Blackbaud acquires U.K. fundraising competitor

Acquisition of AppealMaster part of expanded focus on international markets

Charleston, SC (July 30, 2002) – Blackbaud, the leader in bringing technology to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, announced today that it has acquired AppealMaster from New Generation Consultancy in Devon, England. The acquisition builds on Blackbaud’s 13-year commitment to serving the technology needs of U.K. nonprofits and is part of an expanded focus on international markets.

“Blackbaud has a long history of service to the U.K. nonprofit community,” said Robert J. Sywolski, CEO of Blackbaud. “The acquisition of AppealMaster further solidifies our leadership in the United Kingdom – home to one of the world’s leading charitable communities.”

Celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year, Blackbaud serves the technology needs of 12,000 organizations located in 48 countries. Prior to the acquisition, more than 500 nonprofits in the United Kingdom alone used The Raiser’s Edge®, the company’s market-leading fundraising software, to manage their efforts.

Paul Steadman, managing director of New Generation Consultancy, will work with Blackbaud in the area of product strategy, in addition to assisting AppealMaster clients.

“I am particularly pleased that as part of the deal I have been asked to join the headquarters’ team that defines product strategy,” said Steadman. “This appointment is made with a view to integrating some of the strongest features of AppealMaster into The Raiser’s Edge both to strengthen the company’s global offering and also to ensure Blackbaud is even more focused on the needs of the U.K. and European markets.”

In an effort to help nonprofits share ideas about how to best use technology to meet their needs, Blackbaud will host its first annual European Conference for Nonprofits in London this October. The theme of the event, which is one of three educational conferences held by Blackbaud for nonprofit professionals, is “Making Technology Work for Nonprofits.” More than 150 delegates are expected to attend.

For more info on the Conference, please click the following link – http://www.blackbaud.com/events/bbconf_europe.asp.

About Blackbaud, Inc.

Blackbaud is the leading provider of relationship-building software, services and Web-based solutions to the nonprofit and educational community worldwide. More than 12,000 organizations use Blackbaud products and services to achieve success in fundraising, financial management and education administration. Blackbaud offers three product families – The Raiser’s Edge®, The Financial Edge(tm) and Education Administration(tm), in addition to a wide range of consulting and educational services. Founded in 1981, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, and has offices in Glasgow, Scotland, and Sydney, Australia.

For more information, please contact:

Rachel Hutchisson
Director of Corporate Communications

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