Blackbaud Advances Fundraising Through Strategic Partnership with the Association of Fundraising Professionals

At AFP ICON This Week, Blackbaud Will Preview Technology Advancements for its Flagship Fundraising Software 

Charleston, S.C. (April 4, 2024) — Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, is pleased to continue its strategic partnership with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is delighted to be the presenting sponsor of the AFP ICON conference, which kicks off April 7 in Toronto.

AFP ICON is the largest gathering of fundraising professionals in the world, attracting more than three thousand fundraising professionals each year. At this year’s conference, Blackbaud will preview new capabilities for Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT®, giving a “sneak peek” at new fundraising AI for the software that powers the fundraising work of so many of the conference attendees – in advance of its upcoming Product Update Briefing, where even more updates will be shared.

In addition, Blackbaud will host five educational sessions at the conference on topics ranging from using AI to optimize fundraising workflows, to emerging trends in the charitable sector in Canada, AFP ICON’s host country. The company will also partner with AFP on its Be the Cause Campaign, where Blackbaud will make a donation for the first 750 donors to the campaign.

“It’s an honor to continue our ongoing partnership with AFP to advance effective and ethical fundraising around the world,” said Catherine LaCour, chief marketing officer, Blackbaud. “Through the provision of scholarships, leadership development opportunities, educational programs and insights, we hope to further equip and empower fundraisers in their missions to make the world better. While we’re consistently connected with our customers and engaged in our support of AFP year-round, the energy of being together in person is something very special, and this gathering of the fundraising community is among the highlights in our year.”

Blackbaud has been a prominent supporter of AFP’s inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) efforts for the last several years to support leadership development within the fundraising community. Through the Blackbaud Development Fund, the AFP Foundation has been able to provide scholarships to fundraisers from underrepresented groups to attend events such as AFP LEAD, AFP’s annual leadership conference, and AFP ICON. Blackbaud has also provided support for AFP’s Emerging Leaders Mentor Program, which connects young professionals and those new to the profession with mentors to help develop leadership skills and create an inclusive and equitable future for the profession.

“Blackbaud’s partnership has been invaluable as AFP has expanded our commitment to IDEA,” said Chris Amos, senior director, business development for AFP. “Their dedication to social impact is evident in their unwavering support of programs that advance ethical fundraising and equitable access to leadership opportunities. We’re excited to welcome them back in 2024 as a Strategic Partner and the Presenting Sponsor of AFP ICON and AFP LEAD. All of us at AFP are pleased to continue to work with Blackbaud and look forward to the expertise they will provide in the year ahead.”

AFP ICON attendees can learn more by visiting Blackbaud’s booth, #607 in the Exchange.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud’s essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud’s solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, Quartz’s list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. 

About AFP
Since 1960, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has been the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising. The association works to advance effective and ethical philanthropy by providing advocacy, research, education, mentoring, collaboration and technology opportunities for the world’s largest network of professional fundraisers. AFP’s 26,000 members in more than 240 chapters raise over $100 billion annually for a wide variety of charitable organizations and causes across the globe. For more information, go to www.afpglobal.org.

About the AFP Partners Program
The AFP Partners Program provides participating organizations with year-round opportunities to engage the fundraising community and pursue corporate social responsibility through tangential support of the causes for which they work. Through thought leadership, marketing, content, and professional development channels, AFP Partners position themselves as industry leaders committed to advancing philanthropy and ethical fundraising worldwide. Their financial and programmatic support also enables AFP to develop highly competent fundraisers and educate the public on the industry’s ability to fuel societal change in critical arenas like education, healthcare, community development, equity and inclusion, and countless other missions.   

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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.