AUSTIN, Texas, May 29, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Convio, Inc. today announced that the newest version of its data synchronization product, Convio DataSync 3.7, allows nonprofits to integrate constituent data from Convio's online systems to nearly 20 widely used offline donor and membership databases. Such integration gives an organization a more complete and accurate picture of its supporters, which is key for optimizing fundraising, marketing, advocacy and communications.
Convio -- the leading online Constituent Relationship Management (eCRM) company for the nonprofit sector -- provides software and services that help organizations use the Internet for more effective fundraising, marketing, advocacy, events management, communications and management of constituent relationships. Convio has helped approximately 50 clients successfully integrate their Convio online systems to offline databases so they can conduct integrated fundraising, marketing and advocacy campaigns. Those offline databases include Blackbaud Raiser's Edge, SofterWare DonorPerfect, Target Software Team Approach, MIP Millennium and SofTrek Pledgemaker as well as systems by Public Interest Data Inc. and MEMSYS.
Among those nonprofit groups using Convio because it provides a complete solution with integration features are the AVON Foundation, which hosts AVON Walk for Breast Cancer events nationwide (www.avonwalk.org), and KCET Community Television of Southern California, PBS' Los Angeles-based flagship station on the West Coast (http://support.kcet.org). With Convio, AVON is able to accurately and efficiently add constituents' online transactions to its DonorPerfect database and set up walk participants who register by mail with online tools for volunteer fundraising. KCET now can put all member data (interests, donations, volunteer history, etc.) collected offline and online into a single database and leverage it for more effective online communications; additionally, the station's customer service center can provide better service by using this database to instantly get a complete view of members who call.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (www.cbf.org) uses Convio because it integrates with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge.
"Before Convio, we had multiple sets of information on the same constituents stored in separate databases. If someone had participated as an activist by responding to online action alerts, for example, there was a record of his history in an online advocacy constituent database and if he also donated by mail, there was another record in a separate offline, donor database," said Chuck Fox, Vice President of External Affairs, Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "But to optimize a constituent's involvement with your organization, you need one complete record for each supporter, reflecting all of his activities, whether they occur online or offline. After closely evaluating vendors, we switched to Convio because it is the only company that provides a single system for continually collecting constituent data online and integrating it into offline databases, and vice versa."
Convio DataSync makes Convio the most tightly integrated online solution for nonprofits because it ensures that as new constituents register on a Web site and interact online, the latest data can be exported in the proper format for import into offline databases, e.g., new constituent records, gift records, address updates, event registrations and other important information. The organization then can easily use the information to also communicate with and solicit constituents through offline methods such as direct mail and telemarketing. Conversely, Convio DataSync lets nonprofits upload valuable constituent information stored offline for enhancing segmentation and personalization of online campaigns. Convio DataSync 3.7 also includes the new Constituent Matching(tm) feature, which helps eliminate the possibility of wasteful, duplicate and/or inaccurate records being created in offline databases.
"Nonprofits want to speak to constituents with one voice whether they're communicating online or offline and the ability to do so depends, in large part, on how well an organization maintains and integrates online and offline donor and member databases," said Vinay Bhagat, founder and CEO, Convio, Inc. "Yet, most tools for managing constituent relationships online fall short because they lack the ability to synchronize online data with offline constituent databases. In contrast, Convio enables the tightest integration between these two sets of very important information."
About Convio
Convio is the leading online Constituent Relationship Management (eCRM) company serving the nonprofit sector. Convio provides Internet software and services that help organizations attract, motivate and retain constituents for fundraising, advocacy and other forms of support. 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 the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the AVON Foundation and KCET Community Television of Southern California, 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, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, National Trust For Historic Preservation, Georgetown University and the University of Texas at Austin's alumni association, the Texas Exes. For more information, please visit www.convio.com.
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