Blackbaud to participate in AFP’s 49th International Conference on Fundraising

Company Website: http://www.blackbaud.com
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- (Business Wire)

Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced members-only pricing and special access webinars, designed specifically for members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Also, as part of its strategic partnership with AFP, Blackbaud is the presenting sponsor of AFP’s 49^th International Conference on Fundraising (ICON), being held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada April 1 to 3, 2012.

“AFP provides an amazing array of resources, support and inspiration for thousands of fundraising professionals,” said Jana Eggers, Blackbaud’s senior vice president of products and marketing. “We are excited to add to their member benefits with programs that support fundraisers in delivering more for their organization.”

ICON provides attendees a three-day immersion to learn fundraising best practices and strategies. Blackbaud is exhibiting and leading an educational session at this year’s event. Blackbaud’s Senior Solutions Architect Allison Van Diest will be presenting an educational session on Monday, April 2 at 8 a.m. entitled “Half the Fun is Getting There: How the Supporter Journey will help you reach your goals and make you love your job again.”

“Blackbaud has been a strong partner through the years and we are pleased to deepen that partnership through their latest offer for AFP members,” said Andrew Watt, Association of Fundraising Professionals’ chief executive officer. “Blackbaud is committed to fundraisers as evidenced through their technology innovation, knowledge sharing, and ongoing support of AFP and our annual conference.”

Attendees can stop by Blackbaud’s booth to learn more about Blackbaud’s products and services, get more detail on the AFP offer or take part in Blackbaud Discovery, designed to involve nonprofit professionals in the early stages of product development.

Blackbaud will preview its new version of The Raiser’s Edge. The Raiser’s Edge 7.92 features usability enhancements and streamlines data management so nonprofits can more effectively manage lists, find supporters more easily, better prevent duplicate entry and reduce data entry associated with event management. It also adds The Giving Score, which applies smart analytics for better segmentation so nonprofits can focus their cultivation and solicitation efforts on the constituents most likely and capable to give.

Blackbaud will also preview an early version of The Raiser’s Edge^® mobile application, which will be available in the coming months. The application is designed to take supporter data mobile, providing easy access to donor profiles for fundraisers and giving them the ability to enter call reports and actions into The Raiser’s Edge from mobile devices.

Blackbaud powers social community

As part of its ongoing partnership with AFP, Blackbaud representatives will also be on hand in “The Hub” to inform attendees about AFP’s online community, AFP2P. AFP2P is the organization’s exclusive online community, powered by Blackbaud Social^™, which allows members to interact, network and share expertise with one another through personalized features including discussion groups, blogs and news feeds. In addition, members are able to create unique profiles, upload pictures and documents, and leave comments. All AFP members have automatic access to the AFP2P community as a member benefit.

“We created AFP2P to respond to the needs and requests of members looking for a secure knowledgebase they could leverage and lean on when they have questions,” said Kathy Compton, Association of Fundraising Professionals’ chief marketing officer. “Fundraisers and AFP members are keenly aware that connections are the heart and soul of the profession. Whether it’s the relationships we make and nurture, or the expertise we gather and share, we are stronger when we come together as a community.”

Blackbaud provides an array of social solutions for nonprofits. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com/social.

Blackbaud will also be hosting a series of educational web seminars for AFP members to educate the community about the power of social media. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com/afppartnership.

About Blackbaud

Serving the nonprofit and education sectors for 30 years, Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) combines technology and expertise to help organizations achieve their missions. Blackbaud works with more than 25,000 customers in more than 60 countries that support higher education, healthcare, human services, arts and culture, faith, the environment, independent education, animal welfare, and other charitable causes. The company offers a full spectrum of cloud-based and on-premise software solutions, and related services for organizations of all sizes including: fundraising, eMarketing, social media, advocacy, constituent relationship management (CRM), analytics, financial management, and vertical-specific solutions. Using Blackbaud technology, these organizations raise more than $100 billion each year. Recognized as a top company by Forbes, InformationWeek, and Software Magazine and honored by Best Places to Work, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina and has employees throughout the US, and in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Forward-looking Statements

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks related to our dividend policy and share repurchase program, including potential limitations on our ability to grow and the possibility that we might discontinue payment of dividends; risks relating to restrictions imposed by the credit facility; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

Contacts:

Blackbaud
Melanie Mathos, 843-216-6200 x3307
media@blackbaud.com

Source: Blackbaud