From Database View to Unified View: Navigating Changes to Raiser’s Edge NXT at bbcon 2026

bbcon, Blackbaud’s annual conference, is just around the corner and if your organization is still working in Raiser’s Edge NXT Database View, this year’s bbcon deserves a place in your calendar. Blackbaud has recently confirmed that they will officially be ending support for Database View in Raiser’s Edge NXT on September 15, 2027, which means the countdown to a full move to Web View is officially on. For nonprofits that have relied on Database View for years, that shift can feel daunting. The good news is that bbcon 2026 is a perfect venue to ask questions and build a plan for change.

Why This Year’s bbcon Matters More Than Ever

Every bbcon brings updates on the Raiser’s Edge NXT roadmap, but this year carries extra weight. With Database View sunsetting, Blackbaud and its technology partners are dedicating meaningful sessions to helping organizations understand what’s changing, and what steps they need to take before access disappears for good.

A few things worth keeping in mind heading into the conference:

• This is a chance to meet with representatives at Blackbaud and tech partners to discuss the changes and what that means for your data
• Multiple sessions this year are structured around transition planning, not just feature previews.
• Peer organizations who have already moved to Web View can share what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently.

Treat bbcon as the first step in your planning checklist. Whatever you walk away with should translate into a concrete next step for your team.

Map Out a Plan for Attending Speaking Sessions

With so many bbcon sessions competing for your time, it helps to walk in with a plan. If the Database View transition is on your radar, consider building your schedule to include these talks:

• “Change Without Fear: How to Automate the Burden Without Automating the Mission” (Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM)
• “The Countdown Is On” Start here to understand the actual timeline, what triggers the final cutoff, and what happens to your data and workflows once Database View is retired. (Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM)
• “Unified View in Practice: A Migration Playbook” This session digs into the practical side of migration, covering how to sequence your move, what to test along the way, and where organizations commonly get stuck. (Thursday, October 1, 2026, 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM)
• “Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT Web View Wins: The Sequel” Hear from organizations that have already completed their transition, including what improved once they were fully in Web View. (Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM)

Sessions tied to major product changes tend to fill rooms quickly, so block these on your agenda early rather than hoping to squeeze them in between other commitments.

Turning Session Takeaways into an Action Plan

Attending great sessions is only useful if the insights turn into action once you’re back at your desk. As you get back to your daily responsibilities, take notes with your own organization’s specific workflows in mind:

• Which reports, queries, or gift processing steps does your team run that were built around Database View?
• Who on your team needs to be looped in on the migration timeline once you’re back from bbcon?
• Are there any workflows that require critical plug-ins or feel entirely dependent on Database View functionality? Flag those early, since they’re the ones most likely to need rework.

Learning From Others Who’ve Already Made the Leap

You don’t have to figure this out alone, and you don’t have to wait until bbcon to start looking at what a successful switch looks like. Organizations like Wolf Conservation Center got a jump start switching from the ImportOmatic plugin to Omatic Cloud to be compatible with web view. By doing so, they saved staff time, improved data integrity, and benefited from more automation features that make it possible to access trustworthy data whether staff are in the office or not.

This transition is going to be beneficial for users, even if it takes some planning to get there. It’s a commitment to more robust and secure data management. Organizations that have already made the switch often point to similar benefits: less manual work rebuilding old processes, more consistent data flows, and a clearer picture of how their systems connect once everything lives in Web View. Reading through a real example before you sit down in your bbcon sessions can help you ask sharper questions and spot the gaps in your own current setup.

Plan Now, Skip the Last-Minute Rush

Database View isn’t sticking around, and the organizations that have a smooth transition will be the ones who start planning now instead of waiting for the final deadline. bbcon gives you the sessions, the peer stories, and the direct access to experts to build that plan with confidence.

If you want help mapping out your own transition before things get busy, our team at Omatic is ready to talk through what that looks like for your organization.

Stop by Omatic’s booth at bbcon (we’ll be in the exhibit hall) for a live showcase of how workflows will look in Web View with Omatic Cloud. Don’t forget to grab some free swag while you’re there!

Can’t make it to bbcon this year? Get in touch with us for a conversation about managing your data workflows as you transition from database view to web view.