INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - Where does a nonprofit organization on a budget turn when it needs to keep track of individual contributions and donor records nationwide? The American Baptist Churches, (ABC) USA turned to eTapestry.com, an Internet-based donor management and fundraising systems software company.

The ABC has numerous ministries and affiliates nationwide and was looking for a system that would provide a one-stop shop for its members. Currently, five national partners and one regional member group are using eTapestry.com software, with the potential of 34 additional groups using the system in the coming year. With the addition of possible new user groups, ABC anticipates donor records to grow from 20,000 to 500,000 within five years.

While the ABC staff members were researching software systems, it was clear that the system they would choose had to meet many expectations. With a number of users in a variety of locations, they wanted flexibility and Internet accessibility. They wanted a program that could maintain donor records, donor gifts and reporting lists. They also wanted to limit any new hardware or software purchases. Most of all they needed the system to be cost effective.

The ABC conducted extensive research on three fundraising software providers, including Blackbaud and JSI Millennium. eTapestry.com easily met all of ABC's needs. As far as cost, the lease concept of eTapestry.com made the decision easy. The initial outlay for the other systems would have cost ABC up to seven times more than eTapestry.com's fee. These systems would also have forced the ABC to expand its computer hardware investment as well as the staff necessary to support these systems.ABC wanted to keep its IT and administrative staff to a minimum. With eTapestry.com handling all the system and software maintenance, they were able to achieve that.

"The basic reasons we leased eTapestry.com software were simple," said Robert J. Crandall, CFRE Associate General Secretary of American Baptist Churches, USA. "They were cost effective compared to other systems, the flexibility of remote access; they are a company that produces a quality product and their user-friendly training and support staff has been excellent. eTapestry.com has been customer friendly from the get go."

Jay B. Love, Founder and CEO of eTapestry.com said, "The ABC is a perfect example of how an innovative software system can help a growing organization become more productive and proactive. The challenges of maintaining the organization's goals can be overwhelming. New software technology helps remedy these challenges and meets the needs of the organization, too."

"It is exciting to work with people who have expertise, demonstrate their caring while they work with you, and actually have a product at the quality level we need, that delivers in a cost-effective and flexible manner," said Crandall. "It seems clear to me that the other fundraising software companies are truly going to be challenged to find a way to compete with eTapestry.com. The future is Internet access and flexibility and leasing versus owning. Find the electronic connection, you will be glad you did."

eTapestry.com is the first fundraising applications service provider, a company that rents its software to customers and delivers it on the Internet. More than 450 nonprofit organizations around the world are benefiting from eTapestry.com's software system.