Blackbaud Introduces Lantern™, the First Domain-Specific Language Model Purpose-Built for Fundraising
PR Newswire•29/09/2026•10:15 ET
0
Key Highlights
- ➤Lantern™ introduced as domain-specific language model purpose-built for fundraising
- ➤Strategic collaboration with Databricks combines open-weight models and Blackbaud fundraising intelligence
- ➤Lantern to power select Raiser’s Edge NXT® and Agents for Good™ capabilities in 2027
- ➤Lantern will be embedded across Blackbaud’s Platform for Good™
Expert Statements
Mike Gianoni, President, CEO and vice chairman of the board of directors, Blackbaud
“Every organization has access to powerful AI, but frontier models learn from the internet, while Lantern learns from philanthropy.”
Andy Kofoid, President, global field operations, Databricks
“There is an enormous opportunity for the philanthropy world to benefit from AI, but seeing returns requires the right data, context and governance.”
Carrie Cobb, Chief data and AI officer, Blackbaud
“The future of AI isn’t about who has the largest model; it’s about who best reflects the world their customers operate in.”
Tim Cerato, Assistant vice president, constituent relationship management, Boston University
“Every industry has its own language, expertise, decision-making processes, rules and guardrails.”
Blackbaud Introduces Lantern™, the First Domain-Specific Language Model Purpose-Built for Fundraising PR Newswire
85% of social impact professionals use AI; only about 10% of organizations see significant returns. Lantern is built to close that gap, developed through a strategic collaboration with Databricks.
Get started
Create a free account to read the full story.