Blackbaud News : Steve MacLaughlin

Blackbaud in the News: Recovering the Urge to Give

Melanie Mathos — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:16:00 GMT

From the February issue of ASSOCIATIONS NOW:

This year could be one of the roughest for giving in recent memory. In January the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University reported that its Philanthropic Giving Index, which measures confidence in the fundraising climate, dropped 22 percent in the prior six months, hitting its lowest level in more than a decade. That news comes in the wake of a weak close to 2008. A survey conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals notes that during last year’s holiday season, 53.3 percent of the survey’s 347 respondents (culled from AFP’s membership) raised less money in late 2008 than they had in 2007. That’s a big change: The association’s 2007 survey reported that only 26.3 percent of respondents were having a down year.

The recent dip in confidence echoes a broader downturn for nonprofits, whose revenues have declined 8.1 percent in the past three years, according to Cambridge, Massachusetts, research firm Target Analytics. How to ride out all that turbulence? Steve MacLaughlin, director of internet solutions at nonprofit consultancy Blackbaud, Target Analytics’ parent company, argues that online strategies, while only part of the fundraising mix, can help organizations save money and gain some flexibility in a downturn. "Mixing email and direct-mail segments can lower costs," he says. "Online donations, event registrations, and memberships also have a lower cost of fundraising associated with them. Doing things online also allows you to test content or promotions, get feedback a lot sooner, and allows you to adjust things prior to using more expensive channels."

Press Release: Steve MacLaughlin Elected to NTEN Board of Directors

Melanie Mathos — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:45:00 GMT

Charleston, S.C. (Nov. 24, 2008) – Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced that Steve MacLaughlin, Blackbaud’s director of Internet solutions, has been elected to the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) board of directors. “It's a great pleasure to welcome Steve to the NTEN board,” said Holly Ross, NTEN’s executive director. “I know our community will benefit from the great energy, knowledge, and experience he brings with him.”

Read the full press release.

Giving 2.0 by FundRaising Success Features the Blackbaud Interactive Internet Syposium

Melanie Mathos — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:20:00 GMT

If you didn't make it to Blackbaud Interactive's Internet Symposium in New York last month, FundRaising Success' new associate senior editor Melissa Busch covered the sessions in today's Giving 2.0 enewsletter.

Check out her conference roundup here:

Understand Social Networks and Make Them Work for You
Not all social networks are created equal. And nonprofit organizations need to know the differences between them before they can get one to work for them.
Read the entire article here.

Online Communications — Pipeline to More Revenue
Nonprofit organizations that want to maximize donations had better be brushing up on and putting into action the latest online fundraising communications that are set to explode this year, says Tim Oleary, vice president of the Malvern, Pa.-based McPherson Associates, a direct-marketing and communications agency that specializes in nonprofit fundraising programs.
Read the entire article here.

Web 2.0 — A Buzzword Demystified
Web 2.0 isn’t a thing — it’s a state of mind.
So says Andrew Mosawi, vice president of international business development for Blackbaud. During the session “Web 2.0 — A Buzzword Demystified” at The Blackbaud Interactive Internet Symposium on May 22 in New York, Mosawi defined Web 2.0 as the “business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.”
Read the entire article here.

Subscribe to Giving 2.0 here.