AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 9, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Nearly one-third of the $2.35 million raised by the 12th Annual Y-ME RACE Against Breast Cancer came in online -- further evidence that the Internet is an increasingly important method for reaching constituents and driving donations as well as other forms of support, according to Convio, Inc.
Convio is the online partner of Chicago-based Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, which hosts the annual Y-ME RACE to increase awareness and generate a portion of the group's $5 million operating budget. Y-ME provides information, empowerment and peer support to anyone touched by breast cancer so that no one faces breast cancer alone.
Convio is the leading provider of Internet software and services to help nonprofits become more effective at fundraising and managing constituent relationships. To boost participation, giving and administrative efficiency for this year's RACE (held on Mother's Day in Chicago's Grant Park), Y-ME used Convio TeamRaiser. TeamRaiser enables volunteers to easily create personal Web pages explaining why they are involved and then send emails to friends and relatives asking them to visit these pages where they are encouraged to register for the event and make donations.
Total donations to Y-ME as a result of the 2003 RACE were $2.35 million, up from last year's $1.8 million, with more than 31 percent coming in through the Internet. Thousands of the race's 25,000 walkers and runners registered and donated online. The 19,650 online donations this year represented nearly a four-fold increase from 5,000 in 2002. Y-ME estimates it saved $20,000 in data entry, paperwork and mailing costs as a result of using Convio. (For a complete case study, please visit www.convio.com/yme)
"Convio has contributed greatly to the success of this year's event," said Margaret C. Kirk, Chief Executive Officer, Y-ME. "With TeamRaiser's powerful yet easy-to-use online tools for volunteer fundraising, we've seen a surge in online RACE registration and donations. And because volunteers recruit and solicit online, the increases have not put an extra administrative burden on our small staff of 30 people."
Convio TeamRaiser automatically acknowledges donations with real-time, IRS-compliant on-screen messages and email receipts. Additionally, when logged in to personal Web pages, a volunteer fundraiser can view reports on campaign progress and then send personalized, group emails to thank registrants and re-solicit potential recruits who have not yet responded. (For more information on Convio TeamRaiser, please visit www.convio.com/teamraiser)
"There are some important lessons for nonprofits in Y-ME's online success," said Gene Austin, CEO, Convio. "First, the Internet is a powerful channel for communicating with and involving constituents. Second, online fundraising isn't just for large nonprofits with big staff and budgets. Third, the Internet has created new, highly efficient and effective ways for volunteers to drive awareness, participation and fundraising, and contribute to mission fulfillment without creating more administrative work or costs for an organization."
About Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
The mission of Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization is to ensure, through information, empowerment and peer support, that no one faces breast cancer alone. To fulfill this mission, Y-ME provides information and support to those touched by breast cancer at www.y-me.org and through the 24-hour Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization Hotline, which is staffed entirely by trained peer counselors who are breast cancer survivors. Additionally, 10 Affiliates throughout the nation provide support groups, early detection workshops, wigs and prostheses for women with limited resources, and/or monitor local and state-level breast cancer related policies in their respective communities. Most programs and services are available in Spanish. If you or someone you know needs breast cancer information or support, call the 24-hour Y-ME National Breast Cancer Hotline at 1-800-221-2141 or 1-800-986-9505 (Spanish). Translators are available in nearly 150 languages on the Hotline.
About Convio, Inc.
Convio is the leading online Constituent Relationship Management (eCRM) company serving the nonprofit sector. Convio's offering of Internet software and services helps organizations attract, motivate and retain constituents for fundraising, marketing and advocacy as well as other forms of support and participation. Convio's product suite includes modules for Web content management, email marketing, general fundraising and membership, advocacy, special events, volunteer fundraising and also online directories and surveys. The Convio platform automatically shares data among all product modules and with offline databases, giving nonprofits a unified and more complete view of each constituent so staff can conduct personalized and targeted marketing. Convio also offers consulting services to help nonprofits adopt online marketing best practices.
In addition to Y-ME, Convio's clients include several presidential campaigns, Easter Seals, American Diabetes Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, AVON Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, KCET Community Television of Southern California, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, National Trust For Historic Preservation and Georgetown University. For more information, please visit www.convio.com.
The Convio logo is available at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=340