Blackbaud Scholarship Management

Managing scholarships can be complicated and time-consuming without the right tools. Blackbaud scholarship management software helps schools and nonprofits streamline the entire process so you can focus on what really matters – helping students.

With Blackbaud, you can automate and customize the application process. Students can apply online, and you can tailor questions for different scholarships and programs. Applicants will appreciate the simple and intuitive interface.

Once awarded, Blackbaud allows you to track recipient progress to ensure funds are being used properly. You’ll have visibility into important details like GPA, enrollment status changes, and more. If recipients fail to meet renewal criteria, the software can automatically flag their scholarships for review.

On the financial side, Blackbaud integrates with payment processing so you can electronically transfer funds to the recipient’s college or university. Robust reporting tools provide insights into the impact of your scholarships and help with audits.

For small teams, managing scholarships requires organization and automation. Blackbaud’s scholarship management solution handles the administrative burden so you can focus on supporting students in pursuing their dreams.

Key Features of Blackbaud Scholarship Management

Blackbaud Scholarship Management software offers several useful features to help you manage your scholarship program efficiently and effectively.

1. Automated Application Review

The software can automatically check applications for completeness and eligibility based on the criteria you set up. This saves you time by filtering out applications that don’t meet your basic requirements. You can then focus your review efforts on qualified applications.

2. Evaluation and Selection

You can create custom scoring rubrics to systematically evaluate applications and rank them. Reviewers can then use these rubrics to score applications and provide comments. The software aggregates scores and rankings across reviewers to help determine finalists and recipients.

3. Award Management

Once you’ve selected recipients, the platform makes it easy to manage the award process. You can generate award letters, track acceptance, and set up disbursement schedules.

The software integrates with payment platforms to automatically issue scholarship funds to recipients according to the schedule you establish.

4. Reporting

Robust reporting features provide insights into your program and applicants. You can analyze application and award trends over time to identify opportunities for improvement. Customizable reports also allow you to extract the data and statistics you need for stakeholder reporting.

5. Online Applications

Applicants can complete and submit applications online through a portal you customize. You control which fields are required and can include uploads for materials like essays, transcripts, and references.

The portal is mobile-friendly and accessible 24/7 so students can apply from anywhere on their own schedule.

How to Implement Blackbaud for Efficient Scholarship Administration

Implementing a scholarship management system like Blackbaud can help streamline your scholarship administration process. Once set up, it allows you to efficiently manage the entire lifecycle of your scholarship programs.

To get started, you’ll want to configure your scholarship programs in the system. Enter details like eligibility criteria, award amounts, application questions, review workflows, and selection processes. Blackbaud’s flexible platform allows you to create simple to highly complex programs to suit your needs.

Next, open your scholarship applications to students. Blackbaud provides an easy to use online application that students can access on your website. Applicants simply log in and complete the application by answering the questions you configured for that program.

Once the application deadline closes, you can begin evaluating applications and selecting recipients. Reviewers log into the system and are presented with the applications and documents to score and evaluate based on your criteria. Blackbaud streamlines the review process with features like side-by-side application comparison, scoring rubrics, and data filtering.

After selections are made, easily notify applicants of their status directly from the system. For recipients, you can outline the next steps to claim their award. Non-recipients also receive a notification thanking them for applying.

Ongoing, Blackbaud provides tools to monitor recipient progress and renewals. You can also analyze the effectiveness of your scholarship programs and make data-driven decisions on how to improve for the next cycle.

Conclusion

By implementing a dedicated scholarship management solution, you’ll gain back valuable staff time previously spent on routine tasks. Blackbaud’s robust and intuitive system handles the heavy lifting at each stage, allowing you to focus on high-impact work like tailoring your scholarship offerings, community outreach, and fundraising. Overall,