Blackbaud has acquired peer-to-peer fundraising platform Everyday Hero in a purchase which suggests competition could get even more fierce in the online giving platform market in the UK.
Everyday Hero had been dipping its toe into the UK market, but the acquisition by the sector’s largest customer relationship management software provider suggests its presence in the UK will grow. The Australia-based fundraising platform presently has 1,400 not-for-profit clients across the UK, Australia and New Zealand and has raised £56.3m for charity over its lifespan.
The acquisition suggests the online giving platform market could get all the more crowded. What was, essentially, a monopoly enjoyed by Justgiving only just over two years ago now has multiple big players jostling for position and vowing to expand the market.
Virgin Money Giving launched in August 2009 while BT released MyDonate, its own, zero-cost-to-charities, platform earlier this year. Justgiving itself upped the ante this year releasing its mobile joint venture with Vodafone, JustTextGiving. Figures from the first years of Virgin Money Giving operating alongside Justgiving did suggest the overall pot of money donated increased as a result of the new players.
Adrian Cutcliffe, marketing manager of Blackbaud Europe, told civilsociety.co.uk, that as the Everyday Hero platforms sit within charity’s own sites, complete with charity branding, it a slightly different proposition to the likes of Justgiving and MyDonate. “It just offers another choice in what is an increasingly competitive marketplace,” he said.
Everyday Hero supports peer-to-peer fundraising for large events, charity-specific events and for events developed by an individual fundraiser. In a statement about the acquisition, Blackbaud said it intends to expand the product offerings from the Everyday Hero brand. The platform will be integrated with Blackbaud products The Raiser’s Edge and eTapestry.
Everyday Hero was bought by Blackbaud for AUD$7.9m. Staff in the Brisbane office will continue working as usual.
