Blackbaud Expands API Offerings for Blackbaud NetCommunity Customers

Gives The Raiser's Edge API to Blackbaud NetCommunity customers and launches Blackbaud Labs, a login-free API playground where developers can share code and receive community support Charleston, S.C

"To gain a truly complete view of their constituents, nonprofits need to be able to track the valuable information that is collected through the multiple ways that supporters interact with their organizations—both off- and online," said Shaw Drummond, vice president and general manager of Blackbaud Interactive, the company’s Internet solutions and services division. "We are pleased to offer The Raiser’s Edge API for free to Blackbaud NetCommunity customers so they can truly leverage connectivity with their source database, improve their constituent experiences, and increase the efficiency of their operations."

The Blackbaud NetCommunity API has been included free since the first version of the website management solution was released in 2004. The new Blackbaud-hosted wiki is also available to the public with no login required at Blackbaud Labs (http://labs.blackbaud.com/api.html), a new, user-friendly design playground built by the company's product development team to support the developer ecosystem that has grown around the platform.

By also providing the API for The Raiser's Edge, the company's fundraising management solution, developers who write custom applications or integrate third-party applications will be able to achieve much stronger integration. The Raiser's Edge API will be made available upon request to Blackbaud NetCommunity customers.

"What makes this platform so interesting," said Shaun Sullivan, Blackbaud's chief technology officer in a video statement (http://www.blackbaud.com/files/videos/shaun.wmv), "is that unlike typical APIs that are just there to facilitate integration between systems, this actually lets the developer add visual components and features to both the product (Blackbaud NetCommunity) and their website."

Customers already realizing the benefits of the Blackbaud NetCommunity API include The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation (USNA) and Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University.

• Read about USNA's web developer Garrett Keating's work with Blackbaud APIs at his blog Customizing Blackbaud NetCommunity (http://customizebbnc.blogspot.com/).
• Read about how the Cornell Lab of Ornithology built a variety of extensible parts for Blackbaud NetCommunity at Connections (http://forums.blackbaud.com/blogs/connections/archive/2008/02/27/blackbaud-netcommunity-api-is-for-the-birds.aspx), a Blackbaud blog.

At Blackbaud Labs, developers can view clear, easy to use documentation and samples, post samples to get feedback and receive community support in the form of wikis and forums. "Our vision for Blackbaud Labs is for it to be a fully independent, self-run community where people develop customizations that bring value to their own and other nonprofit organizations," said Sullivan. "That’s what it is all about—collaborating and finding new ways to share content."

View a sample of a custom transaction that uses both the Blackbaud NetCommunity and The Raiser's Edge APIs for processing volunteer updates in the Blackbaud NetCommunity API (http://labs.blackbaud.com/bbapiwiki/index.php?title=Samples#Processing_Custom_Transaction_.E2.80.93_Processing_Volunteer_Updates) section of Blackbaud Labs.

"Blackbaud is dedicated to a culture of openness," said Drummond. "Beyond our decision to extend our API offerings, we are also enhancing support of customized parts and development partners, and with every release and feature, continue to deepen our products' extensibility."

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, build strong relationships, and raise more money to support their missions. Approximately 19,000 organizations — including the American Red Cross, Dartmouth College, the WGBH Educational Foundation, Episcopal High School, Lincoln Center, Cancer Research UK, Special Olympics, and Arthritis Foundation — use one or more of Blackbaud products and services for fundraising, constituent relationship management, financial management, direct marketing, school administration, ticketing, business intelligence, website management, prospect research, consulting, and analytics. Since 1981, Blackbaud's sole focus and expertise has been partnering with nonprofits and providing them the solutions they need to make a difference in their local communities and worldwide. Headquartered in the United States, Blackbaud also has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.

Media Contact:
Melanie Milonas
Blackbaud, Inc.
843.216.6200 x3307

Source: Blackbaud

Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: management of integration of recently acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risk associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organizations; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks related to our dividend policy and share repurchase program, including potential limitations on our ability to grow and the possibility that we might discontinue payment of dividends; risks relating to restrictions imposed by the credit facility; risks associated with management of growth; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's websites at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department.

All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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Press Contact: Melanie Milonas
Company Name: Blackbaud, Inc.
Email: Email Us Here: http://www.prweb.com/emailmember.php?prid=796964
Phone: 843.216.6200 +3307
Website: http://labs.blackbaud.com/api.html

2008-03-24 19:36:52 0318903 PRWEB