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Canadian Social Good Organizations Turn Supporters into Advocates With Newly Released JustGiving® from Blackbaud

Science World sees early results from the solution as its Nerd-a-thon resonates nationally

Charleston, S.C. (October 7, 2020) Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, today announced it is expanding an early access program for a fundraising solution with no subscription cost that will help Canadian social good organizations quickly generate revenue. JustGiving® from Blackbaud provides a turnkey solution for organizations to create online fundraising campaigns when many face heightened challenges due to COVID-19.

“We are expanding the opportunities to participate in our early access program for JustGiving® from Blackbaud because we know it can be a game-changer for social good organizations at this critical moment,” said Allan Hoffmann, president and general manager for Blackbaud’s Canada team. “We are already working to fine-tune this solution for Canada with several organizations, including Science World in British Columbia, which is seeing phenomenal results with its continuing Nerd-a-thon. While this is an unprecedented move for Blackbaud in Canada, we didn’t want to wait any longer to offer this opportunity to as many organizations as possible.”

JustGiving® from Blackbaud provides easy crowdfunding and do-it-yourself abilities that turn supporters into advocates who can further engage family, friends and colleagues. Blackbaud is already offering the flexible fundraising solution widely in other markets, including the United Kingdom and United States, and in coming months will continue to work on optimizations for Canada. The approach has proven effective during COVID-19, as organizations have pivoted from in-person events to virtual fundraisers. 

Science World Nerds Out with Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Science World asked to join the early access program in Canada as the charitable organization quickly created its clever Nerd-a-thon, which launched in July. JustGiving® from Blackbaud “clicked all the boxes,” according to Nancy Roper, Science World’s vice president of development. “From our point of view, it was efficient, easy, secure, and allowed us to personalize the campaign for what we needed in our brand and our message.” 

Due to COVID-19, Science World’s iconic Vancouver attraction saw an immediate revenue drop of 85%, leaving the charitable organization’s vital outreach education programs throughout the province at risk. After attracting national media coverage the first weekend after its launch, Science World’s The World Needs More Nerds campaign has raised over $150,000 from new donors, with a new phase that incorporates a $100,000 matching challenge from gaming entrepreneur Jesse Houston and his wife Erica. 

From the start, the campaign has highlighted science celebrities—such as B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield—while encouraging all nerds to get involved with easy-to-follow guidance on how to make the challenge their own. “There’s a variety of ways you can celebrate your nerdiness and support the organization,” Roper said.

Learn more about JustGiving® from Blackbaud in Canada here

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud 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, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit  www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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