Convio

Convio was an Austin, Texas-based software company focused on the nonprofit sector. Its customers principally included charitable organizations, educational institutions, public-interest groups, and political advocacy organizations. The company developed internet-based tools intended to help these organizations raise money, communicate with supporters, organize campaigns, and manage relationships with constituents. Convio was founded in November 1999 by Vinay Bhagat and Dave Crooke, with venture funding led by Austin Ventures. The business was inspired in part by the inefficient, paper-based administration of telethons used by PBS and NPR stations. Rather than treating the internet merely as a payment channel for credit-card donations, the founders pursued a broader model: a packaged set of online tools that would allow nonprofit communications and fundraising staff to cultivate supporter relationships directly. The company’s original placeholder name was ShowSupport.com. It later adopted the name Convio, pronounced “con-VEE-oh,” an invented term intended to suggest “with vision.” A central part of Convio’s early positioning was ease of use. Many nonprofit organizations had limited information-technology resources, so the company sought to make its tools accessible to communications professionals rather than restricting them to webmasters or systems administrators. Convio also chose to operate its software on its own infrastructure, rather than distributing installations for customers to run themselves. This hosted software-as-a-service approach reduced the need for nonprofit customers to maintain complex internet-server environments and anticipated a delivery model that later became standard across business software. The company expanded its capabilities through the January 2007 acquisition of GetActive Software, then a significant U.S. provider of constituent-relationship-management and online-activism software for nonprofit organizations. GetActive had originated from work by former Environmental Defense Fund staff members who had developed web tools for internet activism and subsequently formed a commercial company to distribute that technology more broadly. The acquisition strengthened Convio’s position in advocacy, campaign management, and constituent engagement in addition to fundraising. Convio became a publicly traded company through an initial public offering on NASDAQ on April 29, 2010. Its public-company period was relatively brief. On January 17, 2012, Convio announced an agreement to be acquired by Blackbaud, a larger provider of software and services for nonprofit organizations. The transaction valued the company at $16 per share, and the acquisition was completed on May 7, 2012. Convio thereafter became wholly owned by Blackbaud and ceased to operate as an independent public company. The brand also attracted criticism because it served organizations across the political spectrum. From 2005 through 2007, political bloggers John Aravosis and Markos Moulitsas led a boycott campaign directed at Convio over its willingness to provide technology to clients whose political positions differed from those of the bloggers and their audiences. The episode illustrated a recurring tension in nonprofit technology: a platform can support advocacy campaigns on opposing sides of a political issue while maintaining a commercially neutral role. At least one campaign participant later appeared to moderate its position, with Daily Kos linking to advocacy campaigns powered by Convio software. Following the Blackbaud acquisition, Convio no longer existed as an independent listed company. Its historical importance lies in helping establish hosted fundraising, advocacy, and constituent-management software as a dedicated technology category for nonprofit organizations.

Convio emerged during the early commercial development of the web, when many nonprofit organizations were beginning to experiment with online donations, email communication, and advocacy. Founded in Austin in November 1999 by Vinay Bhagat and Dave Crooke, the company received venture funding led by Austin Ventures. Its initial concept was influenced by the administrative burden of traditional telethons operated by public-media organizations such as PBS and NPR stations. The founders believed that internet technology could do more than process isolated credit-card gifts: it could provide an ongoing system for building and managing relationships with supporters. The company’s early vision was to package online fundraising, communications, and constituent-management functions in a form that nonprofit organizations could use without large technical departments. Convio therefore emphasized tools for communications and fundraising staff, rather than designing solely for specialized web administrators. The company also adopted a hosted delivery model in which it operated the application infrastructure for customers. At the time, this was a relatively bold choice for business software and addressed the limited IT budgets and staffing available at many charities and advocacy groups. Convio initially used the placeholder name ShowSupport.com before selecting Convio as its permanent name. The invented word was intended to evoke the idea of “with vision,” while also being short and distinctive. The company’s service model and nonprofit specialization differentiated it from general-purpose internet payment providers and from software companies selling broad commercial enterprise systems. In January 2007, Convio acquired GetActive Software. GetActive had been founded by former Environmental Defense Fund personnel, including Bill Pease, Sheeraz Haji, Tom Krackeler, Ken Leiserson, and others, who had developed web-based activism tools inside the environmental organization. The resulting commercial company focused on making internet-advocacy and constituent-engagement technology available to other nonprofits. Its addition expanded Convio’s capabilities beyond donations and communications into online campaigns, advocacy, and relationship management. Convio entered the public markets with a NASDAQ IPO on April 29, 2010. Its independent public-company history ended after Blackbaud agreed to acquire it in January 2012. The announced transaction provided for $16 per share, characterized in contemporary reporting as a 49 percent premium to Convio’s market price. Blackbaud completed the acquisition on May 7, 2012, and Convio became fully owned by Blackbaud. The company’s broad nonprofit client base also created a political controversy. From 2005 to 2007, bloggers John Aravosis and Markos Moulitsas promoted a boycott because Convio supplied software to organizations with political perspectives across the ideological spectrum. The dispute was not described as a technology failure; it centered on whether a vendor serving advocacy groups should provide infrastructure to causes opposed by particular customers or activists. The episode demonstrated both the political sensitivity of nonprofit software and the practical neutrality expected of a platform provider. Later activity, including Daily Kos links to campaigns powered by Convio, suggested that the boycott position was not uniformly maintained. After the Blackbaud transaction, Convio ceased to be an independent listed company. Its legacy is as an early specialist in nonprofit software-as-a-service, combining fundraising, online marketing, constituent management, and advocacy functions for organizations that needed internet capabilities without operating their own complex infrastructure.

• 2012

  Blackbaud announces acquisition agreement

  [1]Convioen.wikipedia.org

  Blackbaud agreed to acquire Convio for $16 per share in a transaction announced on January 17, 2012.

• 2012

  Acquisition is completed

  [1]Convioen.wikipedia.org

  Blackbaud completed the acquisition on May 7, 2012, and Convio became wholly owned by Blackbaud.

• 2010

  Initial public offering

  [1]Convioen.wikipedia.org

  Convio completed an initial public offering on NASDAQ on April 29, 2010.

• 2007

  GetActive Software is acquired

  [1]Convioen.wikipedia.org

  Convio acquired GetActive Software to expand its nonprofit constituent-management and online-advocacy capabilities.

• 1999

  Convio is founded in Austin

  [1]Convioen.wikipedia.org

  Vinay Bhagat and Dave Crooke founded Convio in November 1999 with venture funding led by Austin Ventures.

A specialized software-as-a-service provider for charities, educational institutions, and advocacy organizations, emphasizing accessible online fundraising, supporter communications, constituent relationship management, and internet activism.

• Nonprofit software-as-a-service

  Convio nonprofit software suite

  Convio provided a hosted collection of internet marketing and business-management applications designed for charities, educational establishments, and political advocacy organizations. Its functionality centered on online fundraising, donor and supporter communications, constituent relationship management, and the cultivation of longer-term relationships through web-based engagement. The hosted model meant that customers accessed the software through the internet while Convio operated the underlying infrastructure.

• Online advocacy and constituent relationship management

  GetActive technology

  GetActive Software developed web-based tools for nonprofit activism and constituent engagement. Its technology originated from work associated with the Environmental Defense Fund and was commercialized for use by a wider range of nonprofit organizations. After Convio acquired GetActive in 2007, the capabilities complemented Convio’s fundraising and communications products by supporting advocacy campaigns, online action, and relationship management.

• 2005Boycott campaign against Convio

  United States

  Political bloggers John Aravosis and Markos Moulitsas led a campaign on Americablog and Daily Kos calling for a boycott of Convio. The campaign objected to Convio’s practice of serving nonprofit and advocacy clients with differing political views.

  Outcome. The campaign continued through 2007. The reference material indicates that at least one participating blog later softened its position and linked to political advocacy campaigns powered by Convio.

  Source

• 2012

  Sell the company to BlackbaudM&A

  Background

  Blackbaud was a larger provider of software and services for nonprofit organizations.

  Action taken

  Convio entered into an agreement to be acquired by Blackbaud for $16 per share. The transaction was announced on January 17, 2012 and completed on May 7, 2012.

  Aftermath

  Convio became fully owned by Blackbaud and ceased to operate as an independent public company.

  Acquisition consideration. $325 million transaction value (2012 acquisition; completed May 7, 2012)

  Source

• 2010

  Complete a public offeringOther

  Background

  Convio had expanded its nonprofit software business and pursued access to public capital.

  Action taken

  The company completed an IPO on NASDAQ on April 29, 2010.

  Aftermath

  Convio operated as a publicly traded company until its acquisition by Blackbaud in 2012.

  Source

• 2007

  Acquire GetActive SoftwareM&A

  Background

  GetActive was a specialist provider of nonprofit constituent-relationship and online-activism software.

  Action taken

  Convio acquired GetActive Software in January 2007.

  Aftermath

  The transaction broadened Convio’s offering in online advocacy, campaign management, and constituent engagement.

  Source

• 1999

  Adopt a hosted software-as-a-service modelStrategy

  Background

  Nonprofit organizations often had limited IT staffing and could face substantial complexity when operating internet-server systems themselves.

  Action taken

  Convio chose to operate its software on its own infrastructure and provide access through web browsers instead of distributing software for customers to install and maintain.

  Aftermath

  The model reduced infrastructure demands for customers and became a defining element of Convio’s nonprofit technology offering.

  Source

1. 1Convioen.wikipedia.org