Solution will be used by all programs and ministries to better serve 6200
congregations and 2.4 million members
CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blackbaud, Inc.
(Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced that The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS)
will partner with the company on a multi-year project to change the
organization's strategic approaches to constituent relationship management,
financial management, and online collaboration. With the aid of Blackbaud's
solutions and services, the LCMS will develop new business processes,
procedures, and information systems to support a holistic view of the
constituent.
"This project will play a key role in our continuing effort to fully
engage our members and support our ministries in their work around the globe,"
said Ron Schultz, LCMS' chief administrative officer. "Blackbaud provides a
solution that will help us share the impact of the powerful work of the LCMS
and is a company committed to long-term product development and investment in
talented people that understand the mission of organizations like ours."
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is one of the largest Christian
denominations in North America and its members and congregations are committed
to communicating the love of Jesus Christ by word and deed. The LCMS works to
provide for member and non-member spiritual and physical needs through
missionary outreach, disaster response, human care, education, and other
services and ministries.
Several key issues contributed to the LCMS' desire to evaluate new
technology solutions. The LCMS has a diverse set of constituents including
donors, missionaries, pastors, local church members, relief workers, ministry
partners, educational institutions, and volunteers. The LCMS recognizes that a
single view of the constituent is necessary to provide optimal service and
stewardship. The organization will unify its applications with Blackbaud
Enterprise CRM(TM), powered by the Infinity platform, thereby eliminating its
dependency on multiple platforms. The project will also support the LCMS' goal
of streamlining financial management and delivering an improved online
experience.
"We are pleased to provide the solution that will help The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod achieve its goal of increasing engagement and
collaboration with its diverse community of constituents," said Marc Chardon,
Blackbaud's chief executive officer. "The LCMS will now be able to achieve a
holistic view of its members and supporters across all programs and
ministries, enabling a more personalized experience for constituents and
resulting in a more committed relationship with the LCMS."
The technology architecture of Blackbaud Enterprise CRM also played a key
role in the LCMS' decision. In order to maximize extensibility and data
security, organization leadership wanted to shift towards a shared services IT
environment based on a .NET architecture with true application integration and
interoperability.
"We were very impressed with the new Infinity platform-it is highly
scalable and extensible in many different ways to meet the unique requirements
of our diverse family of ministries," said Alan Meyer, executive director of
Concordia Technologies, which manages LCMS information technology resources
and support for users. "In addition, Blackbaud's people have the domain
expertise to help our team navigate a large transformation effort."
Hear more about the LCMS partnership in a video interview with Alan Meyer
at www.blackbaud.com/customers/faith-based/missourisynod.aspx.
With Blackbaud Enterprise CRM, the LCMS will now be able to:
-- Implement a CRM system and approach that extends across all
stakeholders and provides a single, 360-degree view of constituent
activity
-- Empower constituents, including donors, missionaries, volunteers, and
internal end users, with online data access, reporting, and
collaboration tools that improve the experience of engaging with the
LCMS
-- Improve fundraising operations to support best practices at all levels
-- Integrate relationship, revenue development, and financial management
for coordinated multi-channel marketing and effective reporting
-- Deliver collaborative Web 2.0 technologies for personalized and
dynamic relationship management with constituents
For more information about Blackbaud Enterprise CRM, visit
www.blackbaud.com/crm.
About The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
The St. Louis-based Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, founded in 1847, has
2.4 million baptized members in 6,170 congregations served by more than 9,000
pastors. The church, which ranks as one of the largest Christian
denominations in the United States, owns and operates the KFUO radio stations,
two seminaries, 10 colleges and universities, and the largest Protestant
parochial school system in America. The LCMS is in full doctrinal fellowship
with 30 other confessional Lutheran church bodies on six continents, supports
more than 800 missionaries in nearly 90 countries around the globe, and is a
founding partner of Lutheran Services in America, an alliance of two Lutheran
church bodies and their more than 300 social ministry organizations, with
budgets totaling more than $9 billion and serving one in every 50 Americans.
For more information, visit www.lcms.org.
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, InTouch 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 Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. For more information, visit
www.blackbaud.com.
Media Contacts:
Melanie Mathos
Blackbaud, Inc.
melanie.mathos@blackbaud.com
843.216.6200 x3307
Vicki Biggs
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
vicki.biggs@lcms.org
800.248.1930 x1236
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. 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 related to our dividend
policy and share repurchase program, including potential limitations on our
ability to grow and the possibility that we might discontinue payment of
dividends; risks relating to restrictions imposed by the credit facility;
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.
SOURCE Blackbaud, Inc.
-0- 02/03/2009
/CONTACT: Melanie Mathos of Blackbaud, Inc., +1-843-216-6200 x3307,
melanie.mathos@blackbaud.com; or Vicki Biggs of The Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod, +1-800-248-1930 x1236, vicki.biggs@lcms.org/
/Web Site: http://www.blackbaud.com
http://www.lcms.org /
(BLKB)
CO: Blackbaud, Inc.; The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
ST: South Carolina
IN: CPR STW
SU: NPT REL
PR
-- CL66013 --
1913 02/03/2009 09:06 EST http://www.prnewswire.com