Startups in the July 2023 Cohort of the Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program Are Creating AI Solutions to Help Social Impact Organizations Achieve More
CHARLESTON, S.C., July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, today announced the newest cohort of participants in its Social Good Startup Program. The program is a tech accelerator designed to support diverse, early-stage software companies focused on solving the problems that matter to the social good community.
The July 2023 cohort is specifically focused on mission-driven tech startups using generative AI to increase impact for companies and nonprofits focused on social responsibility. This is one way that Blackbaud is delivering on its commitment to make AI more accessible to customers—by accelerating the availability of AI-driven partner solutions in the Blackbaud Marketplace. Through this partner ecosystem, Blackbaud customers can easily find and integrate AI solutions into their Blackbaud tech stack to meet their specific needs.
"In addition to the product innovation and AI capabilities we're delivering to our customers, Blackbaud is also investing in our partner ecosystem to give customers a range of ways they can integrate intelligent solutions to drive greater impact in the world," said Kevin McDearis, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Blackbaud. "We're thrilled to invest in this new cohort of startups that are bringing meaningful AI applications to the social impact industry."
The startups in the July 2023 cohort include:
"In keeping with Blackbaud's commitment to make AI more accessible to social impact organizations as part of our Intelligence for Good® strategy, we're thrilled to welcome these 10 outstanding companies into the July 2023 cohort," said Lizzie Schaffer, general manager, Social Good Startup Program, Blackbaud. "Partnering with the most innovative startups using AI to power social impact technology allows us to provide even more opportunities for purpose-led organizations to experiment with some of the newest products and solutions in the market, and we can't wait to see all the good we can do with the companies in the July 2023 cohort as AI technology continues to advance."
About the Blackbaud Social Good Startup ProgramSince the launch of the first cohort of the Social Good Startup Program in January 2020, Blackbaud has supported a total of 45 startups through six prior cohorts, with these organizations collectively raising upwards of $150 million in funding. In addition, 55% of the startup founders who have participated in the program are from backgrounds typically underrepresented in tech.
Program participants receive curated access to Blackbaud resources, marketing opportunities and nondilutive grant funding, and Blackbaud works with startup founders to design a unique plan for each company that addresses their goals for growth. Participants have published multiple Blackbaud product integrations in the Blackbaud Marketplace, collaborated with other Blackbaud ISV partners to develop integrations, participated in Blackbaud events and engaged in targeted discovery with Blackbaud customers to get product feedback and implement changes to best suit customer needs.
Founders are invited to participate in the annual Blackbaud Social Good Startup Showcase, where they can pitch their ideas to Blackbaud leaders for a chance to create networking opportunities and ultimately win cash prizes. This year's showcase will take place at bbcon, Blackbaud's annual tech conference happening in Denver, Oct. 22-24.
Blackbaud accepts applications for the Social Good Startup Program on a rolling basis. For consideration in the January 2024 or other future cohorts, learn more and apply here.
About BlackbaudBlackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud's essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud's solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies, Quartz's list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes' list of America's Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Inquiriesmedia@blackbaud.com
Forward-looking StatementsExcept for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackbauds-tech-accelerator-program-welcomes-10-startups-building-generative-ai-solutions-for-social-impact-301874168.html
SOURCE Blackbaud, Inc.