Simplifying Data Integration Through our Connector Library

Through our 2021 Customer Survey, you shared information with us about your technology ecosystems. And we learned that over 80% of your organizations use 4 or more systems to collect, manage and store fundraising data. Your responses highlighted that the need for data integration in the nonprofit sector has never been greater!

We are proud to have helped you connect your systems for over 20 years. And as we look to the future, our goal is to even further simplify data integration – so you can achieve the complete picture of your supporters you need to drive fundraising success and mission impact!

To that effect, our Product team has been hard at work planning and releasing enhancements to Omatic Cloud, creating the most effective integrations for Blackbaud and Salesforce databases. One of the team’s most exciting initiatives is building, growing, and improving our library of Connectors.

Keep reading to learn more about Connectors – including new additions, recent enhancements and how you can influence future development!

Better integration leads to better data. Dive into our expert-led session on crafting the perfect integration strategy: Best Practices for Building a Nonprofit Integration Strategy.

What is a Connector, Anyway?

Connectors leverage today’s most advanced and secure cloud technology to further simplify integrations with our customers’ most commonly-used systems. Through an API (application programming interface) the Connector provides direct systems integration, and no flat file (Excel file) is required.

Flat files aren’t going away anytime soon. We still see many clients who have data in flat files that they need to get into their system of record. And the beauty of Omatic is the flexibility to integrate with any system by importing flat files when Connectors are not available.

However, if an API is available, a Connector enhances the experience in a few ways:

• There is no need to extract the data into Excel and then shuffle files around.
• Connectors are less error-prone; humans can potentially make mistakes and edit or delete data when files are involved.
• Connectors require less work. They continually pull data and process it into your system of record with little to no intervention.

New and Enhanced Connectors

A full listing of Omatic’s Connectors can be found here, but we’d like to highlight the newest additions that are now available. If you are using any of these technologies and not yet leveraging the Connector, please reach out to your CSM or [email protected], and we’ll be happy to share more information.

• EveryAction integration for Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge NXT, and Blackbaud CRM is bidirectional and supports advocacy data, online donations, recurring gifts, email marketing, and event management data.
• GiveCampus integration for Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge NXT, and Blackbaud CRM is one-way integration that supports online giving data and recurring gifts.

In addition, throughout the year we’ve made a number of enhancements to existing Connectors based on input from our customers and their growing needs:

• GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy) – expanded recurring donation and recurring donation payment functionality
• Engaging Networks – added split receipting capabilities and enhanced bidirectional functionality
• HubSpot – expanded data filtering options
• Double the Donation – now available for Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge NXT, and Blackbaud CRM

Thank you again to those organizations that completed our 2021 Customer Survey, which helped us rank our connector priorities. Your feedback has – and will continue to – influence our development plans.

What’s Next?

In the coming months, the team is also planning the development of Connectors for both Eventbrite and Shopify. We’ll share more information with you when they are available! Also, be on the lookout for our 2022 Customer Survey, coming out in Q4 of this year. Your feedback will again help us prioritize our development efforts.

So, yes, our Product team is as busy as ever. But they – and all of us – love to hear from our community! Here are some ways you can share your product feedback.