“I can’t get into Altru” is one of the most common messages an Altru administrator gets, and the frustrating part is that it can mean four or five different things. A cashier who was logged out overnight, a volunteer coordinator who mistyped a password too many times, and a part-timer whose access was switched off months ago all describe the problem the same way. The fix depends on which one you’re dealing with, and in some cases the person who can fix it isn’t you.
Below is how to sort out which kind of lockout you have, what an Altru admin can and can’t do about each, and how to cut down on repeat lockouts for staff who only log in a couple of days a week.
First, figure out what “locked out” actually means
Ask the user to try signing in while you watch, or have them send a screenshot of exactly what they see. The wording on the screen tells you a lot.
- They were signed out after being away. Altru is a hosted web application, and like most of them it ends idle sessions. If the person left a browser tab open over a weekend and came back to a sign-in page, nothing is locked. They just need to sign in again.
- The sign-in page rejects their password or says the account is locked. This is a credential problem at the login level, usually from repeated failed attempts or an expired or forgotten password.
- They sign in successfully but Altru says they don’t have access, or they land somewhere with nothing in it. That’s an Altru permissions problem: the login works, but their Altru user record or security role doesn’t.
- They’re asked for a verification code they can’t get. Multi-factor sign-in is tied to a phone or authenticator app. A new phone or a deleted app is a very common cause of “locked out” after a stretch of not logging in.
Login-level lockouts: passwords and failed attempts
Altru sign-in goes through Blackbaud’s shared login, not a username and password stored inside your Altru database. That has one practical consequence that surprises new admins: being an Altru administrator doesn’t necessarily mean you can unlock someone’s login. You manage what people can do inside Altru; the login itself is handled by Blackbaud.
In most cases the user can fix this themselves:
- Have them use the forgot-password or reset option on the Blackbaud sign-in page and follow the email link.
- If the account was locked for too many failed attempts, waiting a while before trying again sometimes clears it. Don’t let them keep guessing, since each failed try can extend the lock.
- Check that the reset email is actually arriving. Spam filters and shared inboxes swallow these more often than you’d think.
- Clear saved passwords in the browser or password manager. A stale saved password that auto-fills every morning is a classic way to lock an account repeatedly without the user noticing.
If self-service doesn’t work, contact Blackbaud support with the user’s email address and a description of the error. Exactly what your organization’s administrators can manage around Blackbaud logins can vary with how your account is set up, so if you’re not sure whether you have a tool for this, ask support directly rather than assuming you don’t.
Lockouts after a few days away
Staff who work two or three days a week often report being “locked out after a few days of inactivity.” A few things tend to cause this, and it’s worth confirming which applies before changing anything:
- Session expiration being read as a lockout. The session ended, the browser shows a sign-in page, and the user assumes something is wrong. A one-line note in your staff onboarding (“you will need to sign in again each shift”) solves a lot of these.
- Verification prompts on a new device or browser. Clearing cookies, using a private window, or moving to a different front-desk computer can trigger extra verification. If the code goes to a phone the person doesn’t have on them, they’re stuck until they do.
- Password or security policies set at the account level. If your organization has stricter sign-in rules, they apply regardless of how often someone uses Altru. Blackbaud support can tell you what’s in effect for your account. We’re not aware of a setting inside Altru itself that lets an admin change how long a session lasts or how quickly an idle account gets locked, so if that’s what you need, confirm it with support.
Access problems inside Altru
When the person can sign in but can’t do their job, the issue is on your side, and you can usually fix it:
- Check their Altru user record. Make sure it exists, is tied to the right email address, and hasn’t been switched off. Staff who leave and come back seasonally often have records that were disabled at the end of last season.
- Check their system roles. A user with no role, or a role that was edited since they last worked, may see empty screens or permission errors. Compare against someone in the same job whose access works.
- Check the email address. If someone changed their email or got a new work address, their login and their Altru user record can end up pointing at different identities.
- Confirm your license count. If you’re out of user seats, adding or reactivating someone may not work until another user is removed.
Test changes by having the user sign out completely and back in, ideally in a fresh browser window, so you’re not looking at a cached session.
Cutting down on repeat lockouts
- Give everyone their own login. Shared front-desk accounts get locked when one person fumbles the password, and then the whole desk is stuck. Individual accounts keep a lockout limited to one person and keep your audit trail meaningful.
- Keep at least two admins. If your only Altru administrator is the one locked out, nobody can fix in-Altru access until Blackbaud support steps in.
- Set up seasonal staff before opening day. Have each person sign in, complete any verification setup on the phone they’ll actually carry, and reach their main screens during training, not on their first live shift.
- Keep a short sign-in help sheet at each workstation: where to reset a password, who the internal admins are, and when to contact Blackbaud support.
Quick answers
Can an Altru admin unlock another user’s login?
An admin can restore access inside Altru (user records and roles). Login lockouts and password resets generally go through Blackbaud’s sign-in process or Blackbaud support. Check with support if you’re unsure what your account allows.
Can we make sessions last longer so staff stop getting signed out?
We don’t know of an admin setting in Altru for this. Ask Blackbaud support whether anything can be adjusted for your account before promising staff a change.
