RE 7 Sunset in 2027: Is RE NXT the Right Next Step for Your Organization?

For several years, Blackbaud has teased a sunset of the self-hosted Raiser’s Edge 7 (RE 7) product. According to the latest product update on May 6th, that sunset date will be sometime in the first half of 2027. Many organizations that have been hesitant to move from their RE 7 systems now feel the pressure to consider alternatives.

It’s safe to say that any organization still using RE 7 needs to begin planning for change. While we always recommend that you understand your needs and explore your options before making a big purchase decision, migrating to Raiser’s Edge NXT (RE NXT) is an obvious alternative. While some major milestones remain, Blackbaud has been moving quickly to expand functionality in its web view interface with the goal of fully retiring the RE 7 database view.

If you are thinking about moving to RE NXT, here are five things your team may want to consider.

Timeline and Budget

Implementing RE NXT may be a lighter lift than a move to another system

A short timeline and minimal costs for migration provide a strong rationale for migrating to RE NXT versus an alternate system. Implementing a brand-new system could cost six figures for a mid-size organization. There’s also the risk of data loss in a conversion and additional time and resources spent to support new system design, replication of reporting, testing, and training. In comparison, an RE NXT migration from RE 7 requires minimal effort from the organization and the timeline can be as little as 2 months from start to finish.

Organizations who want to optimize their RE NXT systems rapidly should consider a timeline that includes ample time for training, integration setup and testing, and business process review and redesign. This may take 4-6 months, which is still significantly shorter than a typical 12+ month new system implementation timeline.

While the migration itself doesn’t require significant budget resources, organizations should still consider budgeting for consulting help to assist with a transition. This might involve investing in change management (it can be hard for people to let go of the database view!), getting customized training, supporting teams as they redesign workflows to optimize new web view tools, or assisting with report and integration development.

Additionally, ongoing subscription costs should be considered and may increase annual operating budgets. For organizations who have self-hosted, paying maintenance charges only, there will typically be an increase in annual subscription fees.

System Usability

Both Web View and Database View are available in RE NXT

For now, RE NXT is a dual access application. There’s the new web view, which has streamlined views and functionality, along with the database view, which requires a Citrix application to access.

On the positive side, savvy database users will still find many of the views, screens, and operations they’re used to when using the database view. Front-line fundraisers will appreciate new tools in web view that improve workflows like the Work Center, Lists, Mapping, and configurable constituent views. On the downside, infrequent users will need to adjust to a whole new interface and way of viewing, searching, and working with records.

This dual access nature of RE NXT can sometimes be confusing as some users will be more comfortable with one view or the other. Also, the functionality isn’t necessarily congruent from database view to web view, which presents another learning curve. Organization-specific documentation and procedures like membership management, for example, often need to reference how to perform functions using both sets of tools.

With Blackbaud moving all functionality to the web view, this could be considered a short-term challenge. Teams that are resistant to change and learning new skills may find this frustrating. A team that is eager to embrace improved tools and is comfortable adapting to a system that’s evolving rapidly will find the changes to be exciting rather than daunting.

Integrations Strategy

RE NXT has enhanced integrations and automations

An advantage of an RE 7 to RE NXT move is the opportunity to leverage a growing list of pre-built integrations that extend and enhance RE NXT functionality. Additionally, Blackbaud is still working to create API endpoints for all its areas, but there are already a good number of APIs to use for integration needs.

Additionally, many RE 7 users rely on queue processes to download and deliver data for external systems. Be reassured that queue processes will still work after a migration, but their delivery destinations will need to be updated. For those looking for additional automation around data extracts and delivery, RE NXT users can leverage Power Automate to build flows that create CSV files from queries on a set schedule.

For those with some technical savvy, the Power Platform from Microsoft can open many opportunities for system customization and process automation. As a caution, fully leveraging Power Platform requires a premium Microsoft license and a good deal of training to build and maintain any customizations.

Data Access

RE NXT’s expanded APIs mean easier access to data

Some organizations have hesitated to make the migration to RE NXT because they know they will lose direct access to their data as Blackbaud requires that you commit to their cloud hosting as part of the package. You may be running custom SQL scripts on your data to produce reports or copying your data over to a data warehouse for reporting and analysis. The thought of losing that control over your data may feel like a reason to delay a move.

The good news is that there are tools available that help RE NXT users regain some of that data access while freeing them from the responsibility of maintaining the system itself. The expansion of RE NXT’s APIs means it is easier to extract data, transform data and then re-import it to the system. There are also tools available that replicate the data for use in a data warehouse or other external program.

It’s safe to say that options are continuing to grow as Blackbaud adds additional web functionality to the platform.

Business Intelligence and AI Tools

Access to new reporting and AI tools for after migration

First, let’s talk AI! Blackbaud has integrated several AI tools into RE NXT aimed at making our work as fundraisers easier. These tools help generate donor specific content and highlight prospects for action and review. And there is more in the works. As RE NXT’s AI tools develop, there will be no hunting around in different places to understand your donors. Blackbaud Co-Pilot will provide you with summaries and act like your personal assistant, answering questions and elevating insights.

Reporting continues to be a work in progress in RE NXT. Recently, Blackbaud released most of the standard RE 7 reports into the web view, which gave a sigh of relief to long-time users. For those still on RE 7, it’s common to rely on tools like Crystal Reports to create customized reporting that meets specific needs. Blackbaud discontinued its support for Crystal Reports with RE NXT, so this isn’t an option after migration. While you can still access some old Crystal Reports, you are unable to create new reports or edit existing reports once your migration is complete.

For those that have come to rely on their Crystal Reports, there are other solutions for reporting that can be considered.

• The RE NXT List functionality can replace commonly used reports and RE 7 user dashboards like a recent gift report, portfolio assignment list, or recent/upcoming actions report.
  • The Good: Lists are so much more user friendly than queries and can accomplish a lot of needs.
  • The Bad: Lists are often missing output fields that users want to see. They also don’t include the ability to filter/show all data areas (e.g. Action attributes), but this is coming.

• For real-time data on Campaign, Fund, Appeal, and Opportunity performance, RE NXT has pre-built dashboards and insights that provide summary data tied to these record areas. The dashboards include the ability to filter by specific records, dates, and categories.
  • The Good: This data is easy to access and view. It is also easy to fly out a detailed list of constituents or gifts when you’d like to see the detail behind the summary.
  • The Bad: RE NXT relies on two lenses for all its reporting (Gifts committed/Gifts received). These lenses allow you to group gift types into a category for a view, but you can’t filter reports or group revenue by specific gift types. You have to rely on the standard reports to get these views on revenue.

Producing more customized reporting that addresses specific business needs usually requires the use of a business intelligence solution like PowerBI or Tableau which can produce reporting using data extracted from RE NXT.

If your organization likes its reports to tell a specific story in a specific format, then it would be wise to plan on integrating a more advanced reporting tool into your RE NXT system.

Time to take the plunge!

While the transition from RE 7 to RE NXT comes with its challenges, it also offers meaningful opportunities to modernize your tools, streamline processes, and position your organization for future growth. By understanding the usability changes, realistic timelines, integration options, data access strategies, and reporting tools available, your team can approach this migration with confidence.

The key is thoughtful planning—taking time to map out your priorities, train your team, and build the right support systems around the new platform. Whether you migrate this year or next, having a clear plan in place will help you make the most of what RE NXT has to offer.

We’re here to help!

JCA’s expert consultants are seasoned RE 7 and RE NXT users and have considerable experience in helping organizations make the move—and be better for it. Let us help you plan your conversion, prepare your team, and make sure your processes in the new system set you up for success.

Let’s Talk!