“Our major donors will now be able to access real-time financial information in a secure and personalized setting. They will no longer need to contact our office and wait for us to print and mail the statement,” said Brian Lewis, program director for the Montana Community Foundation, which holds more than 550 endowed funds. “In addition, organizations and fund-seekers will be able to view and apply for funding opportunities online. The donor and grant portals will enable us to operate more efficiently and effectively.”

According to the Grantmaker’s Information Technology Survey and Report, a study conducted by the Council on Foundations and its Technology Affinity Group in 2007, foundations are facing a need for online grant applications and online donor services, database integration with other applications, and website expansion and maintenance.

The recent enhancements to Blackbaud NetCommunity were developed to address those issues and were built using its open Application Program Interface (API). “With the Blackbaud NetCommunity API, we can not only easily integrate GrantedGE for grant management, but also leverage it to build online tools that extend the power of the solution and provide the type of sophisticated functionality that has previously been reserved only for ‘for-profit’ organizations,” said Fred Armistead, senior vice president of products for Fusion Labs.

In its new configuration, Blackbaud NetCommunity for foundations provides donors, fund advisors and foundation staff with the ability to securely monitor financial information online, recommend grants to nonprofit organizations and other eligible recipients, allow grant-seekers to apply online, and eliminate the inefficient paper trail associated with the traditional grant application process.

Blackbaud’s solution for community foundations is the industry’s most comprehensive and tightly integrated solution for grant-making organizations. Comprised of The Financial Edge™ for financial management, The Raiser’s Edge® for donor management, and Blackbaud NetCommunity for foundations, more than 80 community foundations use components of, or the complete Blackbaud solution. Foundations can also include Fusion Labs’ GrantedGE for grant management to provide a complete back-office platform.

“Community foundations serve a sophisticated group of donors that expect the highest level of accountability and want to be actively involved in the allocation and usage of their contributions,” said Lou Attanasi, Blackbaud’s senior vice president of products. “Donors and fund advisors will now be empowered to access their giving history, allocate funds, define interests, and become more engaged in the giving process. Additionally, grant-seeking organizations can view grant opportunities and apply online, increasing efficiency for all involved.”

www.blackbaud.com/communityfoundations