December 2008 - Posts
Charleston, S.C. (Dec. 19, 2008) – As nonprofits face an increased demand for services this year during uncertain economic times, Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) increased its focus and resources for its corporate philanthropy program—both locally and around the world.
Blackbaud provides more than 22,000 nonprofits with software and services, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, build strong relationships, and raise more money to support their missions. The company formed a new team earlier this year focused exclusively on developing philanthropy programs and delivering on its corporate value “service to others makes the world a better place.”
“Blackbaud’s 2000 employees make positive changes around the world by collaborating with the nonprofit community not only in providing software and services but also in their philanthropic commitment to their local communities,” said Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s chief executive officer. “We believe that there is much more to running a technology company than developing software, which is why the company places so much importance on being a good corporate citizen.”
Read the full press release here.
It has been an exciting year for us at Blackbaud, both from a technology and growth standpoint. The influence of social media, the election, and the economy have made it an interesting year for nonprofits as well. New strategies and products have been born to support a hybrid of traditional and unchartered fundraising practices taking place throughout the sector.
We started off the year by making The Raiser's Edge API available for free to NetCommunity customers and forming Blackbaud Interactive, a division focused specifically on Internet solutions and services. Version 5.5 of Blackbaud NetCommunity was released in July with Wave social networking along with several other major enhancements. Share your ideas for the NetCommunity roadmap at the idea bank. Stay up-to-date with all NetCommunity news at the Connections blog.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention, we launched 23 blogs this year. You can access them all here. Our foray into new media also included a new format for The Baudcast. Listen to all of our podcasts here.
We also launched NetWits Live, an event series exploring nonprofit Internet strategy that featured a few of our Baudcasters, as well as Holly Ross from NTEN. This was a great collaborative event and we plan on offering more of these sessions in 2009 with the first being held in San Francisco on February 10th. Register here.
Some big news came in May when Blackbaud announced its intention to acquire Kintera, and in July, when the acquisition closed, our product development teams took off running. The first order of business from a technology side was the launch of a Sphere-RE connector. Once people were beta testing that, the teams moved on to where they could bring the most value to our combined customers--making Friends Asking Friends functionality available to NetCommunity customers. This also happened quickly, and one of the first nonprofits to take advantage of it will be The Kidney Foundation of Canada, who recently partnered with the company to implement a bilingual national website powered by a NetCommunity-Sphere combined solution. 2009 will be another great year of innovation for the Kintera Division and Blackbaud Internet solutions teams.
In July, Blackbaud hit the road in the midst of the US financial crisis, with an interactive seminar series called Blackbaud Delivers, which focused on fundraising during a recession. In 2008, Blackbaud Delivers began its mission to offer practical nonprofit management seminars presented by some of our brightest experts in a variety of major cities and on the Internet. You can download the presentations or view a recorded webinar at Blackbaud.com/blackbauddelivers. In 2009, Blackbaud Delivers will kick off in Houston and Atlanta on February 11th with the theme of "Worry Less." The content will be geared towards helping nonprofits reduce their worries and putting the steps they need in place to keep fundraising on the upswing in 2009. Register here.
Another issue that is top-of-mind for nonprofits-or should be--is PCI compliance. In June, Blackbaud joined the PCI Security Standards Council and launched a PCI Compliance Blog and newsletter to provide ongoing updates on key issues facing the nonprofit sector. 2009 will be a pivotal year for PCI compliance. On October 1, 2009, everyone who processes credit cards will have to be PCI compliant and/or use PA DSS validated payment products.
Here are some more company highlights from 2009:
The most exciting news for me, personally, was Blackbaud's increased focus on philanthropy in 2008. After all, that is what we are all here for-to help nonprofits make the world a better place. Our newly formed corporate philanthropy team created some great programs to support employee volunteerism, and as nonprofits continue to face difficult times, the company has really stepped up its efforts. Check back tomorrow to read about Blackbaud's philanthropy year in review.
We have some exciting plans in the works, so throw the Blackbaud News RSS feed in your reader to stay tuned in 2009!
Charleston, S.C. (Dec. 16, 2008) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB), announced that two of its constituent relationship management (CRM) and fundraising solutions, The Raiser’s Edge® and eTapestry®, have won top honors in a survey of U.S. nonprofit professionals. The solutions each received a User Satisfaction Award in the 2008 Donor and Member Management Solution Software Survey conducted by Campbell Rinker.
Read the full press release here.
London (8 December 2008) – Blackbaud Europe, Ltd., a division of Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB), announced today that Oxford University has selected Blackbaud Enterprise CRM™ to support its global fundraising operations.
“We selected Blackbaud as our partner and Enterprise CRM as the database system, after a thorough international tendering process, because it provides us with a robust and functionally-rich solution for users across the Collegiate University,” said Sue Cunningham, University of Oxford’s Director of Development. “We were in particular need of a database that could deal with the key requirements of securing and co-ordinating data, a system large enough to facilitate the needs of our collegiate structure and a strong web presence for alumni and friends.”
The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and is regarded as one of the world’s leading academic institutions. The University has 38 independent colleges, and six permanent private halls. Academically, Oxford is consistently ranked in the world’s top 10 universities, while being ranked the top university in the UK by several university guide tables, including The Times and The Guardian.
Read the full press release here.
From The NonProfit Times
The Art of Donor Retention
By Beth Isikoff, Blackbaud’s director of national account development
When you reach out to your donors, what kind of picture are you painting? Constituent retention increasingly is, and will continue to be, a high priority for all nonprofits. The art of retention has always challenged fundraisers, who strive to stay on top of the latest and greatest strategies for keeping donors active.
Ninety-four percent of respondents to Blackbaud’s recent State of the Nonprofit Industry (SONI) survey said that retention is important, with 74% rating their performance in this area as “very good” or “good.” As retention stays top-of-mind for fundraisers, we must ask ourselves how we can continue to maintain relationships with our constituents and keep them involved with our missions. With acquisition costs on the rise, it is vital to find ways to keep the constituents you have worked so hard to get. The amount of time and money that goes into acquisition planning, production, and list management is monumental for many. It is indeed painful to watch acquisition investments dwindle because constituents do not renew or fail to engage further with you after their first gift.
Read the full article.
Charleston, S.C. (December 3, 2008) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced that The Salvation Army Southern Territory (TSAS) has chosen Blackbaud Enterprise CRM™ as its centralized database to support the sharing of cross-division information, facilitate improved reporting and streamline operations. At a national level, The Salvation Army raised $2 billion in 2007 and recently ranked No. 2 in The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Philanthropy 400” list of organizations that raise the most funds from private sources. Though donations grew at a national level by 23 percent last year, growth in request for aid has surpassed that amount in recent weeks. Although TSAS is a recognized leader in raising support to expand its mission, the Territory will be faced with the tough job of bridging the gap between donations and the rising demand for services in the coming years due to the economic downturn.
Read the full press release here.