Blackbaud Launches Nonprofit Leadership Circle to Encourage Employee Volunteerism

Announces Blackbaud Fund grant recipients and community-wide volunteer fair

CHARLESTON, SC – May 4, 2010 –Blackbaud, Inc (Nasdaq: BLKB), the leading global provider of nonprofit softwareand services, today announced the launch of a new Nonprofit Leadership Circle, agroup of employees who serve on nonprofit boards of directors, and several otheremployee-related philanthropic initiatives. Blackbaud is dedicated to itsmission of making the world a better place both as a corporate citizen and as acatalyst for individual employees through a dedicated focus on philanthropy.

“The nonprofits we work withcount on Blackbaud to be more than a technology partner, and our employees takethat very seriously,” said Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud’s director of corporatecitizenship and philanthropy. “Blackbaud lives the mission of ‘making the worlda better place’ because our employees give back on both a professional andpersonal level through volunteer service.”            

As part of its overall businessstrategy to build stronger, sustainable nonprofits, Blackbaud recently launchedthe Nonprofit Leadership Circle to recognize employees serving on nonprofitboards, putting a face to its value that “service to others makes the world abetter place.” The company is also committed to investing in employees byeducating them on how to be better board members while providing the nonprofitcommunity high-quality volunteers. Employees from departments ranging fromcustomer support to the executive leadership team and from Charleston, SouthCarolina, to Sydney, Australia, are participating, representing more than 100different nonprofit organizations.

“I have volunteered and servedon the board at The Albany, South London’s leading performing arts venue andcreative centre, for the last three years, and we’ve run into the samechallenges as other nonprofit boards.  This team of colleagues on the NonprofitLeadership Circle will definitely be a sounding board and a resource forlearning best practices to overcome those hurdles,” said Christopher Goodhart,Blackbaud Europe’s managing director, arts and cultural division and NonprofitLeadership Circle member. “I’m looking forward to applying what I learn fromnetworking among fellow board members and peers at The Albany. Plus, learningmore about nonprofit boards and how they operate in other areas will help medaily in my work with nonprofit technology.” 

Blackbaud also recentlyannounced the recipients of $35,000 in grants distributed from The BlackbaudFund. The Blackbaud Fund grantees are selected by acommittee of Blackbaud employees from across the company in partnership with the Coastal CommunityFoundation. This year’s recipientsinclude: Charleston AreaChildren’s Garden Project, Charleston Area TherapeuticRiding, Charleston Volunteers forLiteracy, Children’s Museum of theLowcountry, Communities in Schools ofCharleston, FlorenceCrittenton, HALOS, Louie’sKids, SEWEEAssociation, Windwood FarmHome for Children, and Young Ladies/Leaders Conquering Obstacles.

As always, Blackbaud iscommitted to its ongoing programs developed to support and encourage employeesto give back all year long:

• On May 26, Blackbaudwill host a community-wide volunteer fair, matching employees and members of thecommunity with a nonprofit to volunteer.  There will be many local nonprofits inthe atrium with informational tables from 4 to 7 p.m. looking to raise awarenessabout the volunteer opportunities at their organizations. The volunteer fair isopen to the entire Lowcountry community.  
  
• A program launched in2008, Employee Volunteer Impact Grants, encourages employees to applyfor a “Reward Your Passion” grant on behalf of nonprofits where they volunteer.More than 135 grants have been awarded based on employees’ dedication andcommitment to organizations they serve since the program’s inception.
  
• Employees to earnadditional vacation days through the company’s Volunteer for Vacation  program, by volunteering withlocal nonprofit organizations. Additionally, many employees participate inUnited Way’s Day of Caring, taking a company-sponsored day off of work tovolunteer with a nonprofit and make a difference in the community.

For more information and to readto Blackbaud’s “Service to Others” blog, visit www.blackbaud.com/philanthropy.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, build strong relationships, and raise more money to support their missions. Approximately 22,000 organizations — including University of Arizona Foundation, American Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, The Taft School, Lincoln Center, In Touch Ministries, Tulsa Community Foundation, Ursinus College, Earthjustice, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the WGBH Educational Foundation — use one or more Blackbaud products and services for fundraising, constituent relationship management, financial management, website management, direct marketing, education administration, ticketing, business intelligence, prospect research, consulting, and analytics. Since 1981, Blackbaud’s sole focus and expertise has been partnering with nonprofits and providing them the solutions they need to make a difference in their local communities and worldwide. Headquartered in the United States, Blackbaud also has operations in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.