AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 30, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Gearing up for a busy year on Capitol Hill, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March has more than tripled the number of people in its email constituent base in the first 90 days of using Convio(r). The organization also motivated 40 percent of constituents to take action online by signing a petition in support of stronger gun laws.
Convio is the leading provider of software and services to help nonprofit organizations use the Internet to develop a strong base of constituents to donate, advocate, volunteer and provide other forms of mission-critical support.
Since going live with Convio in mid-October, the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March, which works to raise awareness of the need for stronger gun laws, has prompted more than 115,000 people to sign its online National Rifle Association (NRA) "blacklist" petition to express concerns that pending legislation would weaken current gun control policy. In addition to signing the petition, these constituents are added to the group's database so that the organization can communicate and develop relationships with them, and drive participation in advocacy.
"The legislative issues that we face in 2004 require us to quickly mobilize supporters to take action," said Chris Carr, chief operating officer of the Brady Campaign. "Convio is helping us to grow our support base at an exponential pace and generate a huge response rate -- 40 percent is unheard of! We also now have the advantage of very powerful reporting tools. At any moment, we can assess the effectiveness of specific online calls-to-action, drilling down to responses by regions and other demographics so we can adjust our tactics immediately in a targeted approach, as needed."
The Brady Campaign/Million Mom March online blacklist initiative is designed to create a sense of urgency about gun violence prevention and specifically, relevant pending federal legislation, including the Assault Weapons ban, which is set to expire in September. The NRA actually created a "blacklist" to call public attention to celebrities and organizations that oppose its public policy positions. By signing the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March petition, gun safety advocates are "asking" the NRA to put them on the "blacklist" and sending the message that they support strong domestic gun violence prevention policies. The NRA "blacklist" includes many celebrities, among them, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Dustin Hoffman, Jerry Seinfeld, Britney Spears and Jack Nicholson.
Convio powers the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March's Web site, www.StopTheNRA.com, which provides a link to the NRA "blacklist" petition, www.NRABlacklist.com. The group uses Convio email tools to reach out to and drive constituents to the petition Web site. Supporters who sign the petition can also use Convio's "tell a friend," or viral, email marketing features to send emails to relatives and friends about the petition and encourage them to likewise take action.
The Brady Campaign/Million Mom March plans to use Convio's volunteer fundraising solution, Convio TeamRaiser(tm), which enables supporters 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 and support the organization by signing the "blacklist" and donating. The organization's 81 chapters nationwide can use these tools to drive local market participation in marches or virtual events and fundraising.
The organization is using Convio DataSync to synchronize constituent data gathered through online interactions with its offline database, ROI Solution, which is critical for conducting integrated marketing and communications programs.
"Regardless of your position on gun issues, the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March is an excellent example of the power of the Internet to mobilize tremendous support in a matter of weeks," said Gene Austin, CEO of Convio. "You would be hard pressed to find a traditional method of reaching constituents that generates such strong results in just 90 days. Virtually all nonprofits can be achieving similar impact if they make the Internet a key element of their strategy and operations."
About Brady Campaign United with the Million Mom March
As the nation's largest national, non-partisan, chapter-based grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March is dedicated to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in their communities.
About Convio, Inc.
Convio is the leading provider of software and services that help nonprofit organizations use the Internet to build strong constituent relationships to drive support and participation. Convio has online solution centers for fundraising and membership, advocacy, special events, volunteer fundraising, Web site management, email communications and alumni relations. All centers include the Constituent360(tm) platform, a sophisticated, online marketing database that centralizes constituent data and integrates with offline databases. This gives nonprofits a unified view of constituent interests and motivations -- key for personalized and targeted outreach and communications. Convio also provides services and consulting to help nonprofits achieve success online.
In addition to the Brady Campaign United with the Million Mom March, Convio's clients include 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, National Trust For Historic Preservation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, KCET Community Television of Southern California, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Georgetown University and the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. For more information, please visit www.convio.com.
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