Free cash flow generation remains highly erratic, with margins swinging from a negative 1.3% in 2023Q4 to a peak of 48.3% in 2025Q3, reflecting significant operational and working capital volatility.
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'99 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 315.62M | 265.55M | 295.97M | 199.63M | 203.89M | 213.66M | 147.96M | 182.48M | 201.38M | 176.29M | 153.63M | 114.34M | 102.28M | 107.24M | 68.69M | 85.53M | 55.91M | 86.8M | 60.31M | 62.87M | 62.95M | 51.85M | 43.55M | 36.59M | 32.47M | 0 |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 23.53% | 25.61% | 18.06% | 19.27% | 23.03% | 16.2% | 20.27% | 23.73% | 22.36% | 21.02% | 17.92% | 18.12% | 21.29% | 15.35% | 23.06% | 17.09% | 28.06% | 19.94% | 24.46% | 32.8% | 31.18% | 31.39% | 30.98% | 30.86% | - |
| Operating CF Growth % | 3644.57% | -10.28% | 48.26% | -2.09% | -4.57% | 44.41% | -18.92% | -9.39% | 14.24% | 14.75% | 34.36% | 11.79% | -4.63% | 56.13% | -19.68% | 52.98% | -35.59% | 43.92% | -4.07% | -0.14% | 21.43% | 19.05% | 19.03% | 12.68% | - | - |
| Net Income | 141.3M | 114.97M | -283.17M | 1.82M | -45.41M | 5.7M | 7.72M | 11.91M | 44.84M | 65.93M | 41.52M | 25.65M | 28.29M | 30.47M | 6.58M | 33.22M | 29.8M | 28.45M | 29.88M | 31.72M | 30.51M | 33.3M | 12.64M | -478K | 15.64M | 24.9M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 49.14M | 86.22M | 121.67M | 109.49M | 102.37M | 82.41M | 92.73M | 85.69M | 79.57M | 73.95M | 70.49M | 56M | 45.42M | 43.16M | 31.88M | 17M | 16.07M | 15.51M | 12.87M | 8.15M | 3.76M | 2.73M | 2.71M | 4.49M | 4.43M | 2.51M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 72.79M | 92.91M | 104.97M | 127.76M | 110.29M | 120.38M | 87.26M | 58.63M | 48.27M | 40.63M | 32.64M | 25.25M | 17.34M | 16.91M | 19.24M | 14.88M | 13.06M | 12.29M | 12.09M | 6.93M | 0 | 624K | 16.6M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 22.45M | -181K | -85.01M | -24.37M | -26.64M | -2.43M | 8.84M | -3.6M | -619K | -14.33M | 3.03M | 3.17M | 3.05M | 13.87M | 7.58M | 13.53M | 11.2M | 12.35M | 6.41M | 12.49M | 12.16M | 9.01M | 701K | 2.18M | 9.01M | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 46.85M | 1.69M | 416.98M | 11.3M | 14.11M | 23.51M | 16.97M | 14.38M | 5.73M | 13.03M | 3.82M | 4.28M | 2.31M | 7.28M | 10.46M | 5.09M | 122K | 1.17M | 2.79M | -2.82M | 9.07M | 9.43M | 1.51M | 25.84M | 0 | -27.41M |
| Working Capital Changes | -16.85M | -30.05M | 20.54M | -26.36M | 49.17M | -15.91M | -65.56M | 15.46M | 23.59M | -2.92M | 2.13M | 7K | 5.86M | -4.45M | -7.05M | 1.81M | -14.35M | 17.03M | -3.72M | 6.39M | 7.45M | -3.26M | 9.39M | 4.55M | 3.39M | 0 |
| Change in Receivables | -2.1M | -938K | 4.73M | -3.24M | -7.34M | -6.53M | -18.41M | -6.57M | 2.17M | -15.75M | -13.2M | -7.59M | -5.75M | 3.16M | -9.4M | -8.69M | -13.05M | 1.38M | -10.19M | -9.75M | 0 | -6.83M | -5.09M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7.24M | -11.12M | -3.23M | -11.14M | 29.06M | 25.72M | 18.79M | 18.89M | -14.37M | 2.73M | 115.82M | 4.07M | 0 | 16.87M | 21.38M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 374K | -23.54M | 28.34M | -18.58M | 21.61M | -9.67M | -20M | 12.9M | 9.49M | 1.02M | 99.69M | 40.41M | -948K | -218K | -1.36M | 1.71M | 208K | -312K | 614K | -830K | 0 | 2.04M | 54K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -63.51M | -74.94M | -73.41M | -64.39M | -85.55M | -471.27M | -71.85M | -167.22M | -97.79M | -184.88M | -47.43M | -222.71M | -211.36M | -24.16M | -302.49M | -41.74M | -18.22M | -7.79M | -56.03M | -92.53M | -10.8M | -5.17M | -3.21M | -3.75M | -1.99M | 0 |
| Capital Expenditures | -22.71M | -7.77M | -7.44M | -4.68M | -12.29M | -11.66M | -29.69M | -11.49M | -52.35M | -38.55M | -44.05M | -34.11M | -22.45M | -23.28M | -21.8M | -19.23M | -10.89M | -5.53M | -57.61M | -8.12M | -10.8M | -4.16M | -3.04M | -2.67M | -1.49M | 0 |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 1.99% | 0.69% | 0.64% | 0.42% | 1.16% | 1.26% | 3.25% | 1.28% | 6.17% | 4.89% | 6.03% | 5.35% | 3.98% | 4.62% | 4.87% | 5.18% | 3.33% | 1.79% | 19.04% | 3.16% | 5.63% | 2.5% | 2.19% | 2.26% | 1.42% | - |
| Acquisitions | -12.94M | 0 | 0 | -13K | -14.49M | -419.12M | 0 | -109.35M | -44.94M | -146.79M | -3.38M | -188.59M | -188.92M | -876K | -280.69M | -23.39M | -5.33M | -2.26M | 0 | -84.41M | 0 | -1.01M | -166K | -1.08M | -500K | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -27.86M | -67.17M | -65.97M | -59.69M | -58.77M | -40.49M | -42.16M | -46.37M | -500K | -27.88M | -26.36M | -16M | -8.54M | -3.2M | -281.93M | 874K | -130K | -2.26M | -49.92M | -84.41M | -6.1K | -1.01M | -166K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -260.13M | -247.4M | -139.35M | -142.97M | -25.69M | 264.11M | -10.68M | 111.21M | -291.91M | 278.64M | -104.55M | 110.39M | 112.04M | -84.29M | 194.56M | -19.26M | -32.75M | -73.19M | -958K | -23.38M | -7.09M | -65.84M | -4.63M | -45.06M | -20.47M | 0 |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -31.03M | 34.72M | 290.23M | -81.39M | -99.74M | 429.23M | 937K | 79.5M | -51.58M | 95.38M | -66.38M | 127.83M | 129.51M | -62.59M | 215.5M | -40K | -1.34M | -60.43M | 57.93M | -2.41M | 0 | -44K | -5.14M | -45.3M | -20.47M | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -199.22M | -217.15M | -418.03M | -18.83M | -36.38M | -108.42M | -41M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 188K | 0 | 0 | 0 | -14.55M | 0 | -43.73M | -10.41M | -845K | -57.27M | 674K | 232K | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -5.96M | -23.61M | -23.31M | -23.07M | -22.81M | -22.51M | -22.11M | -22.08M | -21.73M | -21.43M | -19.49M | -17.67M | -17.5M | -15.07M | -12.28M | -8.52M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -199.22M | -217.15M | -474.86M | -18.83M | -36.38M | -108.42M | -41M | 0 | -27.68M | -23.96M | -15.38M | -9.42M | -7.15M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -22.61M | 0 | -43.73M | -15.86M | -8.73M | -60.9M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -29.88M | -64.96M | -11.55M | -42.74M | 110.43M | -56.7M | 35.34M | 55.32M | -217.02M | 206.33M | 80.64M | 5.07M | 4.45M | 385K | 787K | 2.21M | 2.63M | 4.91M | 2.33M | 4.51M | 6.04M | 0 | -162K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | -3.88M | -50.54M | 81.25M | -5.67M | 82.17M | 6.79M | 67.67M | 127.45M | -190.33M | 269.5M | 1.54M | 627K | 2.85M | -1.6M | -39.03M | 24.52M | 5.21M | 6.41M | 1.59M | -53.01M | 45.1M | -19.46M | 35.44M | -11.99M | 9.96M | 0 |
| Free Cash Flow | 292.06M | 257.78M | 288.52M | 135.51M | 132.83M | 161.51M | 76.11M | 124.11M | 149.04M | 137.74M | 109.58M | 80.23M | 79.83M | 83.96M | 46.89M | 66.3M | 45.02M | 81.26M | 2.7M | 54.74M | 52.16M | 47.69M | 40.51M | 33.92M | 30.98M | 0 |
| FCF Margin % | 25.64% | 22.85% | 24.97% | 12.26% | 12.55% | 17.41% | 8.33% | 13.78% | 17.56% | 17.47% | 14.99% | 12.58% | 14.14% | 16.66% | 10.48% | 17.88% | 13.76% | 26.27% | 0.89% | 21.3% | 27.17% | 28.68% | 29.2% | 28.72% | 29.44% | - |
| FCF Growth % | 38.83% | -10.65% | 112.92% | 2.01% | -17.76% | 112.21% | -38.68% | -16.72% | 8.2% | 25.7% | 36.58% | 0.49% | -4.92% | 79.06% | -29.28% | 47.27% | -44.6% | 2907.51% | -95.06% | 4.96% | 9.37% | 17.71% | 19.43% | 9.5% | - | - |
| FCF per Share | 6.30 | 5.32 | 5.71 | 2.52 | 2.58 | 3.35 | 1.56 | 2.57 | 3.10 | 2.88 | 2.32 | 1.73 | 1.74 | 1.85 | 1.05 | 1.50 | 1.03 | 1.86 | 0.06 | 1.23 | 1.17 | 1.03 | 0.87 | 0.80 | 0.73 | - |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 2.07x | 2.31x | -1.05x | 109.69x | -4.49x | 37.50x | 19.17x | 15.32x | 4.49x | 2.67x | 3.70x | 4.46x | 3.62x | 3.52x | 10.43x | 2.57x | 1.88x | 3.05x | 2.02x | 1.98x | 2.06x | 1.56x | 3.45x | -76.54x | 2.08x | - |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 51.88M | 38.05M | 33.37M | 16.39M | 15.72M | 19.93M | 15.26M | 10.61M | 9.61M | 7.21M | 4.89M | 5.11M | 5.1M | 2K | -87K | 615K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 60.67M | 35.62M | 9.67M | 10.07M | 3.56M | 383K | -7.14M | 5.61M | 1.34M | 4.79M | 9.58M | -4.13M | 3.46M | -4.6M | -9.53M | 2.58M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legacy migration and integration friction
Based on reported financial data, Blackbaud exhibits a highly inconsistent relationship between net income and operating cash flow, with the OCF/NI ratio fluctuating wildly from a low of -0.22 in 2024Q4 to a high of 12.32 in 2024Q1, suggesting significant volatility in accrual-based accounting.
The wide variance in the conversion ratio indicates that reported net income is frequently distorted by non-cash charges and timing differences in working capital. Investors should monitor whether this instability reflects genuine operational shifts or merely the accounting noise inherent in transitioning legacy maintenance contracts to cloud-based subscription models.
As reported in recent quarterly filings, Blackbaud's free cash flow trajectory remains erratic, with margins swinging from a negative 1.3% in 2023Q4 to a peak of 48.3% in 2025Q3, highlighting the company's struggle to maintain consistent cash generation amidst its ongoing cloud-suite transition.
The lack of a stable FCF trend suggests that the company's cash-generating engine is highly sensitive to the timing of transactional payment volumes and the costs associated with maintaining legacy infrastructure. This inconsistency warrants further investigation into whether the business can achieve a predictable cash flow profile as it attempts to sunset its older, on-premise product lines.
According to historical cash flow statements, Blackbaud experiences significant quarterly volatility in working capital, evidenced by a $64 million inflow in 2025Q3 followed by a $30 million outflow in 2026Q1, which suggests challenges in managing the timing of donor-related payment cycles and subscription renewals.
These sharp reversals in working capital suggest that the company's cash position is heavily influenced by the seasonality of the nonprofit sector and the timing of large-scale contract renewals. Such fluctuations may indicate that the company's cash flow is less a reflection of core operational efficiency and more a byproduct of cyclical billing and collection patterns.
Based on reported figures, Blackbaud has prioritized capital return through share repurchases, including a notable $100 million buyback in 2025Q1, despite facing negative organic revenue growth and the ongoing need to fund the integration of disparate technologies acquired through its historical M&A strategy.
The decision to allocate substantial cash to share repurchases while revenue growth remains challenged may suggest a management focus on supporting the share price rather than reinvesting in organic R&D. Investors should monitor whether this capital deployment strategy is sustainable if the company fails to demonstrate a clear path back to consistent top-line expansion.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying BLKB stock.
Blackbaud, Inc. (BLKB) generated $265.6M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Blackbaud, Inc. (BLKB) generated $257.8M in free cash flow in 2025. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Blackbaud, Inc. (BLKB) spent $7.8M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2025, Blackbaud, Inc. (BLKB) spent $217.2M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.