New Blackbaud NetCommunity supports mobile and social networking

The latest version of Blackbaud's NetCommunity™ tool includes features that enable organisations to produce web content for mobile phone users, collect mobile phone donations at reduced cost, and develop online communities that integrate with popular social networking sites.

Robert McAllen, Blackbaud Europe's programme manager, explained: "New functionality will allow our clients to create mobile specific web pages within their Blackbaud NetCommunity site, helping them engage with the ever-growing base of mobile phone users.

"...Not-for-profits will now be able to send links to their website via text, automatically capturing visitors' details, then using this information to further engage with these donors or prospects."

He added that, with the latest release, "we have addressed a key industry issue of how charities can collect donations via mobile phone without incurring the exorbitant service provider fees, which had previously hampered this type of fundraising".

The new release also includes improvements to website accessibility, allowing Blackbaud NetCommunity-based sites "to achieve a level of accessibility compliance not possible before".

NetCommunity now includes a new social networking feature called 'Wave' which Blackbaud claims "is the first natively-developed social network in an Internet solution designed for not-for-profits". Organisations can use it to create online communities and social networks that integrate with popular social networking sites like Facebook.

www.blackbaud.co.uk/products/internet/bbe_bbnc5.5.aspx