Blackbaud : #GivingTuesday Set to Break Online Giving Records Again

CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world's leading cloud software company powering social good, is expecting #GivingTuesday to put up its highest online giving numbers in its six-year history. This despite the unprecedented year in natural disasters and domestic and foreign terrorism events on the news every night asking for support and donations. The question is - are people still willing to give? The answer is a resounding, yes!

'Blackbaud has exclusive access to the world's most robust set of philanthropic data and even with the repeated calls for giving this year in response to an amazing series of events, we can tell you we don't see any donor fatigue leading into #GivingTuesday and end-of-year giving,' said Steve MacLaughlin, Blackbaud's vice president of data and analytics. 'Blackbaud has seen consistent double-digit, year-over-year growth in online donations since we began tracking #GivingTuesday in 2012 and with a 317 percent growth in online donations to date, we anticipate a record breaking year for 2017.'

Blackbaud is ringing the opening bell at Nasdaq on #GivingTuesday with organizations that have stood up for victims of multiple disasters in recent months all around the globe. 'Blackbaud is proud to partner with charities like ShelterBox, World Vision, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, the Houston SPCA and more on this #GivingTuesday as they continue their missions to rebuild communities in the wake of so many disasters,' said Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud's vice president of corporate citizenship and philanthropy.

'On this #GivingTuesday, Catholic Charities USA is highlighting the plight of the vulnerable and persons in need in America. Millions of our sisters and brothers are without shelter, including far too many of our veterans. Donations from today will help Catholic Charities serve vulnerable populations by providing housing and a wide range of other services,' said Anthony Sciacca, chief development officer for Catholic Charities USA.

Online giving to human services organizations after recent disasters was up 12.9 percent and to international relief organizations was up 14.1 percent year-over-year. 'Our research shows donors will continue giving monthly planned gifts and seasonal end-of-year gifts to the causes that touch them personally - regardless of other gifts for disaster related relief efforts,' MacLaughlin added. 'They are continuing to go above and beyond this year as giving is up 2.2 percent compared to this time last year.'

'Social media continues to be instrumental in allowing us to mobilize the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors to help those impacted by an historic hurricane season,' said Louise Welch Williams regional CEO for the Palmetto SC Region of the American Red Cross. 'For example, we've sheltered more people than we have in the last five years combined.'

With more people displaced today than in any time in recorded history, the need for organizations like ShelterBox is massive. And in this year of unprecedented disasters, donations enabled the organization to bring lifesaving aid to families wherever the need is greatest. 'ShelterBox is preparing every day for the worst day ever,' said Kerri Murray president of ShelterBox USA. 'We use data to help us understand areas endemic to disasters and communities that are most vulnerable to these events. #GivingTuesday provides a tremendous opportunity for people around the world to give their time, talent and resources, which is what makes our work possible.'

#GivingTuesday is an online, global giving phenomenon that follows the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, giving holiday-minded shoppers an alternative way to give back and pay it forward in the spiritof the season. 'Research has shown that generosity can be contagious, spreading up to three degrees, even to people we don't know. This holiday season World Vision and Thirty-One Gifts are putting that theory to the test, harnessing the power of social media to spark a million generous acts across America to light up the world for others in need,' said Wendy Piñero-DePencier, World Vision vice-president of brand and campaigns. 'When you choose to shine bright in one child's life it creates a domino effect of generosity around you, ultimately cascading into more gifts that enable families and communities to climb out of poverty.'

#GivingTuesday continues to prove it is more than a hashtag and the results for organizations around the globe continue to rise. To date, #GivingTuesday has helped a broad range of organizations raise more than $177 million from millions of people in over 98 countries. For more information about #GivingTuesday and to get involved, visit https://www.blackbaud.com/givingtuesday.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community-nonprofits, foundations, corporations, education institutions, healthcare institutions and individual change agents-Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through software, services, expertise, and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility, school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing, and analytics. Serving the industry for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.

Media Contact
Nicole McGougan
Public Relations Manager
843.654.3307
media@blackbaud.com

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, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. 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 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.

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SOURCE Blackbaud, Inc.