When a Door Closes another One Often Opens

Last week an article from the local Charleston SC newspaper was for forwarded to me with a simple inquiry "Could we help?"

The essence of the story revolved around a stolen computer which was worth so much more than the price of an older PC. A children's home in South Carolina had the records and contact information for all 2,000 plus supporters of the charity on that computer. So when the burglar smashed the window and stole the computer in order to later try to sell on the street for $90, they were possibly hurting the ongoing funding for a fledgling NPO. All of us at Blackbaud/eTapestry knew we could help and more importantly insure such a calamity could never happen again!

The later articles outline the strange twist to this story when the Executive Director Danny Gilbert was tipped off that he could buy his very own computer back for $90.

Well as Paul Harvey used to say, "Now for the rest of the story..." I placed a call last week to Danny Gilbert. When the return call came I was in for a treat. Danny was one of the most refreshing conversations I have had in quite awhile. Chipper would hardly describe Danny. He believed in his mission of helping the children in need and was not bashful about explaining what they do for the kids daily. He was also quite frank about his lack of expertise regarding technology and how a good partner might be just what they needed.

Based upon that delightful conversation I introduced Mark Scott our Account Executive for South Carolina. He immediately worked with Danny and his small team to conduct our first step in helping any NPO, an in-depth analysis of their needs. That analysis revealed many needs for us to help address. Among them:

• Provide a secure, online database they can manage from any Internet connection that can grow with the organization over time. Even track multiple locations when they raise enough money for the boy's ranch.
• Eliminate duplicate data entry processes so they can easily track on-line donations, volunteers, event attendees, and sponsors from one centralized system.
• Enable personal fundraising pages so board, current donors, volunteers, motorcycle run and fishing tournament participants can raise money for the organization by leveraging the power of viral networking.
• Easily post items to an online Wish List page so constituents can become more aware and responsive to what they need to run the ranch.

Our story truly has a happy ending. We will be assisting Danny’s charity in ways he never dreamed of a few weeks ago. Part of that assistance will be provided via a gift in kind from our corporate foundation. The link to apply for such grants is here. More importantly, this type of situation where such critically vital information might be lost or stolen can never happen again. The Software as a Service (SaaS) nature of eTapestry's product will ensure the security of Danny’s computer, even if it is stolen or the building is broken into. The data will remain safe and the ability to use it from another location will prevail.

If any of you would like to also help Danny and the Eagle Harbor Boys Ranch please find more details at this link. Now you have "the rest of the story..."