Key takeaways
- The export is the smaller part of a Raiser's Edge migration. The work is mapping: each record type needs a written decision before anything loads.
- Campaign, fund, and appeal are separate fields on a Raiser's Edge gift, with packages under appeals. Merging them breaks fund and appeal reporting.
- Gift splits and soft credits are where totals drift. Reconcile gift counts and amounts by fund and fiscal year after every test load, not only at cutover.
- Blackbaud's on-demand backup holds the information available in database view, and its policy asks for data requests 30 days before the term ends.
- Blackbaud's payment terms describe no way to move stored card details to another processor. Ask early, and plan outreach in case donors must re-enter them.
Migrating off Raiser’s Edge NXT is a medium-to-hard data project, and the export is the smaller part. The work is mapping. Raiser’s Edge stores gifts, splits, soft credits, and its campaign, fund, appeal, and package codes in structures other CRMs rarely copy exactly, so each record type needs a written decision before anything loads.
This guide is about leaving Raiser’s Edge for a different CRM, whichever one you choose. It is not about the upgrade from Raiser’s Edge 7 to NXT. It covers what the migration involves: why the data is hard to move, a field-by-field map of what each record type becomes, how to get the data out, what sets the size of the job, and the steps in order.
Two things make this a pressing question now. Blackbaud says that database view functionality ends on September 15, 2027, so teams that run their queries, exports, and imports in database view will change how they work either way. And many teams are weighing a switch. Omatic’s 2025 Nonprofit Technology Ecosystem Trends Report drew on more than 600 survey responses and found that nearly half of respondents were considering a CRM change within 12 months, up from 10% the year before. Omatic sells data integration tools, so read the figure with that in mind. If your team is one of them, give the migration plan as much care as the choice of system.
How hard is a Raiser’s Edge migration?
A Raiser’s Edge migration is hard because of its data model, not its record count. Raiser’s Edge has been the system of record for many nonprofits for decades. Four structures cause most of the work, and each needs a written mapping decision before the first load.
- One gift connects to many records. A single gift can carry splits across campaigns, funds, appeals, and packages, soft credits to a spouse or a donor-advised fund holder, a tribute, and a posting status for Financial Edge NXT. Each link is its own mapping decision.
- Codes pile up over the years. Each administrator who ran the database added constituent codes, attributes, and code-table entries. Many are no longer used. Some hold data that matters: users on the Blackbaud Community describe keeping consents and preferences in attributes.
- Some people are not full records. In Raiser’s Edge, a related person can exist only as a nonconstituent relationship on someone else’s record. Many CRMs need that person to be a full record or nothing. Soft credit recipients are already full records, because Raiser’s Edge requires it, so the decision falls on people who exist only as relationships.
- Two views of the same database. NXT has a web view and a database view, and they do not hold the same data. Attachments added in web view don’t appear in database view, and Blackbaud’s own transition guide lists fields that exist only in web view, including solicit code dates, opportunity status history, and email history.
The fear practitioners describe is less about the export than about what comes after. On r/salesforce, a Raiser’s Edge user with more than 30 years on the system worried about losing the complex queries the team relied on, and a reply in the same thread named reporting as the key struggle. Plan the reports as carefully as the records.
Raiser’s Edge data mapping: what each record becomes
Use these three tables as the starting point for your mapping document. The middle column uses generic names, because every CRM labels these differently. The right column lists what to check before you load. Have fundraising and finance sign off on the gifts table together.
People and relationships
| Raiser’s Edge record | What it usually becomes | Check before you load |
|---|---|---|
| Individual constituent | Person (contact) record | Carry deceased, inactive, and anonymous flags. Keep the Raiser’s Edge IDs as legacy IDs. |
| Organization constituent | Organization (account) record | Map the people linked to a company or foundation as affiliations. Flag matching-gift companies. |
| Spouse and head of household | Household with its members | Raiser’s Edge ties spouses together through the spouse relationship and a head-of-household flag, and either spouse’s gifts can show as soft credits for the other. Decide how joint names are built and how those soft credits roll up, so gifts are not counted twice in household totals. |
| Relationships, including nonconstituent relationships | Relationship or affiliation records | Map each relationship with its reciprocal, such as employer and employee. A nonconstituent relationship needs a new contact record or a note. |
| Addresses, phones, and emails | Contact points with a type and a preferred flag | Seasonal date ranges, plus do-not-contact and inactive flags. In database view, phones import against an address. |
| Addressees and salutations | Name format or greeting fields | Formulas do not move as rules. Decide which values you keep as text. |
| Constituent codes | Constituent type or tags | A record can hold several codes, each with dates. Clean the code table first. |
| Solicit codes and consent records | Communication preferences and consent | These have legal meaning. Keep dates and sources, and never fold “do not solicit” into a free-text tag. |
| Attributes (custom fields in web view) | Custom fields or tags | One record can hold many values for the same attribute. Retire unused attributes before you build fields for them. |
| System record ID, Constituent ID, Import ID | Legacy ID fields | Keep all three. The Import Guide calls the Import ID the most reliable match key, and the Constituent ID can be edited. |
Gifts and fundraising structure
Blackbaud defines a campaign as the goal, a fund as how the money is used, and an appeal as how the donor was asked, with packages as versions of an appeal. Campaign, fund, and appeal are separate fields on each gift. Keep the fund separate from the campaign and appeal in the new system, and never collapse them into one field. If the new system nests appeals under campaigns, decide where to put an appeal you used across several campaigns.
| Raiser’s Edge record | What it usually becomes | Check before you load |
|---|---|---|
| One-time gift, stock, gift-in-kind, planned, other | Transaction or donation | Map every gift type and subtype. Database view uses more type names than web view, such as Pay-Cash. |
| Pledge and pledge payments | Commitment with installments and linked payments | The balance due must match after the load. Map write-offs as adjustments, not as negative gifts. |
| Recurring gift and its payments | Recurring commitment with a schedule | Status, frequency, and next date. Payment details are a separate project (see below). |
| Matching gift pledge and payment | Matching gift linked to the employee’s gift | Keep the link to the original gift and to the company. |
| Gift splits | Allocations on one transaction | Splits must add up to the gift. A list export joins same-kind values with semicolons in one cell, which can break the link between each fund and its split amount. |
| Soft credits | Soft credit or recognition credit | Amounts can be partial. They count toward donor recognition, never toward revenue. |
| Tributes (Honor/Memorial in web view) | Tribute with acknowledgees | Acknowledgee addresses and notification history. |
| Funds | Funds or designations, with restriction | Restricted or unrestricted, and the general ledger (GL) accounts each fund posts to. |
| Campaigns | Campaigns | Goals and date ranges. |
| Appeals and packages | Appeals or source codes, with packages as segments | Response rates by package depend on keeping the package. |
| Financial Edge posting status and GL distributions | Your accounting integration | Gifts are Posted, Not Posted, or Do Not Post. Posted gifts are already in your general ledger, so never post them a second time. Reconcile posted totals with Financial Edge before cutover. |
Activity and programs
| Raiser’s Edge record | What it usually becomes | Check before you load |
|---|---|---|
| Actions | Activities, tasks, or interactions | Action types, statuses, and the fundraiser who owns each one. |
| Notes | Notes on the record | Note types. Confidential notes need the same protection in the new system. |
| Attachments and media | Files on the record | No standard export. Blackbaud’s media extraction is a billable service. Check the total size early. |
| Events and participants | Events with registrations and attendance | Registration fees can be gifts. Keep the link. |
| Memberships | Memberships with program, category, and dates | Link dues payments to the membership. |
| Volunteers | Volunteer records, assignments, and hours | Only if your organization licensed the volunteer module. |
| Opportunities (proposals in database view) and fundraisers (assigned solicitors) | Opportunities or pipeline, with fundraiser assignments | Status values, plus ask and expected amounts. Opportunity status history exists only in web view. |
How do you get your data out of Raiser’s Edge NXT?
There are four routes out of Raiser’s Edge NXT: database view Query and Export, web view list exports, the SKY API, and an on-demand backup from Blackbaud. Most migrations combine them, because no single route holds every field. Database view, the usual route for full extracts, ends on September 15, 2027.
- Database view Query and Export. The usual route for constituent and gift files. Blackbaud notes that it is not possible to export all data into one file and that not every field is available for export, so plan one export per record type and list the fields Export cannot reach.
- Web view list exports. Needed for data that lives only in web view. A list export holds up to 500,000 records and joins values of the same kind with semicolons in one cell, so split detail needs care.
- The SKY API. Blackbaud’s developer API covers constituents, gifts, fundraising, events, memberships, opportunities, and more. It allows 10 calls per second, with a daily quota set by subscription tier. Migration partners and connector tools use it for large or repeated pulls.
- A backup from Blackbaud. Organizations hosted by Blackbaud can request one on-demand backup a month, and it expires after seven days. Blackbaud describes it as holding the information available in database view, not as a full restoration copy.
Time the last export around your contract. Blackbaud’s published cancellation policy asks you to request a copy of your data at least 30 days before your term ends. After termination, its solutions agreement gives no right to access the data or receive a copy unless you requested one in advance, and the production database is deleted a few weeks after access ends. Check the dates in your own agreement, because older contracts can differ.
What sets the size of a Raiser’s Edge migration?
Record count matters less than most teams expect. Six things set the size of the job:
- Years of gift history. Full detail for every year, or recent years in detail and older years as summaries. One reply in the same r/salesforce thread advised against bringing 30 years of data into the new system.
- Attributes and codes in active use. Each one needs a field, a tag, or a decision to retire it.
- Connected systems. Financial Edge NXT, online forms, payment processing, wealth screening, ticketing, and import tools can read from or write to Raiser’s Edge.
- Duplicates. Decades of data entry create them, and merges before the load are cheaper than merges after.
- Recurring gifts on stored cards. See the next section.
- Reports. Every report your board and finance team rely on must be rebuilt before cutover.
Put a number next to each of these before you ask any vendor how long the move takes. Any credible estimate depends on them.
What happens to recurring gifts when you leave Raiser’s Edge?
Recurring gifts move in two parts. The gift records, schedules, and history are data, and they follow the gift mapping like any other record. The stored card and bank details sit with the payment processor. For many Raiser’s Edge customers, that is Blackbaud Integrated Payments, which took over the functionality of Blackbaud Merchant Services.
Blackbaud’s payment terms do not describe a process for transferring stored payment details to another processor. Ask Blackbaud in writing, early, whether it will transfer them to your new processor, how, and at what cost. Receiving processors document their side: Stripe, for example, imports card data from a previous processor when the account owner requests the transfer. If no transfer is possible, your recurring donors will need to enter their details again. Plan that outreach well before cutover, and track who has not responded.
Raiser’s Edge migration checklist: the steps in order
A Raiser’s Edge migration involves eight steps. Reconciled totals, not a calendar date, tell you when to move from testing to cutover.
- Read your contract. Blackbaud’s standard term is three years, and its published policy requires cancellation no later than 45 days before the term ends. Check the dates in your own agreement, and put the cancellation date and the 30-day data request date on the plan first.
- Take an inventory. Count records by type, total gifts by fund and fiscal year, and list every attribute, code table, query, report, and integration in use. The totals are your reconciliation baseline. The Migration Readiness Scorecard gives a first read on how ready your data is.
- Decide what moves. Set the depth of gift history, retire unused attributes, and merge codes that mean the same thing.
- Clean in Raiser’s Edge. Merge duplicates, fix addresses, and close out stale pledges while your team still knows the system. Our database cleanup tips cover the basics.
- Write the map. Start from the tables above. Fundraising and finance sign it.
- Test, then reconcile. Load a sample into a test environment, then a full copy. Compare counts and totals by fund and year with the baseline. Repeat until they match.
- Run in parallel. Keep both systems live while staff work in the new one, and compare totals until the team trusts them.
- Freeze and cut over. Freeze Raiser’s Edge, export only what changed since the last load, load it, and reconcile. Then switch online forms, payment processing, and integrations, and keep a complete archive export.
How StratusLIVE runs a Raiser’s Edge move
We built StratusLIVE Ignite, the Ignite Active Intelligence Platform, for nonprofits that want fundraising, finance, and marketing to work from one constituent record, and many organizations in that position run Raiser’s Edge today. A move starts with a working session and a migration assessment of your data, your add-on stack, and your renewal timeline. Our team handles the conversion hands-on: we turn your Raiser’s Edge exports into Ignite’s conversion format, load them into a test environment, and reconcile counts and totals with you before anything goes live. You run both systems in parallel until the totals match, then cut over on a date you agree with our team.
On the Financial Edge question: Ignite Finance is the fundraising subledger, so your general ledger stays where it is. After cutover, gifts post from batch entry to balanced journal entries in Ignite Finance, on the same constituent record your fundraisers use, and GL extracts go to your accounting system as import files (QuickBooks Online and Business Central templates, or CSV). We decide with your finance team how converted history is handled in the ledger.
For a read on your own data first, take the Migration Readiness Scorecard. If you are still weighing the move, our Raiser’s Edge alternative page makes the case, and the Ignite and Raiser’s Edge NXT comparison goes capability by capability. For the wider evaluation, see our nonprofit CRM comparison and CRM features checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to migrate from Raiser's Edge NXT to a new CRM?
It is a medium-to-hard data project. Getting the data out is the smaller part, though it has limits. The work is mapping Raiser's Edge structures, such as gift splits, soft credits, and the campaign, fund, appeal, and package codes, into the new system's model. Difficulty rises with years of gift history, custom attributes in use, connected systems such as Financial Edge NXT, duplicate records, and recurring gifts on stored cards. Reconciling totals after every test load is how teams catch lost history before cutover.
What does a Raiser's Edge migration involve?
Eight steps: read your contract, take an inventory, decide what moves, clean the data in Raiser's Edge, write the map, test and reconcile, run both systems in parallel, then freeze and cut over. The size of the job depends on years of gift history, attributes in use, connected systems, duplicates, recurring gifts on stored cards, and the reports you must rebuild. Your contract sets the deadlines, so check the cancellation and data-request dates in your own agreement first.
Can we keep our Raiser's Edge constituent IDs after we migrate?
Yes, as legacy fields on each record. Raiser's Edge has three identifiers: the system record ID, the editable Constituent ID (the lookup ID in the API), and the Import ID, which cannot be edited and which Blackbaud calls the most reliable match key. Carry all three. You need them to reconcile record counts and to match later loads to the right records.
Do we have to bring all of our gift history into the new CRM?
No. A common approach brings recent years in full detail and older years as giving summaries, with a complete archive export kept outside the new system. Keep full detail wherever it still drives work: open pledges, active recurring gifts, restricted funds with balances, and donors in active cultivation. Decide the cutoff with finance, because audit and restricted-fund reporting set the minimum.
What happens to Financial Edge NXT if we leave Raiser's Edge?
Financial Edge NXT is a separate Blackbaud product, so it needs its own decision. Raiser's Edge sends gifts to it in posting batches, and posted gifts are already in the general ledger. If you keep Financial Edge, the new CRM must produce journal entries mapped to your existing GL accounts. If accounting moves too, plan two migrations. Either way, reconcile posted gift totals before cutover, and never post historical gifts a second time.
Will our recurring donors have to enter their card details again?
Possibly. Blackbaud's payment terms do not describe a process for transferring stored card or bank details to another processor. Ask Blackbaud in writing, early, whether and how it will transfer them to your new processor, and at what cost. Receiving processors such as Stripe document how they import card data at the account owner's request. If no transfer is possible, plan donor outreach well before cutover, and expect that not every donor will respond.
Can we get a full backup of our Raiser's Edge database when we leave?
Not a complete one. Organizations hosted by Blackbaud can request one on-demand backup a month. It expires after seven days and holds the information available in database view, and Blackbaud says it is not intended for full database restoration. Attachments added in web view do not appear in database view, and media extraction is a billable service. Blackbaud's published policy asks you to request a copy of your data at least 30 days before your term ends.
Is leaving Raiser's Edge the same as moving from Raiser's Edge 7 to NXT?
No. Moving from Raiser's Edge 7 to NXT is Blackbaud's own upgrade path. Blackbaud says database view functionality ends on September 15, 2027, so every customer who stays on Raiser's Edge is moving to web view. Leaving Raiser's Edge means moving your data to a different CRM, which is what this guide covers. Many teams weigh both at once, because the database view change already means new workflows.