Blackbaud Launches Guide Creative Focused on Nonprofit Design

Charleston, SC, May 31, 2012—Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced the launch of Guide Creative™, a full service design agency exclusively serving nonprofits that offers strategy and branding services, web design and development, mobile and social strategy, and analysis. Guide Creative offers web design and development services for organizations using both Blackbaud products, including Blackbaud NetCommunity™ and Blackbaud Sphere®, and open-source platforms, like WordPress®.

In celebration of the launch, Guide Creative is holding a contest, with prizes including free design services, ranging from branding and strategic web design, to social strategy. Nonprofits can enter at www.guidecreative.com.

“Guide Creative is focused on helping nonprofits bring their missions to life,” said Kelley Jarrett, the group’s market manager. “From developing a brand to creating an online presence, our experts guide nonprofits through the storytelling process with effective and impactful branding and design.”

The new Guide Creative team has more than 150 years of combined experience and draws from Blackbaud’s existing team of interactive designers, adding new design experts that range from former nonprofit professionals to principals of independent design firms.

Designers from Guide Creative recently worked with Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International to enhance branding, donor engagement and search engine optimization (SEO). In the first quarter after going live, the organization saw immediate results from the redesign of its site and SEO consulting. $45,000 more was raised in the 1st quarter of the year compared to the year before, direct traffic went up by 45 percent, bounce rates dropped by 5 percent, average page views went up by 18 percent, and average time on the site per user increased by 26 percent. In addition, as a result of the strong style guide and SEO best practices that were delivered to Dian Fossey as part of the design cycle process, site content has remained fresh in the months following their go-live.