WORKSHOP PROGRAM

Subject to modification as we optimize the program based on attendance.  Your package is for one of the accelerators.

Time Name Description
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMWelcome and Breakfast

Settle in, get your space organized and grab some breakfast with your other automation enthusiasts.

9:30 AM - 10:00 AMBlackbaud Extensibility and Microsoft Power Platform 101

Blackbaud products are meant to be customized to meet the unique needs of our customers. Learn the basics of how you can build customizations, common customer use cases and methods, and how to understand what data can be accessed via SKY API.

10:00 AM - 11:30 AMLab 1: Automate Integration Scenarios

Build an automated integration from an external form to Raiser's Edge NXT. Learn what integration scenarios are a good fit for Microsoft Power Automate and build an integration from a Contact Us form on a website to integrate that data and assign follow-up actions.  You will learn how to create actions, handle loops and conditions in Power Automate.

11:30 AM - 11:45 AMBREAK 
11:45 AM - 12:15 PMTutorial: SKY Add-ins, Apps, and Adaptive Cards

 

We drill deeper into the Blackbaud and Microsoft tools you can use to not only automate processes, but also customize the user experience inside Blackbaud products. You'll learn the different types of SKY Add-ins that can be used for automation scenarios and build your first Blackbaud app. We will also orient you to the Adaptive Card builder UI that we will use in the afternoon.

During this time we will create the App in preparation for Lab #2.

12:15 PM - 12:45 PMLUNCH BREAK 
12:45 PM - 2:00 PMLab 2a: Automate Data Health Tasks

Build an Adaptive Card add-in for Raiser's Edge NXT that will help automate fundraiser requests for receiving credit on gift. This will include handling approval steps and how to circumvent potential technical roadblocks that may arise in automating data health tasks.

2:00 PM - 2:15 PMBREAK 
2:15 PM - 3:30 PMLab 2b: Automate Data Health Tasks

Now that you've built a basic Adaptive Card, we will take it to the next level! In this lab, you will connect Blackbaud data directly to your Adaptive Card to further automate requests through data validation and through sending (and styling) notifications. You will confront more complex Microsoft Power Automate scenarios and continue building on your skills.

3:30 PM - 4:00 PMYour Automation Action Plan

Review next steps for putting your new automation skills into practice at your organization. From licensing to architecture to gathering feedback from end-users and available training resources, you'll have a plan to accelerate your success.  We will provide tools to help you identify viable automation projects.

4:00 PM - 4:30 PMOpen Q&A Time

The team of experts will stick around to answer any questions you may have!

Time Name Description
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMWelcome and Breakfast

Settle in, get your space organized and grab some breakfast with your other BI enthusiasts.

9:30 AM - 10:00 AMTutorial: The Basics of Microsoft Power BI

Learn from Blackbaud and Microsoft experts on the core Power BI capabilities and concepts you will need to put into practice when you build your first fundraising dashboard.  We will highlight upcoming and preview features during the demo.

10:00 AM - 11:30 AMLab 1a: Build a Fundraising Report

Build a simple report based on a CSV file data set. You'll learn the basics of data modeling and exploration (measures, calculated columns, calendar table, et al) plus how to access, clean and mash-up data.

11:30 AM - 11:45 AMBREAK 
11:45 AM - 12:45 PMLab 1b: Build a Fundraising Report

Continue adding more sophisticated visuals and features into your report and build skills.

12:45 PM - 1:15 PMLUNCH BREAK 
1:15 PM - 2:15 PMLab 2: Connect Blackbaud Data to Power BI

Connect your Blackbaud data directly to Power BI leveraging Microsoft Power Automate the newly released Query API. Learn how to keep your data up to date with frequent refreshes.

2:15 PM - 2:30 PMBREAK 
2:30 PM - 3:15 PMLab 3: Embedding Power BI in your Blackbaud Solution with SKY Add-ins

Now it's time to get your report to your fundraisers right inside Raiser's Edge NXT. Learn the SKY Developer tools you'll need to create and connect apps to your Blackbaud solution and best practices for embedding them for your users.

3:15 PM - 4:00 PMYour Power BI Action Plan

Review next steps for taking your new fundraising dashboard into production at your organization. From licensing to architecture to gathering feedback from end-users and available training resources, you'll have a plan to accelerate your success.

4:00 PM - 4:30 PMOpen Q&A Time

The team of experts will stick around to answer any questions you may have!

Your Experts