Sphere to Online Express

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Steph Williams
Steph Williams ✭
Ancient Membership Facilitator 2 Name Dropper Photogenic
in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®: General Discussion

Does anyone have experience with each of these that can run through some quick comparisons?

We currently subscribe to Kintera Sphere, and use it for a few online donation forms and a dozen or so event registrations. We do use the FaF component for a couple events, but definitely do not use the full benefits of the peer-to-peer fundraising (except for maybe one event.) We mostly use FaF as an easy way to create more inclusive websites for our events. We definitely do not use the real online e-marketing part of Sphere. (The only emails we send are to event registrants.)

That being said. As we explore the upgrade to RE NXT, which includes Online Express, we're trying to evaluate if we really need to maintain our Sphere subscription.   I want to make sure we don't lose any major functionality.

Any thoughts at all on the switch or just experiences with Online Express for event registrations would be greatly appreciated! 

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  • Nicole Bessert
    Nicole Bessert ✭
    Tenth Anniversary Photogenic First Reply
    We have both Online Express and Sphere (use Thon events) and I by far prefer Online Express.  I think forms are easier to set up, is cleaner and far more user friendly than Sphere, and data integration is so much easier with Online Express since it's a part of RE, not an outside piece that needs a special connector.  We use Sphere for our three P2P events (which are held simultaneously, so we essentially treat them as one event), and are starting to look into switching to TeamRaiser instead of Sphere.  We use the Sphere e-marketing only during our event and use Online Express for all our other e-communication needs. 



    Of course, there are limitations with OLX, one being that it's a form or e-communications tool, so you aren't able to build websites out of it.  However, what we've done with some of our smaller events is build out a webpage on our regular website and included the registration or donation form there.
  • Steph Williams
    Steph Williams ✭
    Ancient Membership Facilitator 2 Name Dropper Photogenic

    Nicole Bessert:

    We have both Online Express and Sphere (use Thon events) and I by far prefer Online Express.  I think forms are easier to set up, is cleaner and far more user friendly than Sphere, and data integration is so much easier with Online Express since it's a part of RE, not an outside piece that needs a special connector.  We use Sphere for our three P2P events (which are held simultaneously, so we essentially treat them as one event), and are starting to look into switching to TeamRaiser instead of Sphere.  We use the Sphere e-marketing only during our event and use Online Express for all our other e-communication needs. 



    Of course, there are limitations with OLX, one being that it's a form or e-communications tool, so you aren't able to build websites out of it.  However, what we've done with some of our smaller events is build out a webpage on our regular website and included the registration or donation form there.

    Thanks for the response!



    I figured I'd come back to this, as we've been using OEX (BBOX? whatever acronym I'm supposed to use...) for a few months.  So far, it's getting rave reviews from staff.  We have only 2 events that we'll use KinteraThon for, as they are events where participants are encouraged to build teams and solicit sponsors.  The rest of our events have been transitioned to Online Express and it's been so well received.

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