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Blackbaud Showcases the Future of AI-Powered Fundraising and Financial Management for Social Impact Organizations at bbcon 2024

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Product Updates Build Connection Between Solutions and Teams While Delivering Contextual Intelligence—All to Help Social Impact Organizations Raise More, Save More and Work Smarter

CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, today kicked off its annual technology conference, bbcon, announcing a wide range of innovation shaping the future of social impact technology.

“Our 40-plus years of expertise in this space and unwavering focus help us drive innovation that empowers our customers to achieve their missions,” said Mike Gianoni, president, CEO and vice chairman of the board of directors, Blackbaud. “We are transforming the way social impact organizations operate, giving back time and improving data-backed decision making. With cutting edge technology, thousands of customers—from nonprofits, to schools, foundations, companies and more—are amplifying their impact across communities and around the world. We’re proud to be the chosen partner of so many incredible organizations, and we’re committed to continue delivering for them.”

Innovation to Fuel Impact
Blackbaud unveiled a range of product updates and enhancements aimed at connecting workflows and teams to free up time and provide users the insight they need to deliver their best results, without guesswork.

The Future of Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT®
Blackbaud shared its plans and progress for the next generation of its market-leading fundraising software, building on its commitment to roll out a reimagined user experience with all critical-end-to-end workflows and enhanced functionality in a single, unified view by the end of 2025. Key updates include:

A new navigation, making it easier and more intuitive for both fundraising and finance users to quickly find what they need among an expanded array of menu options.A common records engine for K-12 school fundraisers launching this year that will provide a complete picture of donors by connecting data across the entire school community.New donor recognition program management capabilities, coming in 2025, to automatically tie gifts to these programs for deeper donor engagement.

Intelligence for Good®: AI Built for Social Impact
Blackbaud is building AI that delivers fundraising performance, benchmarking and forecasting directly in-product, providing social impact professionals with insights connected to their business data and built on Blackbaud’s 40 years of sector leadership. Planned AI advancements include:

Blackbaud Copilot, an AI-powered coach and assistant that allows users to interact with their data in natural language, ask questions, and gain insights. Copilot is already embedded in Blackbaud Impact Edge™, and a technical preview in both Raiser’s Edge NXT and Financial Edge NXT® is planned for 2025 to help fundraisers understand, plan for and engage with high priority donors and prospects, and to help simplify fund accounting by combining automation and personalization.New performance insights to help organizations see how they stack up against others, based on Blackbaud’s rich benchmarking data.New tools for education customers, like an Award Cycle Manager within Blackbaud Award Management™ to give scholarship administrators a centralized view and KPIs, and an “at-risk” student tool for Blackbaud’s K-12 Education Management portfolio to help teachers identify students in need of extra support by consolidating data on attendance, test scores and work completion.

Accelerated Giving to Raise and Save More
Blackbaud continues to innovate across its integrated payments experiences to help organizations raise more and save more so that they can invest in their missions. Exciting updates include:

A wider global roll out of Blackbaud’s Optimized and Standard Donation Forms, proven to increase conversion rates, including the recent addition of the Intelligent Ask feature powered by Blackbaud AI, which ensures fundraisers target the right gift amount for each donor.Tap-to-pay capabilities that will allow supporters to tap their card on a mobile device to donate, pay entry fees or buy swag.The extension of Blackbaud’s Complete Cover offering—the social impact sector’s only solution with guaranteed 0% processing fees—to an initial set of partners, including Trellis for auctions and events and Almabase for higher education giving days.

Connected Financial Management
Blackbaud is connecting workflows throughout the finance office. The company will deliver 100% of core Financial Edge NXT capabilities in a unified view in Q1 of 2025, including new and improved Query and reconciliation functionality. Additional enhancements include:

Automated invoice scanning using Microsoft AI Document Intelligence to automate the entire payables process from start to finish directly in Financial Edge NXT.Payment Assistant for fully automated bill pay in Financial Edge NXT, helping customers to save hours a week with auto-reconciliation of payment assistant transactions, to reduce processing costs and to benefit from robust, built-in fraud protection.Deeper integration between Raiser’s Edge NXT and Financial Edge NXT to connect workflows from donation through disbursement with fewer manual steps, making it easier and faster to let donors know what their gifts paid for and when.Financial Edge NXT integration with Blackbaud Grantmaking™, connecting departments and surfacing the right financial data at the right time.

Extensibility and Flexibility
Blackbaud is combining the power of purpose-built software designed specifically for the business operations of social impact with platform-level flexibility to enable endless possibilities. The company is delivering more plug-and-play apps, system integrators and consulting services in the Blackbaud Marketplace, plus:

New partner integrations, including the connection of Blackbaud Education Management with UBIQ Education and BrightArrow, enabling K12 schools to power best-in-class school websites, connect their data, leverage marketing capabilities to drive enrollment, and give faculty access to mass communication functionality for all their classes, teams, advisories and more.The expansion of Red Arc’s existing integration for Raiser’s Edge NXT to Blackbaud CRM™ cloud-hosted customers, to directly connect their preferred digital marketing solutions, like Constant Contact, Mailchimp, HubSpot or Salesforce Marketing Cloud, to their CRM.New SKY Add-ins™ for both low-code and pro-code developers to create hyper-specific solutions and access partner solutions without ever leaving Blackbaud software. Six new Microsoft Power Platform-certified connectors offering more flexibility, plus added low-code tools for Blackbaud CRM that have already been popular in Raiser’s Edge NXT for embedding power automate workflows, power apps, adaptive cards and Power BI extensions.

Happening at bbcon 2024
bbcon 2024 is taking place this week in Seattle, welcoming thousands of social impact professionals for three days of unmatched networking, the latest in industry trends and inspiring keynotes. The agenda features a day-two keynote conversation with Emmy® award-winning actress and nonprofit founder Sheryl Lee Ralph, as well as a day-three appearance by Dr. Alex George, a bestselling author and podcaster focused on resilience and mental wellness. As the presenting sponsor, Microsoft will deliver several sessions on how nonprofits can use AI with their data to drive mission success around fundraising and campaign planning.

Mainstage sessions can be livestreamed for free through the bbcon virtual pass, with replay content available on demand beginning October 15. Visit bbconference.com for more information, and for more details on Blackbaud’s product roadmap, register to attend the Blackbaud Product Update Briefings, happening Nov. 12-14.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (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 X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com

Forward-looking Statements
Except 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; 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.

 

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SOURCE Blackbaud

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Technology

SPEYSIDE COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF GSC

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41 minutes ago

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January 9, 2025

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Transaction enables Speyside to fuel the company’s next growth phase.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Speyside Equity Advisers (“Speyside”) announced that it has completed the acquisition of GSC Technologies, Inc. (“GSC”). The transaction will allow Speyside’s continued investment in GSC and fuel the company’s next growth phase. GSC is a leading manufacturer of plastic goods in North America.

“We are very excited about the GSC acquisition,” said Eric Wiklendt, Managing Director at Speyside. “GSC is similar to a great deal we did in a prior fund, with similar opportunities. GSC has a great growth and value-creation plan that we look forward to facilitating.”

GSC CEO Dave Barrow noted, “My team and I look forward to working with the Speyside team to execute our strategic plan. Speyside has a strong operational background that clearly differentiates it from other investment groups. The new capitalization structure and value-creation system that Speyside brings will help us achieve our vision and drive results.”

Nick Lardo, Managing Director at Speyside, noted, “GSC is our second closed deal in Speyside Equity Fund II. We are gaining strong momentum in the fund based on increased staff, AUM, and deal activity. We see 2025 as a year full of great opportunity.”

About Speyside
Speyside is a Detroit-based private equity firm. The firm invests in middle-market, buyout transactions in the manufacturing and value-added distribution sectors. Targeted portfolio companies often possess balance sheet, legal, environmental, labor, or transactional complexity. Speyside Equity focuses on creative transaction structures and is comfortable investing in carveouts of large multinational companies, industry consolidations, family-owned businesses, bankruptcies, workouts, and other special situations. Speyside takes an operational approach to creating value in these situations. Speyside has completed 37 investments. For more information, please visit speysideequity.com.

About GSC Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 1982 with a single plastic molding machine, GSC Technologies Inc. is a leading and groundbreaking manufacturer of plastic goods in North America focused on environmentally aware plastic solutions for organizing daily life today and in the future. Based in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Quebec/Canada), GSC designs and manufactures attractive, practical storage and organization lifestyle products for better modern living. With manufacturing plants that use contemporary equipment and technology and distribution facilities in the US, Canada, and China, GSC uses global testing and quality standards to ensure the best value, highest quality products. For more information, please visit gsctechnology.com.

Honigman LLP acted as Speyside’s legal advisor.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/speyside-completes-acquisition-of-gsc-302347022.html

SOURCE Speyside Equity

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Batteries Plus’s Strategic Partnerships Drive Nearly 130% Sales Increase

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41 minutes ago

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January 9, 2025

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Transformative Collaborations Fuels Record-Breaking Sales Growth for Batteries Plus FranchiseePartnerships Elevate Customer Experience, Expand Service OfferingsNew Jersey Franchisee’s Store Emerges as Top Repair Destination in Network

SPRINGFIELD, N.J., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Batteries Plus, the world’s leading specialty battery franchise, has achieved remarkable success through strategic partnerships with industry leaders in device protection and insurance. These collaborations have led to significant growth for franchisees over the last two years, as exemplified by Angel Cartagena’s store in Springfield, NJ.

Enhanced Customer Experience
By combining Batteries Plus’s extensive retail network and repair expertise with advanced mobile device protection programs from industry partners, Batteries Plus stores are equipped to handle subscribers’ phone protection needs, covering lost or damaged devices. This comprehensive approach has paved the way for improved customer satisfaction, ultimately increasing revenue for franchisees and strengthening brand loyalty overall.

“We’re not just fixing phones; we’re creating opportunities for customers to discover additional products and services they didn’t know they needed, from car batteries to key fobs,” Cartagena said. “This has contributed to increased ticket counts and higher margins across our business.”

Growth and Expansion
After serving with the U.S. Air Force for 37 years, Cartagena began franchising with Batteries Plus in 2008. In the 18 years since, his store has grown to become the top-performing location for repairs in the entire Batteries Plus network, with repair volumes nearly 50% higher than other stores.

Since implementing these strategic partnerships, Cartagena’s Batteries Plus location has experienced unprecedented growth:

217.7% increase in device repair sales year-over-year128.6% increase in total business sales year-over-year147.8% increase in average ticket value year-over-year10.6% increase in gross profit year-over-year

The success of these partnerships has led to significant expansion for Cartagena’s store, necessitating the hiring of three additional team members to help manage the increased volume.

“These strategic partnerships have been transformative for our business,” said Cartagena. “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in customer traffic and sales, particularly in our device repair services. These collaborations have not only boosted our bottom line but also enhanced our ability to serve our community with top-notch repair solutions. It’s been great for business, allowing us to expand our team and offer more comprehensive services to our customers.”

Batteries Plus has become a global leader in supplying the battery needs of its customers for cars, boats, phones, key fobs and more. With over 800 store locations in operation and development nationwide, Batteries Plus has also carved out a unique niche in the industry with its ‘plus’ services – including cell phone repair and key fob replacement. Positioned for the battery-powered future, Batteries Plus was ranked on Franchise Times Top 400 list, coming in at #130. Plus, for the 30th year in a row, the brand ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list, climbing 53 spots over last year’s rank and even becoming one of only 49 franchise brands to be inducted into Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 Hall of Fame.

To learn more about Batteries Plus, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com.

ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS: Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI, is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes®’ Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com.  

MEDIA CONTACT: Cole Koretos, Fishman Public Relations, ckoretos@fishmanpr.com or 847-331-1190

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SOURCE Batteries Plus

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MobileX Partners with Ethika to Launch ‘ethikaX,’ Merging Style with Mobile Connectivity

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41 minutes ago

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January 9, 2025

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 LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today at CES, MobileX, the most customizable wireless service designed to save consumers money, and Ethika, a leading lifestyle brand driven by personal identity, announced an exciting new collaboration. Together, the two companies will be launching “ethikaX” – a collection that seamlessly merges mobile-friendly design with bold self-expression and dynamic style. This partnership represents a groundbreaking moment where mobile meets fashion, blending cutting-edge technology with style and originality.

The ethikaX line will debut in Q1 2025, featuring a range of apparel and accessories tailored for the modern, mobile lifestyle. The initial collection will include hoodies and t-shirts with phone-friendly pockets, phone cases, and even a limited-edition set of ethikaX-branded headphones.

“At MobileX, we’re passionate about empowering our customers to live untethered, connected lives,” said Peter Adderton, CEO of MobileX. “By partnering with Ethika, we’re able to bring that vision to life through thoughtfully designed apparel that embraces uniqueness and creativity while seamlessly integrating with our mobile services.”

Ethika’s commitment to celebrating individuality and self-expression across diverse cultures including motorsports, BMX, music, art and fashion aligns perfectly with MobileX’s mission to empower consumers through customizable, user-focused mobile service that ensures they only pay for what they use. The ethikaX collection will be available for purchase through the MobileX app and website, as well as select Ethika retail partners. Customers can also sign up for MobileX at these retail locations by purchasing a SIM Kit or scanning a QR code and activating with eSIM.

“We’re thrilled to be working with the innovative team at MobileX to redefine the intersection of mobile and fashion,” said Matt Cook, CEO of Ethika. “This collaboration allows us to extend the Ethika brand into new territories while continuing to celebrate those who stand out from the crowd and share our core values of quality, style and originality.”

Stay tuned for updates on ethikaX’s launch in Q1 2025 here.

 About MobileX
Headquartered in Orange County, California, MobileX is the world’s most customizable mobile carrier delivering the ultimate in choice and cost control. MobileX is a unique service that uses artificial intelligence to predict how much data customers need, dramatically reducing costs while ensuring reliable speed and service. MobileX was founded by Peter Adderton, who also founded both Boost Mobile and Digital Turbine. For more information, please visit mymobilex.com.

 About Ethika
Ethika is a leading lifestyle brand which started in San Clemente, CA and is now based in Lake Forest. Since the inception of the brand, Ethika and its team have been determined to live life, innovate, and deliver quality products, while staying true to the brand’s biggest asset – the FAMILIE. Ethika employees, friends, athletes, artists and customers are the core of the brand and the reason Ethika exists. More Ethika news, photos, and videos can be found on X (@ethika), Instagram (@ethika), and online at www.ethika.com.

Press contact:
Illume PR for MobileX
mobilex@illumepr.com

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SOURCE Mobile X Global, Inc.

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