"We are excited to extend this initiative to all our locations, engaging our employees in the giving process, and ultimately helping nonprofits accomplish the essential work they do."
"The Community Matters Grants Program allows us to invest in the nonprofit sector throughout the year in the many communities where employees work and live," said Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud's director of corporate citizenship and philanthropy. "We are excited to extend this initiative to all our locations, engaging our employees in the giving process, and ultimately helping nonprofits accomplish the essential work they do."

The expanded grant program will continue Blackbaud's longstanding commitment to funding grant requests focused on education of disadvantaged populations, general operations and capacity building. Launched in January, the Blackbaud Community Matters Grants Program will make grants throughout the year to nonprofits in communities where the company has offices.

Having just concluded a grant cycle in Charleston, the Community Matters Grants Program is now open in Austin. Nonprofits in Travis and Williamson counties can submit applications through May 24. Funding decisions will be announced in July. To qualify, organizations need to have budgets of less than $2 million, seek funding from various sources for the same proposal, implement the program or project within a 12-month period and have been in existence for more than one year.

For more information or to apply, visit www.blackbaud.com/communitymatters.
Following Austin, the program will expand to Cambridge, Mass. and other domestic office locations with a deadline of June 30, with the exception of Indianapolis and all international office locations, which have a deadline of September 30.

2013 Community Matters Grants Program Charleston-area Grantees

Working under the guidance of the Coastal Community Foundation and Tina Fei, a Blackbaud technical writer and grants committee leader, a group of Charleston-based employee volunteers reviewed applications, conducted site visits and made final funding recommendations for this year's grantees.

"Blackbaud's support will enable the kids at Chicora Elementary School to develop critical social and emotional skills that will lead to success in school and in life," said Bridget Laird, chief executive officer of WINGS for Kids, one of the Charleston grantees. "We are thrilled to be a partner."

The following organizations were selected to receive grants:

WINGS for Kids
Communities in Schools of the Charleston Area
Charleston Volunteers for Literacy
Charleston Academy of Music
Avian Conservation Center
Metanoia
Florence Crittenton of South Carolina
Children's Museum of the Lowcountry
For more information or to submit an application, visit www.blackbaud.com/communitymatters.