | 8 min Read We ground out 58 grant applications over one year to net $108,000. Then we amazed ourselves by raising another $101,000 from individuals in just three weeks. In March 2026, I sat with my wife Sally at our dining room table in Oakland with the donation list open between us, refreshing the total more often than I’d like to admit. We counted up the checks from our three-week individual donor campaign.

Artificial Intelligence June 24, 2026 | 7 min Read The system that connects generosity to need is under strain. Recent benchmarks show the divide clearly: While 53% of organizations grew fundraising revenue last year, among those that fell short of their targets, 51% cited not being adequately resourced as the primary reason—highlighting how fragile today’s models become when staff capacity is stretched. That strain is only intensifying.

Awards and Scholarships June 22, 2026 | 4 min Read Expanding access to higher education is a top priority for colleges and universities—and donor-funded scholarships are one of the most direct ways to make that possible. Supported by alumni, families, and community partners, these programs give institutions the ability to open doors for students who might not otherwise enroll. But access is only the beginning. Scholarships awarded by institutions also help students stay enrolled.

Financial Reporting June 18, 2026 | 5 min Read If you oversee the finances for a community health center, you are acutely aware of how Medicaid is changing with the passage of H.R.1 in July 2025. You probably have patients who face coverage gaps, and uncompensated care costs are climbing. NACHC estimates this sector will absorb $7 billion a year in new uncompensated care, with millions of patients shifting to your doors.