How to integrate Blackbaud MCP with Claude Agent SDK

This guide walks you through connecting Blackbaud to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Blackbaud agent that can create a new donor record for a fundraiser, list recent donations for a specific campaign, update contact info for an existing constituent through natural language commands. This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Blackbaud account through Composio's Blackbaud MCP server. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Get started for freeGet a demo
Blackbaud logoBlackbaud
Oauth2

Blackbaud provides cloud-based software for nonprofits, schools, and healthcare institutions. It streamlines fundraising, donor management, and mission-driven operations.

5 Tools

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Blackbaud to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Blackbaud agent that can create a new donor record for a fundraiser, list recent donations for a specific campaign, update contact info for an existing constituent through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Blackbaud account through Composio's Blackbaud MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Blackbaud with

OpenAI Agents SDKClaude CodeClaude CoworkCodexOpenClawHermesCLIGoogle ADKLangChainVercel AI SDKMastra AILlamaIndexCrewAI

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • Get and set up your Claude/Anthropic and Composio API keys
  • Install the necessary dependencies
  • Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Blackbaud
  • Configure an AI agent that can use Blackbaud as a tool
  • Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Blackbaud operations

What is Claude Agent SDK?

The Claude Agent SDK is Anthropic's official framework for building AI agents powered by Claude. It provides a streamlined interface for creating agents with MCP tool support and conversation management.

Key features include:

  • Native MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
  • Permission Modes: Control tool execution permissions
  • Streaming Responses: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications
  • Context Manager: Clean async context management for sessions

What is the Blackbaud MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Blackbaud MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc. directly to your Blackbaud account. It provides structured and secure access to your Blackbaud environment, so your agent can perform actions like managing fundraising campaigns, tracking donor engagement, handling financial records, and supporting nonprofit operations on your behalf.

  • Fundraising campaign management: Enable your agent to create, update, or summarize key fundraising initiatives, track progress, and optimize campaign outcomes.
  • Donor and constituent engagement: Automate the process of tracking donor information, recording interactions, and segmenting engagement strategies for better relationship management.
  • Financial record keeping: Allow your agent to access, update, or reconcile financial transactions, ensuring your organization’s accounts remain accurate and up-to-date.
  • Event planning and management: Let your agent coordinate event logistics, handle registrations, and track attendance to streamline in-person or virtual fundraising events.
  • Grant and gift processing: Support your agent in processing incoming gifts or grants, managing acknowledgments, and keeping detailed records for compliance and reporting.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Step by step09 STEPS
1

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Composio API Key and Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Primary know-how of Claude Agents SDK
  • A Blackbaud account
  • Some knowledge of Python
2

Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Go to the Anthropic Console and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
  • Log in to the Composio dashboard.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.
3

Install dependencies

npm install @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk @composio/core dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the Claude Agents SDK.

What's happening:

  • @composio/core provides Composio integration for Anthropic
  • @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk is the core agent framework
  • dotenv/config loads environment variables
4

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
  • USER_ID identifies the user for session management
  • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY authenticates with Anthropic/Claude
5

Import dependencies

import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

dotenv.config();
What's happening:
  • We're importing all necessary libraries including the Claude Agent SDK and Composio
  • The dotenv.config() function loads environment variables from your .env file
  • This setup prepares the foundation for connecting Claude with Blackbaud functionality
6

Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });

  // Create Tool Router session for Blackbaud
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['blackbaud'],
  });
  const mcpUrl = session?.mcp.url;
What's happening:
  • The function checks for the required COMPOSIO_API_KEY environment variable
  • We're creating a Composio instance using our API key
  • The create method creates a Tool Router session for Blackbaud
  • The returned url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use
7

Configure Claude Agent with MCP

const options: Options = {
  permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
  mcpServers: {
    composio: {
      type: 'http',
      url: mcpUrl,
      headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
    }
  },
  systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Blackbaud tools via Composio.',
  maxTurns: 10,
};
What's happening:
  • We're configuring the Claude Agent options with the MCP server URL
  • permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions' allows the agent to execute operations without asking for permission each time
  • The system prompt instructs the agent that it has access to Blackbaud
  • maxTurns: 10 limits the conversation length to prevent excessive API usage
8

Create client and start chat loop

const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}
What's happening:
  • The readline interface is created to handle user input and output
  • The query function is used to send the user's input to the agent
  • The chat loop continues until the user types 'exit' or 'quit'
9

Run the application

try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}
What's happening:
  • The chat function is the entry point for the application
  • The try-catch block is used to handle any errors that occur

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Blackbaud and Claude Agent SDK:

import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['blackbaud']
  });
  const mcp_url = session?.mcp.url;

  const options: Options = {
    permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
    mcpServers: {
      composio: {
        type: 'http',
        url: mcp_url,
        headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
      }
    },
    systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Blackbaud tools via Composio.',
    maxTurns: 10,
  };

  const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}

try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}

Conclusion

You've successfully built a Claude Agent SDK agent that can interact with Blackbaud through Composio's Tool Router.

Key features:

  • Native MCP support through Claude's agent framework
  • Streaming responses for real-time interaction
  • Permission bypass for smooth automated workflows
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.
TOOLS

Supported Tools

Every Blackbaud action and event your agent gets out of the box.

Add Gifts To Batch

Add one or more gifts (donations) to an existing gift batch in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT.

Get Gift By ID

Retrieves comprehensive gift details from Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT by gift ID.

Get Membership Details

Retrieves comprehensive membership details from Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT by member junction ID.

Get Payment Transaction

Retrieves payment transaction details from Blackbaud SKY Payments API.

OneRoster OAuth2 Base API

Tool to interact with Blackbaud OneRoster OAuth2 base endpoints.

FRAMEWORKS

How to build Blackbaud MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK logo

OpenAI Agents SDK

Use Blackbaud MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Code logo

Claude Code

Use Blackbaud MCP with Claude Code

Claude Cowork logo

Claude Cowork

Use Blackbaud MCP with Claude Cowork

Codex logo

Codex

Use Blackbaud MCP with Codex

OpenClaw logo

OpenClaw

Use Blackbaud MCP with OpenClaw

Hermes logo

Hermes

Use Blackbaud MCP with Hermes

CLI logo

CLI

Use Blackbaud MCP with CLI

Google ADK logo

Google ADK

Use Blackbaud MCP with Google ADK

LangChain logo

LangChain

Use Blackbaud MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK logo

Vercel AI SDK

Use Blackbaud MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI logo

Mastra AI

Use Blackbaud MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

Use Blackbaud MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI logo

CrewAI

Use Blackbaud MCP with CrewAI

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

With a standalone Blackbaud MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Blackbaud tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Blackbaud and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Yes, you can. Claude Agent SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Blackbaud tools.

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Blackbaud scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Blackbaud data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Start with Blackbaud.It takes 30 seconds.

Managed auth, hosted MCP servers, and every Blackbaud tool your agent needs.Free to start.

Start building
Customer stories

Teams ship real agents on Composio

GET STARTED FOR FREEBOOK A DEMO
agent.aiZoomLettaGleanHubSpotAWSWabi

Karan skipped his own birthday party to fix our critical issue. It was 10pm and he diverted his Waymo to help us instead. This really sets the bar — it shows the commitment you need when users rely on your software.

Harsha Gaddipati
Harsha Gaddipati
Co-founder, Slashy

A lot of students tell us that the moment their connected tools start talking to each other inside Opennote feels almost magical. The agent just knows them, and it's immensely helped keep new users on the platform.

Abhi Arya
Abhi Arya
Co-founder, Opennote

We chose Composio over Pipedream because it delivered depth where it mattered — niche tools and tricky edge cases other platforms simply ignored. That gave us confidence to scale without compromising.

Nirman Dave
Nirman Dave
CEO, Zams

As a solo builder, shipping fast is life or death. The only way I can outcompete incumbents is by outmanoeuvring them. Getting bogged down managing agent auth would have been a death sentence.

Ryan Yu
Ryan Yu
Founder, Extra Thursday

Before Composio, adding tool integrations was slow and resource-intensive. Each one could take weeks of engineering time, and maintaining them meant constantly keeping up with API changes.

Tomisin Jenrola
Tomisin Jenrola
Founder & CEO, SwarmZero

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Jerome Leclanche
Jerome Leclanche
Co-Founder, Ingram Technologies