Blackbaud

Donor retention boils down to loyalty. “If you have a loyal constituent, you are able to retain them,” Blackbaud enterprise solutions engineer Samantha Cohen said at a Blackbaud Delivers event about donor retention held last week in Philadelphia. “A donor will talk about a hospital, a symphony, an animal-rescue organization that they support. A loyal donor will talk about my hospital, my symphony or my animal-rescue mission,” she said. “That my is a shift to loyalty. They are emotionally invested in that institution.” Every nonprofit should be striving for loyal donors, Cohen said. Organizations can achieve this by building relationships with donors

Given the current state of the economy, there has been concern among nonprofits about the affect it will have on their fundraising and donations. It is during these times that charities should double their efforts to engage donors and get creative in the ways they seek new donors. Online event fundraising continues to be an effective method to accomplish both of these goals. Since 2000, event fundraising technologies have proven to be an area of growth for many organizations, and multiple surveys suggest that online tools provide more satisfying overall donor experiences. And now, with the fall events season complete, this is the best

Most people don’t want to give you anything. In fact, of the 6 billion people on earth, 5,999,985,000 (give or take a few thousand) don’t want to help your cause. So doesn’t it make sense to treat the few who do extremely well? And on top of that, do as much as you can to save some time and money? That’s where technology comes into play. Technology has the ability to improve every aspect of your operations, but you must understand where to rely on it the most. Examining a gift horse. Some say not to look a gift horse in the mouth. But

Charleston, S.C.-based Blackbaud Inc., a software and service provider for nonprofits, is hosting its first Developer Network Challenge. The developer that creates the most compelling customization for Blackbaud NetCommunity will win an iPhone and a year of free NetCommunity maintenance for his or her organization, according to a press release. “The Blackbaud Developer Network Challenge will provide a forum for developers working with NetCommunity to showcase their amazing work and will encourage the sharing of custom parts so many organizations can benefit,” Blackbaud Chief Technology Officer Shaun Sullivan said in a recent release. The contest is based on leveraging the NetCommunity

Charleston, S.C.-based Blackbaud Inc., a software and service provider for nonprofits, is hosting its first Developer Network Challenge. The developer that creates the most compelling customization for Blackbaud NetCommunity will win an iPhone and a year of free NetCommunity maintenance for his or her organization, according to a press release. “The Blackbaud Developer Network Challenge will provide a forum for developers working with NetCommunity to showcase their amazing work and will encourage the sharing of custom parts so many organizations can benefit,” Blackbaud Chief Technology Officer Shaun Sullivan said in a recent release. The contest is based on leveraging the NetCommunity

PACKAGE OF THE YEAR Gold: Habitat for Humanity International Special Development Appeal (Craver, Mathews, Smith & Co.) Silver: Rhode Island Community Food Bank Annual Review Brochure (DaVinci Direct) Bronze (Tie): Tuskegee Airmen — Charles McGee Campaign (Fundraising Strategies) CARE November/December World Report (Merkle) ACQUISITION (50,000 OR MORE MAILED) Gold: Utah Food Bank 2007 Thanksgiving Donor Acquisition (L.W. Robbins) Silver: Wildlife Conservation Spring 2007 Acquisition (Schultz & Williams) Bronze: Mail Call Hurts (Gum Version) (Fundraising Strategies) ACQUISITION (FEWER THAN 50,000 MAILED) Gold: Tuskegee Airmen — Charles McGee (Fundraising Strategies) Silver: Bidawee “Welcome” (SCA DIrect) Bronze: Adaptive Clothing Gift Tag Package (Fundraising Strategies) RENEWAL (50,000

What do leatherback turtles, burning forests and Harrison Ford all have in common? They’re the key components of some very successful marketing campaigns launched by Conservation International, a nonprofit organization missioned to protect the richest regions of plant and animal diversity in 34 international biodiversity hot spots, wilderness areas and marine ecosystems. With headquarters in Arlington, Va., CI works in more than 40 countries on four continents. Last year, it distributed more than $30 million in funding to its partners to implement conservation activities. And over the past six years, it has provided more than $97 million to fund more than 1,200 nongovernmental

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. A social network can be a useful tool for a nonprofit, providing an arena for meeting potential supporters and contacts. Also, it provides individuals or organizations an outlet for spreading their messages to broader audiences. But before nonprofits can use social networks effectively, they have to understand the options, said Steve MacLaughlin, director of Internet solutions at Blackbaud, during the session “What Social Networks Should Be Doing for You” at The Blackbaud Interactive Internet Symposium held on

“The organizations that stop viewing external Web sites as competitors and start embracing them as a part of an online strategy will be more successful.” — Steve MacLaughlin, director of Internet solutions for Blackbaud, during his session, “What Social Networks Should Be Doing for You,” at The Blackbaud Interactive Internet Symposium held on May 22 in New York.

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. Charities that want to see an increase in donations or boost their donor bases should embrace these online communications, Oleary said during the session “Online Communications — Pipeline to More Revenue” at the Blackbaud Interactive Internet Symposium held on May 22 in New York. He explained that online average gifts are higher