BLKB Unveils Integrated Payments to Drive Social Impact: Stock to Gain?

Blackbaud, Inc. BLKB recently introduced Blackbaud Integrated Payments. This robust, cohesive solution extends the company’s existing payment processing infrastructure, formerly known as Blackbaud Merchant Services, into a more flexible, Payments-as-a-Service model. The initiative addresses the growing needs of nonprofits, schools, and other mission-driven organizations to maximize impact while streamlining their operations.

Blackbaud Integrated Payments is an expanded payments solution that infuses the company’s advanced payment processing capabilities into third-party software provider that integrates with the Blackbaud Payments API. This ensures that organizations can offer seamless donation experiences, process various payments such as tuition, tickets and merchandise, and foster back-office efficiency and data integrity across platforms.

Blackbaud Integrated Payments is part of its broader vision to empower social impact organizations to innovate, scale and succeed without any financial or technical barriers. By embracing an open API model, supporting strategic partnerships, and focusing on customer needs, BLKB is transforming the fundraising and payment processing landscape. For 2025, users can expect more innovations, features and partner integrations that continue to reshape how social good organizations operate and grow. This is likely to boost its share performance.

BLKB’s Integrated Payments Power Social Impact Innovations

Early adopters of Blackbaud Integrated Payments are already enjoying benefits. For example, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has successfully used partner GivBee to power its text-to-give campaigns. Donors receive a personalized text message with a payment link, and once completed, the donation is automatically recorded in the organization’s Raiser’s Edge NXT CRM, saving staff time and offering donors a seamless experience.

Other partners like Almabase, SwipeTrack, SmartTHING, and Odin are also harnessing the power of the Blackbaud Payments API. Almabase, which focuses on alumni engagement and event management, described the integration as a “game changer,” allowing its customers to improve fundraising efforts without disrupting existing workflows.

Another notable partnership is with Pledge, which specializes in AI-driven fundraising solutions. The integration will bring tools like PledgeAI, text-to-donate and even the Zoom donate button into the Blackbaud ecosystem. These features offer nonprofits access to cutting-edge fundraising technology, broadening their reach and elevating their impact.

This year, Blackbaud Integrated Payments will also integrate with YourCause from Blackbaud, the company’s CSR platform for corporations. This will introduce a new Expedited Giving feature designed to accelerate the flow of donations from employees participating in corporate giving programs directly to nonprofits. This feature aims to reduce friction between donors and recipients, allowing nonprofits to receive donations up to 95% faster. Donors, in turn, get direct receipts from the nonprofits, simplifying tax records and increasing engagement with matching gift programs.

Key Functionalities of Blackbaud Integrated Payments

Organizations using Blackbaud Optimized Donation Forms have seen up to a 30% improvement in conversion rates and a 40% increase in donations. These are seamless and intuitive donation forms designed to increase conversion. By using Blackbaud's Complete Cover program, they benefit from 0% processing fees, encouraging further donations.

Advanced tools like automated card updating and built-in fraud detection maintain the integrity and security of donor transactions while improving recurring gift retention. Whether payments are made via Blackbaud products or third-party software, transactions are channeled into a unified system for easy reporting and reconciliation, simplifying back-office processes significantly. For companies using YourCause, donations made through employee programs will now reach nonprofits faster, enhancing the organization’s commitment to streamlining giving.

The company is frequently expanding its product portfolio with fresh offerings. It focuses on cloud software and data-driven decisions using AI, machine learning, predictive analytics and other advanced tech. New AI features are planned to support fundraising, donor relations and corporate impact. 

At bbcon 2024, it introduced new AI tools for fundraising and financial management for social impact groups. It also launched six innovation projects to connect teams and improve insights. In 2025, BLKB will keep investing in its products and refining its go-to-market strategy to gain new customers and grow existing accounts.

BLKB’s Zacks Rank & Stock Price Performance

Blackbaud currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have declined 21.5% over the past year compared with the industry’s fall of 2.3%.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks from the broader technology space are InterDigital, Inc. IDCC, U.S. Cellular USM and CommScope Holding COMM. IDCC, USM and COMM presently sport a Zacks Rank #1(Strong Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

IDCC is a pioneer in advanced mobile technologies that enable wireless communications and capabilities. The company engages in designing and developing a wide range of advanced technology solutions, which are used in digital cellular as well as wireless 3G, 4G and IEEE 802-related products and networks. It has a long-term growth expectation of 15%.

U.S. Cellular caters to both retail consumers and business customers, offering a wide range of products and services, including local, regional, and national calling plans, enhanced wireless services, mobile messaging, prepaid services, office products, data services, and roadside assistance. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 150%. It has taken concrete steps to accelerate subscriber additions and improve churn management. 

Headquartered in Hickory, NC, CommScope is a premier provider of infrastructure solutions, including wireless and fiber optic solutions, for the core, access and edge layers of communication networks. The company currently operates in three segments — Connectivity and Cable Solutions, Networking, Intelligent Cellular and Security Solutions and Access Network Solutions. It has a long-term growth expectation of 19.37%.

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