Closed to new claimsData breachBlackbaud Data Breach Settlement: Payout Status
Last updated: July 23, 2026
There is no Blackbaud data breach settlement that pays money to individual consumers, and there is no claim form to file. Despite widely searched claims of a "$15,500 Blackbaud payout," no official settlement administrator, claim website, or per-person check exists for the people whose data was exposed in Blackbaud's 2020 breach. A federal judge denied class certification on May 21, 2024, and the remaining case was resolved through a confidential agreement, not a public consumer fund. Anyone offering you a Blackbaud claim form with a dollar amount and a deadline is not describing a real settlement.
Blackbaud is a cloud software company that stores donor, patient, student, and alumni data for more than 13,000 nonprofits, universities, foundations, and healthcare organizations. Between roughly February 7 and May 20, 2020, a ransomware attacker copied data from Blackbaud's systems, potentially exposing names, contact details, Social Security numbers, financial account information, and protected health information. The consumer class action, In re: Blackbaud, Inc., Customer Data Breach Litigation (MDL No. 2972), was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, but the court refused to certify a class because the roughly 1.5 billion affected records could not feasibly be identified as a defined group.
The settlements that did happen went to governments, not to breach victims: a $49.5 million settlement with 49 states and the District of Columbia (October 2023), a separate $6.75 million settlement with California (June 2024), and a $3 million penalty to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (March 2023) for misleading disclosures. That money funds state programs and the U.S. Treasury — none of it is distributed as individual consumer checks.
Key facts
- Consumer payout
- None — no claim form exists
- Multistate AG settlement
- $49.5M to 49 states + D.C. (Oct 2023)
- California settlement
- $6.75M to California (June 2024)
- SEC penalty
- $3M to U.S. Treasury (March 2023)
- Breach window
- ~Feb 7 – May 20, 2020
- Class status
- Certification denied May 21, 2024
- Case
- In re Blackbaud Data Breach Litig., MDL 2972 (D.S.C.)
- "$15,500 payout" claim
- Fake — not a real Blackbaud claim
Official settlement administrator: Illinois AG multistate settlement notice
Who qualifies
- The 2020 breach exposed data that 13,000+ organizations — nonprofits, universities, foundations, and hospitals — had stored in Blackbaud's systems, meaning their donors, patients, students, and alumni were potentially affected.
- No individual, however, can file a claim for money. The court denied class certification in May 2024, so there is no legally defined, payable consumer class and no claims process was ever opened.
- The only parties that received money were governments: 49 states plus D.C. ($49.5 million), California separately ($6.75 million), and the SEC ($3 million).
- If a website asks you to submit personal information to claim a Blackbaud "$15,500" or similar payout, it is not an official settlement — do not provide your data.
Blackbaud settlement status — what to know now
- 1
There is no consumer claim to file
No official Blackbaud settlement administrator or claim website exists for affected individuals. The consumer class action never reached a classwide payout, so there is nothing to submit and no check to expect.
- 2
Why the class action didn't pay consumers
On May 21, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina denied class certification in MDL 2972. With an estimated 1.5 billion affected records, the court found the class could not be feasibly identified. The matter was later resolved through a confidential agreement covering individual plaintiffs — not a public fund with per-person payments.
- 3
The real settlements went to governments
Blackbaud paid $49.5 million to 49 states and D.C. in October 2023, a separate $6.75 million to California in June 2024, and a $3 million SEC penalty in March 2023 for misleading breach disclosures. These resolutions fund state initiatives and the U.S. Treasury, not consumer restitution.
- 4
Beware the fake "$15,500" Blackbaud claim
Content-farm and scam sites circulate a "$15,500 Blackbaud data breach payout, claim by [date]" offer. It is not tied to any real Blackbaud settlement. There is no such payout and no official deadline. Never enter your Social Security number or bank details to "claim" it.
- 5
Protect yourself and catch the settlements that are real
If your data was in the Blackbaud breach, monitor your credit and stay alert for phishing. ClaimBee tracks the settlements that actually pay consumers, matches them to your profile, and flags scam "settlements" so you only spend time on legitimate claims.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I get money from the Blackbaud data breach settlement?
No. There is no consumer payout and no claim form. The class action was denied certification in May 2024, and the settlements that were reached paid state governments and the SEC — not individual breach victims. No official Blackbaud claim website exists.
Is the $15,500 Blackbaud settlement payout real?
No. The "$15,500 Blackbaud data breach payout" circulating online is not tied to any real Blackbaud settlement. It comes from clickbait and scam sites, not an official administrator. There is no such payment and no legitimate claim deadline — do not submit personal information to any site offering it.
Am I eligible for a Blackbaud settlement check?
As an affected donor, patient, student, or alumnus, you cannot file a claim — no consumer claims process was ever opened. The court denied class certification, so there is no defined, payable class. Only the states, California, and the SEC received money.
How much did Blackbaud pay, and to whom?
Blackbaud paid $49.5 million to 49 states and D.C. (October 2023), $6.75 million to California separately (June 2024), and a $3 million penalty to the SEC (March 2023). All of it went to governments; none was distributed to consumers as individual checks.
What data was exposed in the 2020 Blackbaud breach?
A ransomware attacker copied data from Blackbaud's systems between roughly February and May 2020. Depending on the organization, exposed data could include names, contact details, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, financial account information, and protected health information.
Why didn't the Blackbaud class action pay consumers?
Because the court denied class certification on May 21, 2024. The putative class covered roughly 1.5 billion records across 13,000+ organizations, and the court found those individuals could not be feasibly identified as a defined class. Without certification, there was no classwide fund or payout.
Was my data in the Blackbaud breach?
If you donated to, attended, or received care from one of the 13,000+ organizations that used Blackbaud, your data may have been involved. Individual organizations were responsible for notifying their own constituents in 2020–2021 — Blackbaud itself did not send consumer notices, and there is no central lookup.
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