AUSTIN, March 22, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Just 150 days after going live with Convio(R), the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March mobilized 163,000 advocates to take action online, prompting the U.S. Senate to vote down proposed legislation that would have shielded gun manufacturers and dealers from being sued over gun-related crimes.
S. 1805 (Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act), or the so-called Immunity Bill, sought to "prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages resulting from the misuse of their products by others" according to language in the now-defeated measure.
Convio, Inc. 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. The Brady Campaign/Million Mom March is one of the nation's leading gun safety advocacy groups.
The legislative victory for the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March came in early March, only 20 weeks after the organization began using Convio's online advocacy tools to help influence members of Congress to support gun control measures. In the days immediately preceding the Senate's action, the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March stepped up its use of Convio and got supporters to send more than 125,000 advocacy emails to senators and President Bush in a single 24-hour period. Ninety-eight percent of these emails were delivered due to "persistence," or advanced delivery, features in Convio's advocacy tools. The Convio-powered initiative played a crucial role in influencing the Senate vote.
"Convio has enabled us, in just a few months, to build a large, powerful online campaign and then accelerate it right before a measure goes to the floor of Congress to try to get lawmakers to vote our way," said Chris Carr, chief operating officer of the Brady Campaign. "As a result, we had one of the biggest legislative victories our movement has seen in a decade -- a big achievement. The online capability Convio gave us would be a powerful advantage for any advocacy group."
Strategic Approach Combined with Powerful Online Tools
The Brady Campaign/Million Mom March's recent legislative success was achieved through a broad-based strategy that included a heavy focus on strategic use of the Internet for attracting, retaining and motivating constituents. The group began using Convio's email marketing and Web content tools in mid-October 2003 to quickly build an email list, asking people to sign its highly publicized, celebrity-studded "National Rifle Association blacklist" petition (www.NRABlacklist.com) in support of strong domestic policy to prevent gun violence. In the first three months of this initiative, the campaign tripled its email database to 115,000 people. Now, at the five-month milestone, 163,000 people have signed the petition and opted-in to receive communications from the organization. (For more information on the initial email list building phase of this campaign, please visit www.convio.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=2600928&news_iv_ctrl=1164.)
The Brady Campaign/Million Mom March communicates frequently with opted-in supporters to keep them informed and engaged, and also to drive additional forms of participation and support. The organization's email communications and Web pages also include appeals for donations, most recently to help pay for print and television advertising before the Senate vote. So far, the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March has used Convio fundraising tools to process nearly 4,000 donations online.
"The Brady Campaign/Million Mom March's success in such a short period of time speaks to the strength of Convio's advocacy offering, which we've developed through working closely with today's leading cause-driven nonprofits," said Gene Austin, CEO, Convio. "Advocacy groups now can use the Internet to quickly ramp up and have significant impact in days and weeks."
This spring, the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March will use Convio TeamRaiser(TM) Center so constituents can participate in another way -- as volunteer fundraisers enlisting friends and relatives for a Mother's Day march in Washington, D.C. Volunteers will use TeamRaiser tools to build personal Web pages explaining why they support the cause, then email others to visit these pages and sign up for the march, make a donation, sign the NRA blacklist petition and/or organize their own team for the event. (For more information on TeamRaiser Center, please visit www.convio.com/teamraiser.)
About Brady Campaign United with the Million Mom March
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March is the nation's largest national, non-partisan, chapter-based grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence. The organization 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.