Blackbaud Celebrates Earth Day with “Green Week”
Charleston, S.C., April 20, 2009 — Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced that in celebration of Earth Day, two Blackbaud employee-led organizations – Greenbaud and Team Blackbaud – are partnering to educate employees on “going green” with the 2009 Blackbaud Green Week.
The event series will focus on providing employees with tips to make their lives more environmentally friendly, helping them become aware of their local impact through an educational session, and introducing them to organizations in their community making a difference.
“Greenbaud helps Blackbaud and its employees make the world a greener place,” said Brian Cook, an enterprise account executive at Blackbaud who leads the employee organization. “We do so by providing education and encouragement, implementing conservation and sustainability initiatives, and sharing research and results with other organizations and individuals to inspire them to help the environment.”
Team Blackbaud, a group of employees that encourages grassroots volunteerism, is partnering with Greenbaud to present Green Week, as the group’s current quarterly volunteer focus is on the environment.
During the 2009 Blackbaud Green Week, Greenbaud and Team Blackbaud are encouraging employees to:
· Get INFORMED – on Tuesday, April 21 by sharing tips on how they can lessen their environmental impact
· Get EDUCATED – on Wednesday, April 22 by listening to guest speaker Josh Martin from the Coastal Conservation League
· Get ENGAGED –on Thursday, April 23 by attending the Green Fair at its Charleston-SC headquarters that will promote local sustainable businesses and organizations as well as green practices and products
Green Week is just one of Greenbaud’s ongoing projects. The organization is a grassroots movement dedicated to reducing Blackbaud’s and its employees’ impact on the environment on both a personal and corporate level.
Since its founding in 2007, the organization has led several green initiatives:
· In 2008, Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits went paperless saving 300,000 sheets of paper. Attendees were also provided with reusable bags and water bottles.
· Greenbaud is participating in an Adopt-A-Beach program, regularly cleaning up a mile-long stretch of beach.
· Greenbaud’s efforts led to the removal of all Styrofoam cups from employee break rooms, encouraging employees to use reusable mugs.
· All new employees are trained on how they can minimize their environmental impact at work.
· Recycling efforts have been reinforced by providing each employee with desk side containers and adding battery and cell phone recycling capabilities.
· Light monitoring technology is being installed in bathrooms to minimize energy consumption.
“Organizations like Greenbaud and Team Blackbaud demonstrate our employees’ commitment to philanthropy and the environment,” said Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud’s director of corporate relations. “Both of these organizations have done an outstanding job of mobilizing employees to create change, and we are proud to support them in their efforts.”
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 22,000 organizations — including University of Arizona Foundation, American Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, The Taft School,Lincoln Center, InTouch Ministries, Tulsa Community Foundation, Ursinus College,Earthjustice, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the WGBH Educational Foundation — use one or more Blackbaud products and services for fundraising, constituent relationship management, financial management, website management, direct marketing, education administration, ticketing, business intelligence, 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.
