BBConnect™ for The Raiser's Edge and The Financial/Education Edge

Overview

Both The Raiser's Edge and The Financial/Education Edge provide excellent out-of-the box functionality for the average organization.

And plug-ins can provide customizations to suit many situations without any additional cost (apart from development or purchase).

But what happens when you need to interact with your Blackbaud data from a webpage for supporter sign-ups? Or with a Windows Service for automating email result updates? Or via a desktop application for processing donations?

To get this functionality, you'll need to employ the optional Blackbaud API module to access your data outside of the Raiser’s Edge or Financial/Education Edge clients. The API modules represent good value if your organization fully exploits their potential and intends to build a suite of such customizations.

But if your organization just wants to add a web page or two or setup a scheduled overnight database task, the API modules can prove prohibitively expensive.

Now Protégé Solutions, as a Blackbaud Technology Partner, can offer you a cost-effective alternative in BBConnect.

What is BBConnect?

BBConnect is a means of connecting to either The Raiser's Edge or The Financial/Education Edge via the API without the need for the API module. BBConnect is a fully-Blackbaud-compliant alternative to the API module which provides identical functionality and is fully approved by Blackbaud for use only through its Technology Partners.

Technically-speaking, BBConnect is a .NET "code extension library". What this means is that when the BBConnect library is included with your own .NET application's code, your application will function as if the API module is installed. All with Blackbaud's blessing and in full compliance with your Blackbaud licensing agreement.

Why Choose BBConnect Over The Blackbaud API?

Simply, BBConnect is thousands of dollars cheaper. You can save $40,000 over five years depending on the number and type of Blackbaud licenses you have. (Contact us for a full example of the savings.)

Why pay more for identical functionality?

Try BBConnect free for 14 days

You can test BBConnect with our demonstration application – or with your own – for 14 days. All we need from you is your permission to apply for an API Code specific to your organization from Blackbaud. Generally, this takes only a day or so. Once you've proven that BBConnect is the right solution for you, you can purchase a license for either – or both – BBConnect for The Raiser's Edge or BBConnect for The Financial Edge (the latter includes connectivity for The Education Edge).

More information

• Download the BBConnect Visual Studio sample projects for both The Raiser's Edge and The Financial/Education Edge.
• Contact us.