Blackbaud

Data Management July 16, 2026 | 5 min Read As far as your database manager is concerned, when your database is in rhythm with your organization, all is right with the world. Your team understands donors, tracks activity, and analyzes data for your fundraising operation. It’s so good. To an executive director, that all-day hum of activity means your CRM is doing what you expected when you signed the purchase order.

Annual Giving July 15, 2026 | 5 min Read At the Blackbaud Institute, we look at the trends through the rear-view mirror. We can tell you where growth is happening, how it’s shifting by organization size, and what’s changing year over year. And if you’ve been doing this work for a while, much of it will sound familiar: Giving is uneven. Major gifts matter more. Year-end carries your annual revenue.

Financial Reporting July 14, 2026 | 6 min Read Uncertainty is a way of life for many nonprofit organizations. A major funder shifts priorities. Service demand changes. Enrollment moves. Costs rise. Reimbursements slow down enough to strain cash. Being able to plan for uncertainty takes much of the urgency out of an otherwise stressful situation.

Artificial Intelligence July 14, 2026 | 3 min Read If you work in social impact right now, you’re probably already using AI in some way—whether that’s drafting content, summarizing data, or experimenting with new tools alongside your day-to-day responsibilities. You’re not alone. Our latest Blackbaud Institute research found that 85% of nonprofit professionals are now using AI at work, and many organizations have increased their use over the past year.

Crisis Management July 13, 2026 | 4 min Read This is the first in a three-part series. The next two cover what this 2026 independent school safety research means for technology leaders and for school leadership. In early 2026, Orah commissioned theState of Independent School Safety 2026 report to understand how independent schools manage safety in practice, beyond how policy says they should.

Major Gifts July 10, 2026 | 4 min Read What does the term “capital campaign” evoke for you? Has your organization conducted one before? Have you witnessed or even been a part of another organization’s campaign in your community? These experiences shape your ideas about what a capital campaign is—how it’s structured, what it accomplishes, how long it should take, who it should involve, and more.

Budgeting July 9, 2026 | 4 min Read You have a budget. It felt right when you built it. It was approved with buy-in from across your organization. But now a grant payout is delayed. One of your reliable fundraising campaigns underperforms. A hiring decision needs to happen sooner than expected. And suddenly, the numbers that once felt solid don’t reflect what’s actually happening. The problem isn’t your budget. It’s that you’re expecting your budget to act like a forecast.

Artificial Intelligence July 9, 2026 | 5 min Read Finance teams aren’t asking for additional AI-enabled bells and whistles, no matter how shiny. They want a reprieve from too many manual tasks and not enough hours in the day. Across nonprofit organizations, foundations, and educational institutions, finance leaders have already started experimenting with AI-powered tools. They’ve seen value and they understand the potential. But day to day, the work hasn’t fundamentally changed.

Fund Accounting July 8, 2026 | 6 min Read This Q&A series aims to provide readers with valuable insights from changemakers across the social impact community. Donna is the Controller at Donna Klein Jewish Academy (DKJA), bringing decades of experience in nonprofit accounting. Since 1994, she has built deep expertise in the unique financial needs and opportunities within mission-driven organizations.

Disaster Response July 8, 2026 | 5 min Read A huge thank you to Audrey Kidwell, Grants Manager for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, for providing many of the resources and tips included in this article. Hurricanes. Wildfires. Floods. Prolonged droughts. Climate events are no longer a once-in-a-generation occurrence. Modern grantmakers must be prepared and ready to support their communities when—not if—a climate disaster hits.