Making Query Work Harder in Blackbaud CRM

by: Liz Feskoe

Ad-hoc Query is one of the most useful tools in Blackbaud CRM. It can help users find records, build selections, review data quality, and answer questions. However, the number of queries in the Information Library can become overwhelming very quickly.

Over time, your organization may end up with hundreds of duplicate, outdated, or unclear queries. Some queries may be used, and some may not. Some feed important processes, and for others, no one knows why it was created. That is when Query stops helping and starts creating overhead.

Start with the Business Question

Before building a new Query, it’s best to ask a few questions first:

• Is this for review, reporting, export, segmentation, or cleanup?

• What are we trying to find?

• Why do we need this?

• What action will happen after we get the results?

These questions need to be asked because a Query built for a mailing, for example, may require different logic than one built for a data quality review. Or, a Query for leadership reporting needs more careful definition than a Query that will be used only once to answer one question.

A Query with a clear purpose leads to cleaner criteria.

Name Queries So People Understand Them

A Query called “Test 3” may make sense at the moment it’s created, though six months later, it helps no one.

Use names that explain the purpose, audience, and time frame where possible. For example:

• “FY26 LYBUNT Donors for Review”

• “Active Major Gift Prospects Without Opportunity”

• “Event Registrant Table Purchases”

• “Constituents Recently Marked Inactive”

Clear names reduce confusion and make cleanup easier later.

Document the Logic

If a Query supports a recurring process, document it. This can be documented externally while also using the “Description” text box in the “Set Save Options” tab of the Query.

At minimum, include:

• Purpose

• Business Process associated with it

• Owner

• Key criteria

• Review cadence

This is especially important for queries that feed exports, marketing efforts, dashboards, or reports.

If people depend on the Query, they need to understand its function and purpose.

Review Old Queries Regularly

Queries often outlive the processes that created them.

A selection may still exist for a campaign that ended years ago. A report may rely on a field no one maintains anymore. A query may include old code values that no longer reflect current practice.

Set a regular review cadence for high-use queries. Use the “Ad-hoc queries” source view to query ad-hoc query metrics such as “Last run on”, “Number of times run”, or “Description”.  Look for queries that may not have been run in a while, have a low run count, have unclear naming, have inactive owners, or have logic tied to old business rules.

Blackbaud CRM Ad-hoc Query can do much more than just pull lists.

Used well, it becomes a practical tool for data quality, segmentation, reporting, and data governance management.

The key to keeping them useful is maintaining discipline in managing these queries. Build queries with purpose. Name them clearly. Document the logic. Review them regularly.

That is how Query works harder without overwhelming the system or its users.