| August 2009 |
|
Featured in this issue: GiftWorks Goes Global: Spotlight on International Consultants Also In This Issue: GiftWorks 2010 Release Date New Smart Plan Where to See us This Fall: GiftWorks on the Road Meet Ellen Mowrer, Director of Business Development Global GiftWorks
Most GiftWorks users today are in the US, but the international presence of GiftWorks is growing rapidly. We currently have customers in almost 30 countries including Canada, Australia, Singapore, China, Scotland, France, South Africa, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Now, working with TechSoup Global, we will be expanding into even more countries. While GiftWorks software and support is English-language based, we have added a lot more functionality for international clients over the years (customization of postal codes, phone number and date formats and currency, to name a few), and certainly will need to consider multiple language options soon. Fortunately, the principles of fundraising are universal. Meet Susan Lucas, our leading consultant partner in Sydney, Australia. GiftWorks Down Under  Susan was doing marketing for the Heart and Lung Research Institute in 2005 and uncovered the need for fundraising software beyond their accounting package. When her Internet research turned up GiftWorks, she couldn't believe the pricing! As she began to use it, she was really impressed with its "sophistication" for the price, how easy reports were, and how readily non-technical people got the hang of it.
The timeliness of her business is underscored by recent findings of Connecting-Up Australia, according to Susan. Their survey revealed that "only 5% of (Australian) fundraising organizations are using specifically designed fundraising/donor management software." Furthermore, "three out of five charities and nonprofits are not spending a cent on technology-related training." Her most recent clients implementing GiftWorks include the Grameen Foundation Australia, Twenty10, and the McGrath Foundation. Our Man in Chile  Gonzalo Ibarra, a Fundraising Consultant to United Bible Societies (Latin America and Caribe), coordinates fundraising strategy for UBS in 23 countries in the Americas. Based in Santiago, Chile, he has presented at international fundraising conferences in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Gonzalo's degree is in Civil Engineering and he worked in fundraising for Greenpeace Chile before coming to UBS.In July he introduced GiftWorks at the First Festival of Latin American Fundraising in Sao Paulo.
The story of fundraising in South America will sound familiar. While there are always large nonprofit organizations with sophisticated fundraising (for example, in Mexico and Brazil, where the market is largest and the influence of international charities is felt), in South America "the practice of philanthropy is in an earlier stage of development than in North America," Gonzalo reports. Many nonprofits are smaller and are using basic solutions like Access or Excel to manage their donors. The larger fundraising community is encouraging these organizations to make fundraising a core activity in their future plans, to budget for and invest in it, and to understand the need for advancing their technology. Gonzalo reports that for 2009 the local Bible Society in Colombia invested $50,000 in Development (fundraising, marketing and communications, including the improvement of its donor software, GiftWorks). | |||||||||||||
|
GiftWorks 2010 Release Date: September 8!
 We're putting the finishing touches on GiftWorks 2010 Standard and Premium for its September 8 release!The 2010 editions contain many new features requested by customers and are designed to help organizations save even more time and raise even more money than before. GiftWorks 2010 will allow organizations to:
Wed, Sep 9, 2009 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT Thu, Sep 10, 2009 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM EDT Fri, Sep 11, 2009 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT Mon, Sep 14, 2009 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT If you're not yet a GiftWorks client, there is no better time than now to bring your organization to the next level with GiftWorks 2010. Many, many of our customers have credited GiftWorks with helping them through the economic recession. Cultivating and caring for your donors has never been more important, and GiftWorks provides the tools to help you do this efficiently and effectively. The best way to see all of GiftWorks, including the GiftWorks 2010 functionality, is to join one of our GiftWorks Overview webinars. Click here to sign up for the time and date that works best for you! Introducing the GiftWorks SmartPlan!
 Do you want unlimited phone and e-mail support, training, and all future GiftWorks Standard or Premium upgrades* without having to think about it again? Do you like to save money? If so, the SmartPlan is for you! For a low monthly fee, your organization will be totally covered and current.The GiftWorks SmartPlan includes:
$39.99/month for organizations with 1-3 GiftWorks licenses $59.99/month for organizations with 4+ GiftWorks licenses These SmartPlan rates represent a nearly 50% savings over buying each item separately! If you are a client who already has an annual support plan, the unused balance can be applied to your SmartPlan. Payment for SmartPlan is by credit card or EFT and requires a 2-year commitment to start, then goes month-to-month. If you are interested in the SmartPlan, complete the form here and we will be in touch to officially enroll you! * All future upgrades after GiftWorks 2010 GiftWorks on the Road
| |||||||||||||
