Success Story | Naples Botanical Garden: A Year of Growth with RE NXT

It’s common for organizations to hesitate when it comes to replacing legacy systems, even when those systems are holding them back. Making a shift can feel intimidating, but done right, changing your CRM isn’t just an update, it’s a leap forward.

Naples Botanical Garden’s CRM journey is a testament to this. Last year, we shared their initial CRM transition story. Today, we’re excited to bring you an update on their continued success.

The Challenge: Outgrowing Legacy Systems

In 2022, Naples began experiencing signs that they were outgrowing their system.

“We had pushed our existing legacy CRM to its limits for reporting on membership trends and major giving tracking needs,” said Brian Russo, Naples’ Director of Guest Relations & Development Operations. “This led us to research a more robust CRM to help us continue to grow our major giving and membership programs in the future.”

Facing inefficiencies in donor tracking, reporting, and integrations, the team knew it was time for a change.

The Solution: A Strategic Shift to RE NXT

Naples worked with JCA to analyze their current state in a Needs Assessment. The assessment led to a System Selection process where they ultimately chose RE NXT to replace their on-premise version of RE 7. After the selection, JCA worked with Naples to successfully implement RE NXT. This included:

• Process improvements: Preparing for use of RE NXT’s prospect management and event-related tracking tools.
• Reporting needs evaluation: Ensuring effective use of RE NXT’s dashboards and insight tools.
• Documentation: Outlining best practices for member and donor protocols within the new system.

The Results: A Year of Growth & Efficiency

RE NXT has provided Naples with increased functionality, empowering staff to create dashboards and reports that show progress and growth—and where their growth can take the garden in the future.

One year after implementation, Naples affirms their decision to switch to RE NXT, sharing how it has supported their continued growth:

• Major gift officers are enjoying the user-friendly design of the system, which allows them to focus their efforts on critical fundraising targets. Naples was an early adopter of RE NXT’s new home page features, which show key fundraising updates, recent actions, and learning pages related to user roles.
• Naples can use online donation forms to support both donations and gifts of membership. Previously, all online donations were supported by their ticketing system, creating an extra step for staff and offering limited integration between RE NXT and ticketing.
• Through Blackbaud marketplace apps, staff can access constituent record summaries that have key information all in one place and seating chart tools that support event management needs.
• RE NXT’s connection with Outlook allows staff to copy emails to constituent records, ensuring that RE NXT is the central source of truth for constituent activity.

“Moving to NXT, with its approachable functionality, has provided our users a great sense of empowerment and autonomy in utilizing the new tools at their disposal,” shared Jackie Coppard, Development Operations Manager at Naples.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, Naples plans to continue growing by exploring automations between RE NXT and its ticketing system, Acme, and increasing their use of dashboards for data-driven decision making.

Saying Yes to Change

Blackbaud has announced the sunset of RE 7 in the beginning half of 2027. This means the clock is ticking for organizations still on RE 7.

Deciding to change a core system like your CRM is hard. But embracing change means you can explore solutions that offer more advanced tools tailored to your organization’s specific needs. This shift is essential for improving donor engagement, streamlining operations, and achieving better outcomes. By making this move, you ensure that your nonprofit can adapt to the evolving landscape and continue making a meaningful impact in your community.

Every organization is unique, and the path toward better constituent relationship management looks different for each organization. JCA is here to support you through every step, from evaluation to implementation. Your CRM is the foundation of your work, and we can help ensure you have the right tools for your organization’s growth.