Raiser’s Edge NXT Database View Is Going Away. Is Your Nonprofit Ready?

September 1, 2026/ Mark Becker / Blackbaud, Nonprofit Data, Uncategorized / 0 comments

For years, Raiser’s Edge NXT users have worked in two versions of the same fundraising system: the newer, browser-based web view and the familiar database view accessed through Citrix. That dual experience now has an expiration date.

Blackbaud has announced that it will end support for Raiser’s Edge NXT database view on September 15, 2027. On that date, hosted Raiser’s Edge NXT customers will no longer be able to log in through Citrix or use database view to access records, run reports or complete other work. Functionality that depends on database view—including Blackbaud Online Express, Blackbaud NetCommunity and certain plug-ins, integrations and customizations—will also be affected.

The good news is that nonprofits have more than a year to prepare. The less-good news is that many may need every bit of that time. This is not simply a matter of learning where to find the same buttons. Database view may be woven into processes across fundraising, finance, events, membership, gift processing and reporting. Organizations must determine where those dependencies exist and how to replace them without disrupting operations.

Start With an Impact Assessment, Not a Product Demo

Start by inventorying how your organization uses database view. Documented procedures rarely tell the whole story. Staff often rely on saved queries, exports, reports and plug-ins that have become so routine that no one recognizes them as technology dependencies.

Cathexis Partners can facilitate this assessment across departments, document dependent workflows and translate the findings into a prioritized roadmap—particularly when procedures are poorly documented or ownership is unclear.

Your review should include at least the following:

• Recurring processes, queries, exports, imports, mailings and reports
• Custom reports and Crystal Reports
• Plug-ins, third-party integrations and locally developed utilities
• Automated jobs or data transfers that rely on database view
• Online Express forms, email, payments, reconciliation and acknowledgments
• Blackbaud NetCommunity websites, forms and constituent interactions
• Procedures that rely on direct access to fields or functions not yet available in web view

Do not limit the conversation to the database team. Development, finance, events, membership, marketing and outside partners may all depend on database-view processes without realizing it.

Classify What You Find

Once you have an inventory, place each item into one of four categories:

1. Already available in web view. The organization can begin changing its procedures and training users now.
2. Expected in web view before the deadline. Monitor Blackbaud’s roadmap, confirm the anticipated timing and avoid leaving the transition until the final months.
3. Requires a different solution or redesigned process. This may include integrations, custom reporting, online forms, digital marketing or specialized workflows.
4. No longer needed. A surprising number of legacy reports and procedures survive because “we have always done it that way.” This transition is an opportunity to retire them.

For each dependency, document the replacement, owner, target date, testing requirements and contingency plan. Cathexis assessments turn this information into an actionable plan that distinguishes quick wins from work requiring product selection, development, process redesign or additional budget.

Pay Particular Attention to Integrations and Customizations

Integrations may be the most easily underestimated part of the transition. A connection that appears to operate outside Raiser’s Edge may still rely on database-view technology, a plug-in or an unsupported process.

Ask every technology vendor and consultant connected to your Raiser’s Edge environment several direct questions:

• Does any part of the product depend on database view, and will it work after September 15, 2027?
• Is a SKY API-based or other supported replacement available?
• What implementation work, testing, fees or contract changes will be required?
• What is the vendor’s transition timeline, and what happens if that timeline slips?

A general notice from Blackbaud does not explain the impact on a third-party product. Each vendor must address its own solution.

Cathexis can inventory these connections, coordinate with vendors, evaluate supported alternatives and manage implementation and testing. Because we work across Blackbaud and other nonprofit platforms, we can evaluate the complete data flow rather than each connection in isolation.

Online Express and NetCommunity Require Their Own Plans

Organizations using Blackbaud Online Express or Blackbaud NetCommunity should treat their replacement as separate workstreams, not minor parts of the transition.

Replacing a donation form can affect payments, recurring gifts, tracking, acknowledgments, analytics, accessibility and donor experience. Replacing NetCommunity may also involve website content, events, email, user accounts and integrations.

Blackbaud and partner solutions may both be appropriate. Cathexis can document requirements, evaluate alternatives and support implementation, form rebuilding, data mapping, integration, testing and training. The goal is to preserve or improve the workflows that staff and constituents rely on—not merely match a feature checklist.

Do Not Confuse the Deadline With the Project Start Date

September 15, 2027, is the date the transition must be complete—not the date to begin it.

A reasonable transition plan might include:

• Now through fall 2026: Assign an internal owner, assemble stakeholders and complete the dependency inventory.
• Late 2026 through early 2027: Compare current needs with web-view capabilities, identify gaps, contact vendors and select replacement solutions where necessary.
• Spring 2027: Configure new processes, rebuild reports and integrations, develop documentation and begin testing.
• Summer 2027: Train users, run old and new processes in parallel where practical, resolve issues and confirm that critical workflows work without database view.
• Before September 2027: Complete the transition, preserve needed historical documentation and establish contingency plans.

The schedule will vary. A small organization with limited customization may move quickly, while one with NetCommunity, custom reports and multiple integrations could face several interconnected projects.

Cathexis can manage the transition or supplement an internal lead with Blackbaud, integration, website, digital fundraising and data expertise. We can also establish milestones, vendor responsibilities, testing criteria and executive reporting.

Budget for More Than Software

Even when replacement functionality is included in an existing subscription, organizations may incur costs for assessment, configuration, integrations, data work, report rebuilding, testing, documentation, training and project management. Replacing Online Express or NetCommunity may also require new subscription and implementation fees.

Include this work in 2027 planning now. Cathexis can develop a realistic scope, schedule and cost estimate before an organization commits to products or contracts. Waiting until next summer could mean limited availability, rushed decisions and greater disruption.

Use the Transition to Improve, Not Merely Re-create

The natural instinct will be to reproduce every database-view process. But a one-for-one rebuild can preserve unnecessary complexity. Before recreating a report, confirm who uses it and why. Before replacing an integration or form, reconsider the data flow and donor experience. Do not carry forward a workaround when web view or another tool offers a simpler approach.

This transition is also a chance to document institutional knowledge, eliminate outdated processes and clarify system ownership. Cathexis can carry those improvements through configuration, documentation, training and post-launch support so the new approach becomes part of daily operations.

The organizations that fare best will identify dependencies now, make decisions as information becomes available and leave enough time to test.

September 2027 may feel far away. For a transition of this scope, it is not. Cathexis Partners can help assess dependencies, evaluate replacements and build a practical path through implementation, training and support. The best time to begin is before the deadline starts driving the decisions.

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Cathexis Partners helps nonprofits assess their technology environment, improve business processes and select platforms based on documented organizational needs. Contact us to discuss your next step.