Software/Technology

Blackbaud announced that the Boy Scouts of America — one of the nation’s largest, most prominent values-based youth development organizations — has chosen Blackbaud CRM software as the platform for its constituent relationship management efforts. Blackbaud CRM software will assist the BSA as it moves to a cutting-edge IT infrastructure offering an improved experience for its members and greater administrative efficiencies.

Some people may see an economic downturn as a bad time to launch a business. But David Blyer saw a real need and opportunity.

That’s why he launched DonorCommunity, a company offering a Web-based platform that helps nonprofit organizations expand donor bases, increase fund-raising efficiency, generate awareness and reduce costs. Blyer’s plan won first place in the Business Plan Challenge Community Track.

Charities are embracing the cloud, with almost three times as many charities using some form of software as a service (SaaS) as two years ago, according to the Charity IT Survey 2011.

17 percent of respondents said they use at least one SaaS solution, up from 12 percent in 2010 and 6 percent in 2009.

14 percent said they didn’t but were considering it, and just 5 percent said they had considered it but decided against it.

Blackbaud announced that Vancouver Foundation has chosen the Blackbaud Community Foundation Solution to provide enterprise-level community foundation management. With more than 1,400 funds, and assets of almost $750 million, Vancouver Foundation is Canada’s largest community foundation, investing in communities since 1943. Since that time, in partnership with its donors, Vancouver Foundation has distributed more than $830 million to innovative projects and programs throughout the province.

eBay has been acquiring companies left and right recently and now is announcing the acquisition of yet another startup (this time a nonprofit) — MissionFish.

MissionFish has actually been powering eBay’s Giving Works program, which allows sellers to donate items and proceeds from sales to charitable causes and enables buyers to donate to these causes. MissionFish — an independent nonprofit — screens nonprofits that want to become members, and processes the millions of dollars in donations that result through eBay Giving Works.

Sage North America announced Campaign for Equal Justice (CEJ) in Portland, Ore., has experienced a 276 percent increase in online giving using Sage Fundraising Online, Sage’s flexible fundraising and event registration connected service, with Sage Payment Services for donation processing from Sage Payment Solutions, Sage’s payments division.

Constant Contact, the trusted marketing advisor to more than 400,000 small organizations worldwide, announced that it has added new AppConnect partners to its rapidly growing program.

AppConnect partners delivering new integrations with Constant Contact include DonorPro from TowerCare, Softrek from PledgeMaker, and Donor Perfect from SofterWare. In addition to this diverse group, Constant Contact has also added Allegiance Software, FundTrack Software, and RaiseItOnline.com as AppConnect development partners.

Copywriter Jenny Nicholson thought a game to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness would help Urban Ministries tell its story. The result is SPENT, a game launched Feb. 8. In its first month it attracted more than 500,000 visitors who played the game more than 870,000 times, with the average visitor spending more than 10 minutes on the site.

The game, which has been played by visitors in more 155 countries, has generated nearly $11,000 in contributions from more than 500 donors, with the average donor giving roughly $20.

E-donations facilitator Nadanu today launched a new platform called MyCharityBox that lets non-profits easily collect funds from donors.

A user registers with Nadanu’s Push-K platform and then “drops coins” which represent monetary donations from a donor’s credit card, PayPal or Authorize.net into a graphic designed to look like a traditional coin box for their favorite charity.

The eCharityBox is programmed to wait until it hits a predetermined amount; when “full,” it sends the donation on to the chosen charity.

JustGiving will be launching a direct debit function to its website in the next one to two weeks following a significant rise on regular giving on the site.

The sponsorship website currently allows regular gifts to be made via credit card, but will be introducing a new tool to enable donors to set up regular direct debit gifts, which JustGiving expects will attract a different kind of donor.