from The New York Times
by Jenna Wortham
A Facebook Founder Begins a Social Network Focused on Charities
Chris Hughes, one of the founders of Facebook and the chief digital organizer for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, knows a thing or two about building online communities.
Now he is applying his expertise to a new venture called Jumo, which aims to connect people with nonprofits and charitable organizations.
The site, which is being unveiled on Tuesday, aims to “do what Yelp did for restaurants,” Mr. Hughes said, indexing charities “to help people find and evaluate them.”
Individual charities, projects like building a school in rural Africa and broad issues like gay rights will all have dedicated pages on Jumo.
Relevant news articles, Twitter posts and YouTube videos will be added to the pages, and users can add their own feedback and comments. Users can also find their Facebook friends and follow their adopted projects and issues on the site.
The idea is to take the principles that helped Mr. Hughes organize a network of volunteers into a successful political force and apply them to a much broader universe of causes and issues.
Mr. Hughes is not the first entrepreneur to venture into this territory. Causes, a Facebook application, and the Web site Global Giving are among the many existing ways to find and support charities online.
But Mr. Hughes said Jumo would not be primarily about soliciting donations. Instead, he said, the site would first try to deepen ties between its users and their favorite causes.
“The more connected that individual is to an issue they care about, the higher probability there is they will stay involved over a longer period of time,” Mr. Hughes said.
To start, the Jumo site was seeded with more than 3,000 issues and groups. But “anyone with a social mission can create a page,” said Mr. Hughes, who thinks Jumo could become a simple way for smaller charities to establish a social media presence.
Read more.
Blackbaud, Inc (Nasdaq: BLKB), the leading global provider of nonprofit software and services, has furthered its dedication to the local and nonprofit communities with its new focus on corporate citizenship. Blackbaud will continue to deliver on its corporate value "service to others makes the world a better place” with a team dedicated to the growth of its corporate citizenship commitment.
“Corporate citizenship is about infusing how we give back through all of the ways we do business,” said Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud’s director of corporate citizenship and philanthropy. “Our focus on corporate citizenship is an acknowledgement that we strive to make a difference both through what we do as a company and how we serve as individuals, professionally and personally.”
Read more.
Excerpt from the article that ran in Los Angeles Times by Jessica Guynn, November 7, 2010:
Internet fundraising has generated strong interest in the nonprofit world over the last decade but still lags behind direct mail, events and other more traditional ways of soliciting donations. Of the $263 billion that Americans give to charity each year, 5.7% is given online, according to Blackbaud Inc.'s index of online giving, which tracks fundraising. Of that, less than 1% comes from social media, estimated Steve MacLaughlin, director of Internet solutions at Blackbaud.Social media has disappointed many who had hoped it would offer an instant panacea to fundraising woes in a tough economy. It has been more effective at "friend-raising," as in gaining supporters and engaging them in dialogue about a cause, than actual fundraising. Proponents say the medium is still new and experimental, with potential to become a much more important means to solicit donations.That effort could get a boost if Causes gift cards catch on with shoppers this holiday season, MacLaughlin said. The timing is good, he said: 46% of online giving takes place in the last three months of the year, with 30% in December alone.
Read the full article.
Charleston, S.C. (November 8, 2010) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB), the leading global provider of software and services for nonprofits, today announced that it has once again been named to Forbes 100 Best Small Companies in America list. The annual list highlighting the hottest growth prospects in American business is featured online and in today’s print edition of the magazine.
“We are honored to once again be included among the nation’s business leaders on Forbes 100 Best Small Companies in America list,” said Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s chief executive officer. “We are pleased to provide the tools and expertise that power the business of philanthropy from fundraising to outcomes and to empower our 24,000 customers around the world to drive change and make the world a better place.”
Blackbaud is ranked number 54 on the list, which includes publicly traded companies with annual revenues between $5 million and $1 billion. The rankings are based on earnings growth, sales growth, and return on equity in the past 12 months and over 5 years. Companies were also compared against the stock performance of their industry peers. This is the fourth time that Blackbaud has been included in the list. To access the full list and to read the special report, visit www.forbes.com/best-small-companies.
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Blackbaud Announces November Web Seminars for Nonprofits
Blackbaud, Zuri Group, Event360, and Charity Dynamics host the “Events Boot Camp” web seminar series to help nonprofit professionals learn strategies for enhancing and improving their fundraising events
Events Boot Camp Web Seminar Series |
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This five-day web seminar series is designed specifically for nonprofit professionals who have an events program in place to support their fundraising strategies. Attendees will learn valuable tips and tricks that can help them make their events more successful than ever. The presenters will cover topics on event planning, eMarketing, analyzing event data, using social media, mobile platforms, understanding web traffic, and integration between event sites and Google Analytics.
Nonprofit professionals can register for the entire series or for individual sessions. After the seminars are over, participants can continue their learning experience at the Friends Asking Amy blog, which is written by one of the web seminar hosts, Amy Braiterman, Blackbaud’s principal strategy consultant. The Friends Asking Amy blog is dedicated to providing development and fundraising staff with fresh, fun and fearless ideas to support their fundraising events. |
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Events Boot Camp: How Can I Make Next Year’s Event More Successful? |
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Join Amy Braiterman as she covers important steps for event success. If you’re planning your first event or looking to make your next event the best ever, sign up for this can’t-miss session on planning your next event. Amy will discuss event communication and marketing plans, event sponsorship and committees, site design, tools to drive revenue and awareness, and more. |
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November 15, 2010, 1 p.m. ET |
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Presented by Amy Braiterman, Principal Strategy Consultant, Blackbaud |
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Register for the free web seminar and watch recordings of sessions from this series at www.blackbaud.com/EventsBootCamp. |
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Events Boot Camp: How Can I Develop a Successful eMarketing Strategy? |
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Got eMarketing questions? Join this seminar to learn about designing an event eMarketing strategy and maximizing its impact. The presenters will cover topics like email timing, frequency, and design. |
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November 16, 2010, 1 p.m. ET |
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Presented by Amy Braiterman, Principal Strategy Consultant, Blackbaud and
Pamela Snyder, Senior Strategist and Sustainability Expert, Zuri Group |
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Register for the free web seminar and watch recordings of sessions from this series at www.blackbaud.com/EventsBootCamp. |
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Events Boot Camp: What Can I Learn from Last Year’s Numbers? |
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If you’re wondering what you can learn from your numbers, we’ll explain that the quick answer is: lots. Join Amy and Jeff as they discuss analyzing mid-season metrics and event results. There’s a wealth of information in your event numbers. Learn best practices for performing detailed analyses of event data to discover hidden gems within your event. Understand how the event data from this year's achievements can lead to next year's successes. |
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November 17, 2010, 1 p.m. ET |
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Presented by Amy Braiterman, Principal Strategy Consultant, Blackbaud and
Jeff Shuck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Event 360 |
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Register for the free web seminar and watch recordings of sessions from this series at www.blackbaud.com/EventsBootCamp. |
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Events Boot Camp: How Can My Events Raise More and Utilize New Strategies? |
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Get answers to the most frequently asked online fundraising questions. In this session, Amy will share best practices for using Blackbaud Friends Asking Friends, including how to create an effective event site, how to raise more funds online, and how to integrate online and offline efforts. Plus, learn more about what’s new with Blackbaud Friends Asking Friends. We’ll show you how you can get insights on your web traffic and strengthen your marketing efforts with integration between Google Analytics and your event sites. |
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November 18, 2010, 1 p.m. ET |
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Presented by Amy Braiterman, Principal Strategy Consultant, Blackbaud |
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Register for the free web seminar and watch recordings of sessions from this series at www.blackbaud.com/EventsBootCamp. |
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Events Boot Camp: We Have a Facebook Page and My Participants are Tweeting…Now What? |
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Join Amy and Donna as they discuss how your organization can use social media to extend your reach, increase events’ online presences, and raise more funds. They’ll also discuss how social media works with email and offline tactics to create integrated marketing and cultivation plans for your event. Plus, we'll share the latest results from our annual social media research project. |
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November 19, 2010, 1 p.m. ET |
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Presented by Amy Braiterman, Principal Strategy Consultant, Blackbaud and
Donna Wilkins, President, Charity Dynamics |
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Register for the free web seminar and watch recordings of sessions from this series at www.blackbaud.com/EventsBootCamp. |
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.
From CPA Technology Magazine's Nov. 2010 Review of Not-for-Profit Accounting Programs
The Financial Edge, from Blackbaud, Inc. is a sophisticated, easy-to-use financial product designed primarily for mid-sized to large nonprofit organizations. More than a nonprofit accounting product, The Financial Edge provides organizations with financial insight while streamlining daily activities.
BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS: 
The Financial Edge is available as an installed product or as a hosted version for complete system access from any location. The Financial Edge maintains an easily navigated user interface with a drop-down menu at the top of the screen, along with module choices. Clicking on a module will update the core interface screen along with the system function menu to the left of the screen. Each module provides a workflow area that houses the major functions found within that module. Users also have the option to create and customize a homepage that is available for all system modules. Data-entry screens are well laid out with drop-down menus and lookup options available throughout. Various tabs enable users to enter extensive data from a single screen.
The Financial Edge offers a wide range of modules, including GL, AP, AR, Allocation Management, Payroll, Point of Sale, Fixed Assets, Cash Receipts, Cash Management, Student Billing, Purchase Orders, Project, Grant and Endowment Management, Budget Management, Advanced Budget Management, Advanced Security, and eRequisitions. The Financial Edge also integrates with The Raiser’s Edge, a fundraising module that is widely utilized in the nonprofit world.
With the introduction of The Financial Edge for Small Offices, Blackbaud now has a product that can easily be found in nonprofit organizations and government entities of any size. Modular in structure, even larger organizations can scale up to the product level that suits their needs.
Read the full review