Blackbaud Introduces Lantern AI Model for Fundraising

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Blackbaud has introduced Lantern, a new language model it describes as the first domain-specific model purpose-built to optimize fundraising intelligence for the social impact sector. The model was developed through a strategic collaboration with Databricks.

According to the company, 85% of social impact professionals use AI, but only about 10% of organizations see significant returns on their investment. Blackbaud aims to close this "AI returns gap" with Lantern, which is built on over four decades of experience in fundraising workflows and results.

"Frontier models learn from the internet, while Lantern learns from philanthropy," said Mike Gianoni, president and CEO of Blackbaud. He emphasized that Lantern understands fundraising goals and donor behavior better than general-purpose AI models, providing tailored intelligence to organizations.

The model is built on the Databricks Data + AI Platform, combining leading open-weight models with Blackbaud's extensive social impact intelligence. Lantern has been trained on synthetic scenarios modeled on Blackbaud's Social Impact Signal Graph to reflect real-world fundraising patterns. The company states the model adheres to responsible AI principles, including privacy and transparency.

Lantern is intended to help social impact organizations identify new opportunities, understand donor relationship dynamics, and focus resources more effectively. Development has involved input from Blackbaud customers, such as Boston University and YMCA of the North, to ensure the model meets the needs of frontline fundraisers.