DonorPerfect Fights Blackbaud’s Efforts to Monopolize Nonprofit Fundraising Software Market after Blackbaud Acquires Convio

SofterWare, Inc. restates its commitment to offering nonprofits a cost-effective and proven alternative to Blackbaud

Horsham, PA, January 18, 2012 – Blackbaud’s (BLKB) proposed $275 million acquisition of Convio (CNVO), announced recently, is a concern for many in the nonprofit community because it seeks to reduce needed competition and product choice.

“By removing Convio from the market, Blackbaud is continuing its strategy of attempting to limit competition and innovation,” noted Jon Biedermann, Vice President of Fundraising Products for SofterWare, makers of DonorPerfect. “There is a lot of overlap between Blackbaud and Convio products, and it’s very likely that Blackbaud will follow the same ‘forced-migration’ strategy they’ve used in their previous acquisitions, in order to reduce costs and increase profits for their shareholders.”

What’s Best for Nonprofits

The strong negative reaction in the nonprofit community is not surprising since this certainly creates uncertainty about which products will survive. Many Convio clients, like those who’ve chosen DonorPerfect, were looking for a more cost-effective and innovative alternative to Blackbaud. Now those Convio clients have very legitimate fears about losing the investment they’ve made. According to Douglas Schoenberg, SofterWare Co-founder and CEO, “We view our clients as one of our most valuable assets, but we don’t think that means that they should be bought and sold, like real estate. We know that may be contrary to the interests of private equity investors or public shareholders, which is one of the main reasons we’ve chosen to remain a private company, with no outside investors.”

DonorPerfect – A Proven Alternative to Blackbaud

“We strongly believe that the nonprofit community is best served by having a vibrant choice of technology solutions,” Mr. Schoenberg continued. “With over 10,000 nonprofit clients throughout the world, SofterWare is already a leader in nonprofit software innovation and we’re 100% committed to continuing our investment in DonorPerfect, Crowdfunding and WebLink — all products that compete with those from Blackbaud and Convio. We’re not interested in being the biggest nonprofit software provider; we just want to offer the most cost-effective and innovative solutions possible. We’ve been doing that for over 30 years and we look forward to continuing to do so.”

Biedermann added, “DonorPerfect’s growth and success continue to come from our focus on our core mission, which is helping nonprofit organizations save time, become more efficient, and raise more money. We believe our clients are best served by our continuing to invest in our products rather than by purchasing our competitors.”