Blackbaud Events

Using Social Media at the Conference

2009-11-03T20:10:00Z

OK, who's ready to get their #bbcon on?

Cool, I'm glad you're with me! Using social media at events feels like it has become the norm. That said, if you're still getting your feet wet when it comes to tweets and hashtags, a tech event like Blackbaud's Conferene for Nonprofits is a great place to practice what you've been learning.

Be sure to check out the Conference Social Media Guide for details on how to use Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, and other services while at the event. In the mean time, here are a few things you can do today that will help you get connected with other attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and Blackbaud staff.

RSVP to the BBCon Facebook page.
Follow @BBCon on Twitter.
Tell everyone you're coming to the Conference via Twitter: "I can't wait to be in Charleston at Blackbaud's Conference for Nonprofits! #bbcon".
Tweet using the #bbcon hashtag to join the conversation
Connect with some of the Conference speakers on Twitter, here and here.

As the conference progresses, you can share your photos via Flickr or useful links via Delicious (use the tag "bbcon" for both). We also have a Conference discussion forum available for ride sharing, hotel questions, and networking. And finally, we'll be rolling out content via this blog over the next couple weeks, so be sure to add the feed to your reader.

Oh, and while you're here, are you interested in some shameless promotion? If you want to learn more about how your nonprofit can use social media to meet your objectives, check out the two-part skill workshop I'm doing with Melanie Mathos. We're covering 50 social media tactics in the first session, followed by a 40-seat workshop where you'll get to practice what you learned.

I'll see you online!

Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits Scholarships Awarded!

2009-08-26T15:10:00Z

This year, as you can imagine, there was an unprecedented number of scholarship applications — 92 to be exact. While we would like to think that the demand has risen solely because of all of the great technology sessions (and parties) we have planned, in all reality, we know that nonprofits are facing tighter budgets this year.

That is why instead of the three scholarships we had planned, we have awarded 10 additional complimentary passes, including four Get Social! passes. We have also extended our early-bird registration discount until September 30.

Each year, Blackbaud offers scholarships to nonprofit professionals who best summarize the reasons they feel qualified to attend the Conference. Each scholarship includes a complimentary registration to the Conference and supporting events including meals, local transportation, and evening events. This year, we are pleased to announce the following scholarship winners, and to share a few of their comments:

Nikki Berrian, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta

“While, from a business and budget prospective, I am well aware of the need to refrain from erroneous spending, I also know firsthand the value the Blackbaud Conference for Non-Profits brings to its attendees. Each year I’m afforded the opportunity to participate, I leave with invaluable insight on how to make better use of the system and/or greater efficiencies in procedures.”

Diane Maidl, School Sisters of Notre Dame

“This conference has benefited our software and its usage. Unfortunately, as a result of the current economy, I have been faced with the challenge of many nonprofits all over the world. To continue fiscal responsibility, I have chosen to pursue alternative funding so that I can ensure continuing growth of our software along with increasing knowledge of new and upcoming technology.”

Kathleen O'Brien, P.E.A.C.E. Inc.

“At this time, when our agency is embarking upon an entirely new and exciting approach to increasing giving, we stand to benefit greatly from the Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits.”

Jose Ortiz, Chicago Children’s Museum

“This training would benefit me on own mission to be a much more valued person at the museum. I would love to learn all different sides of it, from technical support to financial reporting to general tips and tricks. I would even love to give advice on how to bring over those tricky split gifts.”

Lani Naihe, Mount Desert Island Hospital

“I have a deep desire to do things well and I feel I would benefit greatly from this conference. As a young fundraiser, I am the future of this field. As that next generation of fundraisers who are going to be using Blackbaud for the next 35 years, I need to know what changes are on the horizon.”

Vernette Rucker, United Family Services

“I would like to continue my progression in gaining greater knowledge and training so that I can utilize Raiser’s Edge more effectively and expeditiously, and in accordance with my goals as a Development Professional.”

Clarenda Stanley, Saint Augustine's College

“Working for a small, private historically black college, I am accustomed to tight budgets. However, in the face of a recession, these already tight budgets have become even tighter. While my institution recognizes the importance of professional development, there simply is not funding to support the costs associated with attending this conference.”

Tim Troutman, Charlotte Rescue Mission
(Blogger’s note: I have to admit that his third reason was not taken into consideration, but hilarious nonetheless.)

“I can give you three great reasons why you should choose me: 1. I have valuable and unique skills in data-mining which I can share with co-attendees, 2. I’m a long time user of Raiser’s Edge with about 8 years of experience, and 3. I have a beard. (Having bearded fellows at a conference gives the impression, whether true or false, that some serious intellectual and scientific discussion is commencing therein). Adding a bearded guest will immeasurably increase the prestige of your already renowned conference."

Emilie Valentine, Congregation Emanu-El

“My day-to-day schedule is so busy and full of 'putting out fires' it would be so nice to be able to spend a few days actual focusing on the options and what we could do to make our use of Blackbaud products more effective.”

We also recently held the Get Social! Contest, a social-media scavenger hunt for Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits passes. Congratulations to the Get Social! Contest winners:

Merrie Beth Nauman, Ocean Conservancy
Laurie Bragg, Youth Alternatives Ingraham
Angela Altamore, Marian High School
Ariel Federow, Astraea Foundation

For more information about the Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits, or to register, visit www.blackbaud.com/events/bb_conf/charleston/nonprofitconf.aspx.

What to Watch For :: Day Four

2008-11-19T13:06:00Z

Wow, is it really almost over? I hope you've all had as much fun as I have, but never fret - there's still more Conference goodness happening today. Here's what to watch for on day three...

Check your luggage - As always, we will hold your luggage onsite while you attend sessions. Please see our three baggage dudes near the concierge desk.
Wealth and Philanthropy in American - Don't miss Katherine Swank's session on the state of philanthropy in America. Her session starts at 8:15 a.m.
Preparing the Raiser's Edge for the Internet Age - Molly Maple is one of our best speakers, and knows what it takes to get RE thriving in an online world. Don't miss her sessions at 9:45 in Ballroom B.
Raffles, Raffles, Raffles! - Head to the Marketplace at 11:00 a.m. for your last chance to win amazing prizes.
The Right Message, the Right People, The Right Time - Learn everything you need to know about email marketing at 11:30 from the amazing Allison Van Diest.

Enjoy the day!

What to Watch For :: Day Three

2008-11-18T05:19:00Z

The Conference is in full swing, and we're all reeling from amazing nights downtown, I'm sure. There's lots going on today, so here's what to watch for...

Peter Thum, Keynote Presentation - Be sure to sure to check out Peter's story about founding Ethos Water...the show starts at 9:15, so get to the PAC early!
Cool Tools: Using the Latest Tools to Engage New Supporters - Andrew Mosawi knows his Web 2.0, so head to the PAC and soak it in!
Successful Mailings in The Raiser's Edge - Bill Connors is a fantastic speaker, and you'll greatly improve your RE chops.
Deep Dive into Blackbaud NetCommunity - Come see Steve MacLaughlin get into the BBNC weeds.
Be a Kid Again - This is the event you've been waiting for. Galaga machines, Skee-ball, and an 80s band...how can you miss that? Buses will be heading to the Family Circle cup from Conference hotels, and the event starts at 6 p.m.

Have a great day everyone!

What to Watch For :: Day Two

2008-11-17T15:28:00Z

Wow, lots going on today at the Conference on day two. Here's what to watch for...

Don't miss the General Session! Marc Chardon, Shaun Sullivan, and Jeane Chen will be showing off some cool stuff including the Sphere => RE Connector, Nimbus, and the NetCommunity Facebook Developer Toolkit. Tell your friends back home to watch it live!
What Social Networks Can Do For You - Don't miss Steve Mac deliver the goods in an extremely useful session on social networking. Monday morning at 10:00 a.m.
The True Value of Data - Hear Blackbaud Chief Scientist Chuck Longfield explain why data is king!
Emerging Technology with Shaun Sullivan - This is a can't miss session for any geek, and a great follow up to the General Session teaser. Get here early because this session always fills up.
Prizes - Get to the Marketplace by 3:30 to get in on the raffle.
The New World of Email Communication - Jay Love, founder and CEO of eTapestry, gives the low-down on effective email marketing. This session is in the Performing Arts Center, so bring a friend.
Experience Charleston - Let's all head downtown for some amazing food, fun, and networking. Buses will be running from all Conference hotels.

Have a great day folks! Be sure to follow us on Twitter for more updates.

What to Watch For :: Day One

2008-11-16T14:32:00Z

The Baud Squad has been called up, the Marketplace has sprung to life, and the rain has stopped - I think it's officially Conference time! I can't wait to get on-sitefto see it all myself. If you're still in route or didn't check the schedule, here's what to watch for on Sunday:

Registration Opens - Be sure to head over between noon and 8:00 p.m. to get sign in and get all your Conference goodies. The Baud Sqaud will be on hand to answer any of your questions. » Schedule
Welcome Reception - Let the fun begin at the Welcome Reception, a great place to network with peers, meet the Blackbaud staff, and scope out the vendors. Food, beverages, prizes, live music...I'm sure we'll see you there! Be on the lookout for Jim Bush, the 2008 Conference emcee.
Pre-Conference Sessions -If you've registered for one of the pre-conference sessions, they are from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. See the registration desk and signage for room locations.
The Cool Weather - It's going to feel warm yet crisp during the day thanks to the sunshine, but the temperature will quickly fall after sunset. Be sure to prepare accordingly if you head out. » Local Weather

Sessions begin bright and early at 8:45 a.m. with CEO Marc Chardon in the Performing Arts Center. We've got breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. to help you get there. If you miss it, you can always watch the live stream from your hotel room...but we hope to see you there!

Get Conference updates online or on your mobile phone by following us on Twitter.

Watch a Live Stream of Marc Chardon's General Session

2008-11-14T15:34:00Z

We will be streaming a live video feed of Marc Chardon's general session on Monday, November 17th at 8:45 a.m. ET. This service is being provided by Multicast, a live internet event specialist and Blackbaud partner. We are excited to be offering this feed this year, so be sure to spread the word!

You can watch the presentation here.

We'll also be streaming some sessions live on the Blackbaud UStream.tv channel. We'll be announcing these via the @BBCon Twitter feed, so be sure to follow us to get the updates.

We'll see you online!

How To Use Social Media at the Conference

2008-11-11T13:17:00Z

Hi everyone! Blackbaud's 2008 Conference for Nonprofits starts in only 5 days, oh my! Over at my blog, I wrote a guide on using social media at this year's conference. So whether you are coming to the event or staying home to mind the fort, here are a few ways you can stay connected...

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The Conference blog and discussion forum are back again this year, but we've also added some social channels that will help attendees, speakers, staff, press, and remote fans stay more engaged. Here's how you can use Twitter, Flickr, and Delicious to connect, learn, and share at the Conference:

Twitter
Micromedia had proven to be a great way to keep up with people, organizations, and events, and Twitter has emerged as the go to service. Many of the attendees and Blackbaud staff members have already jumped on board, and we're hoping by promoting this new communication channel we can get a few more converts (If you've never used Twitter, check out this video). This year, we have created a official Conference feed at www.twitter.com/bbcon that we are updating with anything relevant to the event. We are also encouraging Twitter users to tag their updates with #bbcon. This ensures that each Conference-related update will appear in the real-time search results, giving everyone involved a holistic view of the event. We hope to see you out there in the Twitterverse!

Flickr
Sharing photos online is a great way to connect with people you meet at events, so we've made it easy for everyone to share via Flickr. As always, you can visit the official Blackbaud Flickr page to view our photos. We're tagging Conference-related photos with "bbcon", which enables them to show up in searches on Flickr. If you'd like your photos to show up there, be sure to tag each one with "bbcon". You can also submit your photos to the 2008 Conference for Nonprofits Pool. While there's nothing in the pool yet, we're hoping we can begin to fill it before the event kicks off.

Delicious
Social bookmarking is a great way to share online resources with people in your network. Delicious is my favorite bookmarking service, and allows me to bookmark sites I like online so I can share them with people I know (here's my profile). At events, this provides a great opportunity for speakers to share resources mentioned in their presentations, so we encourage all speakers and attendees to add the "bbcon" tag to relevant links saved on Delicious. This will give everyone at the Conference a valuable resources to reference after the event. Also, speakers can provide a simple way for attendees to access the links and resources discussed during their presentations. For instance, here are the bookmarks I've saved with the "bbcon" tag thus far. Prior to the event, I will add everything I am discussing in my session (probably 40-50 links!)

I have also produced a one page Social Web Guide (PDF) that covers all things social at the Conference. Please take a look at it and spread the word. The more people we have using these tools, the richer the experience will be for everyone. Happy social webbing everyone!

"The Power of Querying and Exporting in The Financial Edge"

2008-09-23T17:25:00Z

Hi there!

My name is Daniel Dalnekoff and I am one of the Product Support leads for The Financial Edge here at Blackbaud.

I just posted a piece on the session I will be covering at the conference on Query and Export and wanted to catch anyone who may be looking at this Blog and have an interest in the session. Please feel free to take a look at it and provide your thoughts!

http://forums.blackbaud.com/blogs/financialedge/archive/2008/09/23/conference-session-on-query-and-export.aspx

I look forward to seeing you all in Charleston this November!

Daniel

The Conference is Almost Here!

2008-09-10T17:20:00Z

The 2008 Conference for Nonprofits is only 10 weeks away! Wow - I feel like last year was just yesterday! All of us here at Blackbaud are so excited to have all of our fantastic clients here in our beautiful city for what promises to be another excellent conference. This year we will have more attendees than ever. You will notice a lot of changes when you get here. Bigger session rooms, an even bigger place for all of the meals, more technology, more interactive sessions - personally my motto is MORE MORE MORE BIGGER BIGGER BIGGER!

I am particularly looking forward to our Tuesday night event which is one of my favorite parts of my job! You may remember that in the past this event has taken place on Monday night at the Aquarium or Galliard Auditorium. We decided to change it this year and make it on Tuesday night as our grand finale! I will give you more hints and details later...you will have to stay tuned to our blog!

Can't wait to see you all!!!

Welcome to the Blackbaud 2008 Charleston Conference for Nonprofits Blog!

2008-06-12T10:26:00Z

Hello! My name is Tiffany Tillman, and I am an Event Coordinator for the Blackbaud conferences. I'm very excited about the Charleston Conference and getting to meet all of our AWESOME attendees! If you have any questions or need any help, don't hesitate to ask for me.

Make sure you stay connected and read your attendee newsletters/emails, we may be having some pretty cool new things for you guys to do while you're in town.