Blackbaud News : Philanthropy

Rachel Hutchisson wins a 2009 Influential Women in Business award

Melissa Dodge — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:08:00 GMT

Congratulations to Blackbaud's Director of Corporate Relations and Philanthropy, Rachel Hutchisson for receiving the "Rising Star" award at the Influential Women in Business awards, presented by the Charleston Regional Business Journal. The annual Influential Women in Business awards recognizes women in the Charleston area who have demonstrated professional excellence and leadership in their careers and community service. Winners were announced at an awards luncheon held on Oct. 22 in downtown Charleston.

Rachel oversees Blackbaud's global philanthropic and volunteerism initiatives, helping the company and employees honor the corporate value, "service to others makes the world a better place," and is the author of the company's philanthropy blog. With 17 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, Rachel is passionate about literacy, education for disadvantaged youth, and children's healthcare. She is involved in the community by serving as president of the Lowcountry Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In addition to being active with the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations, she is also a member of the board of directors of the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Math.

June Bradham, who nominated Rachel for this award, is the founder, owner, and president of Corporate DevelopMint. June and Rachel at the awards luncheon in downtown Charleston, SC. (L-R: June Bradham, Rachel Hutchisson)

Blackbaud Employees Volunteered as Part of the Largest Day of Service Event

Melissa Dodge — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:28:00 GMT

Charleston, S.C. (Sept. 14, 2009) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) the leading global provider of nonprofit software and services, participated in the Trident United Way 2009 Day of Caring on Sept. 11. More than 150 Blackbaud employees volunteered to work on projects that benefited the Charleston community at 13 different nonprofits as part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance.

This year, 350 projects were planned by 150 local charities and schools. Blackbaud participated in activities such as building structures and planting vegetables at 13 different local nonprofits: St. John’s High, Rein and Shine, Keep North Charleston Beautiful,Fort Dorchester Elementary, Murray-Lasaine Elementary, Springfield Elementary, People Against Rape, Fields to Families, Alice Birney Middle School, Sea Island Habitat, Septima Clark Academy (through Communities in Schools), Alston Middle School, and HALOS.

For photos of the event, visit the official Blackbaud Flickr page, for video of the volunteer projects visit the official Blackbaud YouTube Channel and visit ABCNews4-Charleston to watch the story aired on 9/11.

Read the full story...

Rachel Hutchisson named finalist in “Influential Women in Business” awards by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Melissa Dodge — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:21:00 GMT

Twelve Finalists for the 2009 Influential Women in Business awards, presented by the Charleston Regional Business Journal, have been announced. Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud's director of corporate relations & philanthropy is among the three finalists in the "Rising Star" category.

Rachel oversees the company's global philanthropic and volunteerism initiatives, helping the company and employees honor Blackbaud's corporate value, "service to others makes the world a better place," while authoring a philanthropic focused blog. With 17 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, Rachel is passionate about literacy, education for disadvantaged youth, and children's healthcare. She is involved in the community by serving as president of the Lowcountry Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In addition to being active with the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations, she is also a member of the board of directors of the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Math.

The annual Influential Women in Business awards recognizes women in the Charleston area who have demonstrated professional excellence and leadership in their careers and community service. These women are shaping the economic future of our area and share a commitment to business growth and leadership. Congratulations to all Charleston area finalists.

The winners will be announced at an awards luncheon held on Oct. 22 in downtown Charleston.

Blackbaud Encourages Employees to Give Back to their Communities

Melissa Dodge — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:35:00 GMT

Charleston, S.C. (July 8, 2009) - Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) the leading global provider of nonprofit software and services, announced that the company has awarded 15 grants to nonprofit organizations in seven cities, volunteered to pack over 400 backpacks for a Charleston-area food bank, hosted a volunteer fair where over 200 employees signed up to donate time, and focused on protecting the environment. Blackbaud continues to encourage philanthropy worldwide in communities where customers and employees work and live by honoring the corporate value "service to others makes the world a better place."

Read the full press release.

Press Release: Blackbaud Remains Committed to Corporate Philanthropy

Melissa Dodge — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:53:00 GMT

Charleston, S.C. (April 7, 2009) – With its mission to make the world a better place both as a corporate citizen and as a catalyst for individual employees, Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB), the leading global provider of nonprofit software and services, announced the success of its local and global first quarter philanthropic initiatives.

In just the first three months of 2009, the company has started a blog to deliver its corporate message of “service to others makes the world a better place,” donated used computer monitors and other equipment including cell phones and office furniture to local organizations, and has participated in many other philanthropy efforts.

Read more.

Blackbaud Launches "Service to Others" Blog Focused on Corporate Philanthropy Initiatives

Melanie Mathos — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:24:00 GMT

At Blackbaud, one of our core values is "service to others makes the world a better place." We recently launched a blog that focuses on just that. In it, Rachel Hutchisson, our director of corporate relations and philanthropy will share her adventures in philanthropy. She will blog about what we are doing to make a difference in the world, as a company and as individual people committed to civic engagement.

Visit the Service to Others blog and welcome Rachel Hutchisson to the Blackbaud Blogosphere!

Want to learn more about our philanthropy program? Visit www.blackbaud.com/philanthropy, or read about our Philanthropy 2008 year-in-review: Blackbaud Increases Philanthropic Focus as Nonprofits Face Difficult Times.

Press Release: Blackbaud Increases Philanthropic Focus as Nonprofits Face Difficult Times

Melanie Mathos — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:24:00 GMT

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.

Blackbaud in the News: Rewarding employees who give back

Melanie Mathos — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:57:00 GMT

From the September issue of Charleston magazine:

Few corporations are as close to the world-changing power of philanthropy as Daniel Island-based software company Blackbaud, Inc. Their main program, The Raiser’s Edge®, manages fundraising and development for nonprofit organizations, so it’s a natural fit for employees to be close to the nonprofit community. “Our company believes that service to others makes the world a better place,” says CEO Marc Chardon. And since 1,110 of 1,700 Blackbaud employees are here in Charleston, most of that service takes place in this community and is driven by those very staff members.

Blackbaud's Community Relations Manager Sally Ehrenfried Featured in Charleston Regional Business Journal

Melanie Mathos — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:27:00 GMT

From politics to philanthropy: Sally Ehrenfried
By Holly Fisher
Research Editor

From the article:

Ehrenfried’s position overseeing community relations allows her to foster that love of public service through Blackbaud’s philanthropic efforts. Ehrenfried manages Blackbaud’s corporate giving portfolio, directs corporate giving and works with the company’s almost 2,000 employees to promote philanthropy and volunteerism.

Blackbaud has long been a strong supporter of community service and is taking that vision to its other offices, across the United States and in London; Glasgow, Scotland; and Sydney, Australia.

One of the company’s core beliefs is that service to others makes the world a better place, Ehrenfried said. She helps the company and its employees live out that value.

Press Release: Blackbaud Celebrates National Volunteer Week by Encouraging Employee Volunteerism

Melanie Mathos — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:50:00 GMT

Charleston, S.C. (April 25, 2008) - In recognition of National Volunteer Week, Blackbaud, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLKB), is hosting volunteer fairs and events at its Charleston and Indianapolis offices. Read the full press release here.

I am very excited about these events, primarily because a nonprofit that I am on the board of, Fields to Families, is going to be recruiting volunteers at our Charleston HQ. We were also awarded the Reward Your Passion grant this month.

As a young volunteer-driven organization, Fields to Families works to help increase nutrition to the area hungry by coordinating distribution of fresh produce obtained from local gardens and farms. There is no paid staff, we don't do a whole lot of fundraising (yet), but what we DO do is rely heavily on the kindness of volunteers. Without them, our little nonprofit would cease to exist and the more than 43,000 pounds of fresh produce that was donated and distributed to the area hungry last year would have either rotted or been destroyed.

National Volunteer Week is a way to recognize your organization's volunteers (often your most precious resources) and let the world know about your ongoing volunteer needs. For additional information about National Volunteer Week, a service of Points of Light & Hands On Network, visit http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/.