2 University Foundations Select Blackbaud for Fundraising Management

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 02/19/08

Both the University of Iowa Foundation and the University of Nebraska Foundation have selected software from Blackbaud to manage their respective fundraising efforts.

The Iowa campus has purchased the vendor's Higher Education Solution, which includes modules for constituent relationship management, direct marketing and Web site personalization. The UI Foundation, which completed a $1.05 billion capital campaign in 2005, has nearly 700,000 entities in its database, including 230,000 living alumni.

The UI Foundation said in a statement that it had outgrown its custom-built fundraising programs and needed new tools to adapt to changing business practices. The Foundation will also support the University of Iowa Alumni Association through the solution.

The University of Nebraska Foundation is the fundraising organization serving the four-campus system of that campus. It also provides alumni information and records support for each of the University's alumni associations.

The Foundation is replacing its existing systems with The Raiser's Edge, an amalgam of fundraising tools; The Financial Edge, a nonprofit accounting system; as well as modules for Web site personalization and direct marketing.

"We believe Blackbaud will help us create a solution that meets our needs and will make us a more effective fundraising organization," said Kevin Meyer, senior vice president of systems development for the foundation.
Software from Blackbaud is already in use at Oklahoma State University, University of Arizona, and Florida State University.