March 2010 - Posts
Blackbaud Announces April Web Seminars for Nonprofits
Free online events focus on fundraising trends from the 2009 Index of Higher
Education Fundraising Performance, plus nonprofit strategies and best practices
2009 Higher Education Index of Fundraising Performance
Event Description:
Join Shaun Keister, PhD, associate vice president for development at Penn State University, and experts from Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company, for an online presentation of the 2009 Index of Higher Education Fundraising Performance. Each year, professionals from Target Analytics compile the fundraising data from a broad sample of schools to evaluate overall trends in higher education fundraising. This is a once-a-year opportunity to examine trends and evaluate the aggregated performance of public and private institutions across the country.
When:
April 13, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Who:
Shaun Keister, PhD, Associate Vice President for Development, Penn State University
Amanda Gotschall, Account Director, Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company
Erica Machut, Production Director, Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company
Where:
Register for the free web seminar.
Lessons Learned from Haiti Web Seminar Series
Series Description:
Blackbaud is offering a free web seminar series to help nonprofits build strategies for mobilizing, soliciting, and stewarding supporters during and after times of disaster. Blackbaud experts and partners developed the seminars based off of their work with nonprofit customers who responded to the Haiti earthquake. The series, entitled “Lessons Learned from Haiti,” includes five seminars that will take place March through May.
Part 3:
Lessons Learned from Haiti: Mobilizing Your Supporters Using Social Media
Participants will learn best practices and practical tips for leveraging social media for fundraising and outreach for disaster relief programs. Presenters will take an inside look at several programs; present the tools and techniques for maximizing the potential of Facebook®, Twitter®, Flickr®, and YouTube®; and how best to connect these social media outposts to a nonprofit’s mainstream outreach efforts.
When:
April 6, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Who:
Presented by Jeff Patrick, Founder and President, Common Knowledge
Moderated by Frank Barry, Manager, Professional Services, Blackbaud
Where:
Register for the free web seminar and watch recordings of previous sessions from this series at www.blackbaud.com/LessonsLearned.
Part 4:
Lessons Learned from Haiti: Stewarding Donors Following a Crisis
During this session, the presenter will cover how to respond to new donations effectively to encourage stronger future financial commitments and what kind of stewardship communications are the most important to send after donors make disaster-related gifts.
When:
April 21, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Who:
David Lamb, Senior Consultant, Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company
Where:
Register for the free web seminar and watch recordings of previous sessions from this series at www.blackbaud.com/LessonsLearned.
In addition to these topical web seminars, Blackbaud offers a wide variety of daily web seminars featuring Blackbaud products and services and tips and tricks to help nonprofits be more effective. All web seminars are free, last approximately one hour, and can be accessed at
www.blackbaud.com/events/overview.aspx.
Charleston, S.C. (March 23, 2010) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced the availability of Blackbaud NetCommunity Spark™, a solution designed to help nonprofits complement and expand their existing online presence. Organizations including American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Detroit Zoological Society, and *** No’Eau Visual Arts Center have recently selected and will use the solution to improve their supporters’ online experience and activate two-way communications.
“Organizations need their websites to do more than just share information—Blackbaud NetCommunity Spark helps bring nonprofit websites to life,” said Allison Van Diest, Blackbaud’s Internet solutions market manager. “Spark helps nonprofits create an interactive online experience by providing two-way communication through email, events, and online transactions, improving the online experience by keeping supporters interested and engaged.”
Powered by The Raiser’s Edge®, Blackbaud NetCommunity Spark combines the industry’s most powerful fundraising system with superior email communication, online fundraising, event, and optional volunteer and membership tools to help nonprofits meet their goals.
Read more.
From the March 19, 2010 Philanthropy Journal:
By Raheel Gauba, Blackbaud's brand leader and creative director
A website is the primary marketing tool for any nonprofit organization.
The beautiful thing about this particular mode of communication is that a nonprofit can continue to harvest long-term benefits by continuously learning and adjusting its approach to online fundraising.
The incremental cost of redesigns, re-architecture of information and usability tweaks is much lower than the initial investment in the platform itself.
The fact that most people have their first interaction with a nonprofit by visiting its website makes it even more critical that the organization is communicating its cause, passion, emotion and successes effectively.
This is where design comes into play.
No matter what technology is deployed on the back end, a user's first interaction with a website is completely visual. Once you have struck an emotional chord by communicating your mission using good design and branding, they users are much more likely to trust and invest their time and money in your organization.
Read more.
Conference Description: Blackbaud’s 2010 Conference for Nonprofits — North America
Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
October 20 to 22, 2010
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits will provide nonprofit professionals with three days of specialized educational content and opportunities to network and interact with peers and nonprofit experts. The Conference will provide unprecedented networking and learning experiences with a wide variety of interactive sessions.
Early Registration Discount: Registration is now open at http://events.blackbaud.com. Conference attendees can save $100 off of regular registration rates if they register by May 30. The early bird rate is $750 for the first attendee and $675 for each additional attendee.
Scholarship Opportunities: Blackbaud will award scholarships to 10 nonprofit professionals that will include a complimentary registration to the Conference and supporting events including meals, local transportation, and evening events. Nonprofit professionals interested in applying for the scholarship should complete the following before June 15, 2010: submit a written application with complete contact information, the organization they work for, a summary of its mission statement, and how they would benefit from attending the Conference. Applications can be sent as Word documents or directly in the text of an email to conference@blackbaud.com with "General Scholarship Application" in the subject line.
Call for Speakers: Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits provides an excellent platform for expert speakers to share their knowledge. Conference organizers are seeking speakers who can offer educational sessions related to topics that resonate with the nonprofit community. The deadline for speaker application submissions is June 1, 2010. Speakers can apply at http://events.blackbaud.com.
Blackbaud is pleased to announce its sponsorship of The Beacon: Lounge with a Conscience at the 2010 SXSW Interactive Festival on March 12 to 16 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. The Beacon offers nonprofit professionals a central location to network, share ideas, and relax between sessions. New this year, The Beacon will also feature afternoon acoustic concerts from Austin-based bands. In addition, Blackbaud will host the following panel:
Panel Description:
Debunking the Myth of Social Media Fundraising
Blackbaud’s Frank Barry will moderate a panel featuring Lance Armstrong Foundation’s Brooke McMillan, Epic Change’s Stacey Monk, and Charity Dynamics’ Donna Wilkins to discuss several case studies examining successful fundraising strategies that incorporate social media sites such as Twitter®, Facebook®, and YouTube®. The panel will also explore results from a recently completed research project investigating social media fundraising strategies specifically supporting nonprofit events.
When: Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. CT
Where: Austin Convention Center, Hilton C
Who:
Frank Barry, Manager, Professional Services, Blackbaud
Frank Barry manages professional services for Blackbaud and is responsible for driving performance in the consulting, technical services and project management practices. He blogs at www.netwitsthinktank.com and can be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/franswaa.
Brooke McMillan, Online Community Evangelist, Lance Armstrong Foundation
As the Foundation’s online community evangelist, Brooke reaches out through online tools and social media to build the LIVESTRONG community and raise awareness of its efforts.
Stacey Monk, CEO and Co-Founder, Epic Change
Stacey Monk is the founder of Epic Change, a startup nonprofit that helps hopeful people in need share their "epic" true stories in innovative ways to help them acquire the financial resources they need to create positive "change" in their communities. Stacey was a creator of TweetsGiving, one of the first efforts that used Twitter for event fundraising.
Donna Wilkins, President, Charity Dynamics
Donna Wilkins is the president of Charity Dynamics and leads the company in developing innovative online programs that help nonprofits of all sizes achieve results.
For a roundup of nonprofit-focused events and sessions at SXSW Interactive, visit www.blackbaud.com/webbythings.
Charleston, S.C. (March 8, 2010) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB), the leading global provider of software and related services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, today announced that the University of British Columbia (UBC) recently selected Blackbaud Enterprise CRM™ as its new organization-wide relationship management system. This leading Canadian public research university with campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna, British Columbia, will use the solution to improve collaboration, development and engagement programs, steward donors and alumni, and cultivate support.
“We were very impressed with the way Blackbaud Enterprise CRM integrates our alumni engagement and fundraising outreach efforts into one complete system,” said Barbara Miles, UBC vice president of development and alumni engagement. “We also saw that Blackbaud offered a technology partnership that would help UBC achieve sustainable success over the long term.”
Read more.
Lessons Learned from Haiti Web Seminar Series
Series Description: Blackbaud is offering a free web seminar series to help nonprofits build strategies for mobilizing, soliciting, and stewarding supporters during and after times of disaster. Blackbaud experts and partners developed the seminars based off of their work with nonprofit customers who responded to the Haiti earthquake. The series, entitled “Lessons Learned from Haiti,” includes five seminars that will take place March through May.
Part 1: Lessons Learned from Haiti: Online Rapid Response Strategies
This session will explore how online fundraising, email communication, and social media played an important role in nonprofit relief efforts for the Haiti earthquake.
Participants will learn how to develop a rapid response plan, be prepared online for emergencies, and implement best practices from across the nonprofit sector.
When: March 11, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Who: Steve MacLaughlin, Director of Internet Solutions, Blackbaud, Inc.
Where: Register for the free web seminar at www.blackbaud.com/LessonsLearned.
Part 2: Lessons Learned from Haiti: The Mobile Giving Revolution
During this session, the presenters will explore mobile advocacy trends and examine the unprecedented response to mobile donation appeals after the Haiti earthquake. Participants will learn how to acquire, retain, and cultivate mobile donors.
When: March 24, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Who: C.B. Barthlow, Director of Marketing and Client Services, mGive
Steve MacLaughlin, Director of Internet Solutions, Blackbaud
Where: Register for the free web seminar at www.blackbaud.com/LessonsLearned.
Getting the Most Bang for Your Social Media Buck
Event Description: In this web seminar, nonprofit professionals can learn how to successfully integrate social media into event fundraising. Join the hosts as they discuss their research on social media and its impact on special events. Donna Wilkins, president of Charity Dynamics, and Mark Davis, technical solutions director at Blackbaud, will explore smart strategies for using social media in fundraising events. Elizabeth Marceau will provide real-world examples of social media in action by discussing American Heart Association's Start! Heart Walk.
When: March 31, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Who: Donna Wilkins, President, Charity Dynamics
Mark Davis, Technical Solutions Director, Blackbaud, Inc.
Elizabeth Marceau, American Heart Association
Where: Register for the free web seminar at www.blackbaud.com/eventfundraising.
In addition to these topical web seminars, Blackbaud offers a wide variety of daily web seminars featuring Blackbaud products and services and tips and tricks to help nonprofits be more effective. All web seminars are free, last approximately one hour, and can be accessed at www.blackbaud.com/events/overview.aspx.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, build strong relationships, and raise more money to support their missions. Approximately 22,000 organizations — including University of Arizona Foundation, American Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, The Taft School, Lincoln Center, In Touch Ministries, Tulsa Community Foundation, Ursinus College, Earthjustice, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the WGBH Educational Foundation — use one or more Blackbaud products and services for fundraising, constituent relationship management, financial management, website management, direct marketing, education administration, ticketing, business intelligence, prospect research, consulting, and analytics. Since 1981, Blackbaud’s sole focus and expertise has been partnering with nonprofits and providing them the solutions they need to make a difference in their local communities and worldwide. Headquartered in the United States, Blackbaud also has operations in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.
Media Contact:
Melanie Mathos
Blackbaud, Inc.
843.216.6200 x3307
melanie.mathos@blackbaud.com
Charleston, S.C. (March 1, 2010) – Blackbaud, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLKB) is offering a free web seminar series to help nonprofits build strategies for mobilizing, soliciting, and stewarding supporters during and after times of disaster. Blackbaud nonprofit experts and partners developed the seminars based on their work with nonprofits that are involved in Haiti relief efforts. The free series, entitled Lessons Learned from Haiti, includes five seminars that will kick-off on March 11 and will continue through May.
“The ‘Lessons Learned from Haiti’ series is designed to help nonprofit professionals learn from both their peers and industry experts on how to successfully perform relief fundraising using emerging tools and technology that allow them to quickly reach their constituents,” said Steve MacLaughlin, presenter and Blackbaud’s director of Internet solutions. “The series will also focus on providing nonprofits strategies for stewarding and retaining disaster donors.”
Topics will include: developing a rapid response plan, online marketing strategies for disaster response, practical tips for leveraging social media, stewarding donors after a crisis, and turning one-time “crisis” donors into major givers. The series will feature Blackbaud nonprofit experts including Frank Barry, Lawrence Henze, David Lamb, and Steve MacLaughlin and Blackbaud partners including C.B. Barthlow, director of marketing and client services for mGive and Jeff Patrick, president of Common Knowledge.
Read more.