Partnership opens door to 28,000 churches using eTapestry

INDIANAPOLIS - eTapestry.com has partnered with Hendersonville, Tenn.-based ChurchMatters Inc. to provide Christian congregations seamless access to eTapestry's Web-based donor-management and communications software for nonprofits through Churchmatters' Web site development tools.

The agreement will allow up to 28,000 churches aligned with ChurchMatters to access eTapestry for a fee through Web sites and portals designed specifically for ChurchMatters congregations. ChurchMatters has exclusive rights to the church market as an eTapestry reseller.

ChurchMatters.com offers a Web-based application that provides Web site templates that are easy to manage. It also provides filtered Internet services and partnerships for its members.

"What we're trying to do is build a one-stop shop," said Daren Tomey, vice president of business development. "Once congregations use our Web development platform, they will have access to an unlimited number of resources to enhance communications, streamline processes or raise funds."

ChurchMatters also offers its members a community portal page for their congregations that allows members to sign up for an e-mail account and access bulletin board discussions and other information. When the members enter that information on the site, it will automatically be stored in eTapestry's database, avoiding tedious and costly data entry by the churches.

ChurchMatters partnered with eTapestry because of the company's knowledge about the nonprofit sector, Tomey said.

"The benefit is their management team understands nonprofits and they are already trained to do business in the church market and have customized their product to work better with church nonprofits whose needs are somewhat different than the standard 501(c)3," Tomey said.

Because the church market is somewhat different from eTapestry's base market of nonprofit organizations, it chose to partner with ChurchMatters, which had an established presence and complementary products.

"We also really liked the philosophies and strategies of ChurchMatters," said eTapestry COO Steve Rusche.

Rusche said churches are the perfect users of eTapestry because of their limited funds and the variety of people who need to access information. Because eTapestry is Web-based, congregation members can simultaneously tap into their databases wherever they have access to a computer, browser and an Internet connection. eTapestry also is based on a rental system that allows nonprofits on tight budgets to afford a software program with high functionality.

About eTapestry

Founded in 1999, Indianapolis-based eTapestry.com is the first Web-based donor database and communications management system that rents its software to customers who access it over the Internet. Nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes using eTapestry.com do not pay the large upfront purchasing costs or the ongoing maintenance and support contracts typically paid in the purchase of more traditional software. For more information, go to www.eTapestry.com.

About ChurchMatters

Headquartered in Hendersonville, TN, ChurchMatters, Inc. has been in business since September 2000, providing a suite of technology solutions to churches across the United States and Canada. The company also owns and operates ArkCatalog, an inspirational, educational supplies company serving the needs of more than 10,000 Sunday schools, vacation bible schools and child care institutions in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit them online at www.churchmatters.com.

Indianapolis (Sept. 19, 2001) - eTapestry.com, a Web-based donor database management software company, will provide customers with quick-turnaround direct mail services through a partnership with Zairmail, Inc., an Internet mail-on-demand company.

Zairmail can shrink the printing turnaround time from the industry average of a few weeks to one or two days. Zairmail allows senders to compose, submit and preview their job online in minutes, with delivery in one or two business days. Zairmail accepts electronic documents from the Web, routes them to local production facilities near where they need to be delivered and then automatically prints, folds, inserts and presents them to the US Postal Service for delivery.

"Direct mail is a key resource for nonprofits in raising funds for their core missions," said eTapestry CEO Jay Love. "We're finding that nonprofits want to shrink that turnaround time more than ever to successfully piggyback on national news or events. Zairmail allows our clients to accomplish this while using a Web-based system."

By partnering with eTapestry, the leading Web-based donor database management system, Zairmail gains access to the nonprofit fundraising world.

"eTapestry has the knowledge of the nonprofit world and the Internet and that's been married with Zairmail's knowledge of direct mail and the Internet," said Zairmail CEO Wilson Zehr. "It's a great union for nonprofit organizations because it allows them to combine two of the most effective and efficient ways to raise money."

About eTapestry

Founded in 1999, Indianapolis-based eTapestry.com is the first Web-based donor database and communications management system that rents its software to customers who access it over the Internet. Nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes using eTapestry.com do not pay the large upfront purchasing costs or the ongoing maintenance and support contracts typically paid in the purchase of more traditional software. For more information, go to www.etapestry.com.

About Zairmail

Zairmail is the first company to enable large-scale convergence between the Internet and postal mail. Through its Web site (www.zairmail.com), Zairmail offers fast and convenient solutions for conducting direct mail campaigns and electronic-to-postal mail correspondence. Zairmail's proprietary software, strategic partnerships and geographically distributed printing network all combine to create a service that can rapidly deliver postal messages - often overnight. Zairmail is a member of the U.S. Direct Marketing Association, the Canadian Direct Marketing Association, the Mail Advertising Services Association and the American Electronics Association.

eTapestry offers discounts to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries agencies

INDIANAPOLIS - Nazarene Compassionate Ministries USA/Canada, an organization of 166 ministries, has chosen Indianapolis-based eTapestry.com as its only recommended software vendor.

eTapestry, a Web-based provider of donor management and communications management software, is offering special discounts of up to 10 percent to the ministries' agencies.

"We are always looking for ways to provide resources to our constituents," said Dr. Oliver R. Phillips, coordinator for Nazarene Compassionate Ministries USA/Canada based in Missouri. "We've struggled with recommending software to our people, particularly when considering the integrity of the organizations."

Phillips found out about eTapestry through Rev. Jay Height, director of Shepherd Community, a ministry in Indianapolis that was using eTapestry.com to track donation records. Phillips said he caught Height's enthusiasm for eTapestry after visiting the company's Web site.

"I unreservedly recommend eTapestry to our folks," Oliver said. "I want to push our guys to use it. It is very, very important our people understand the whole Internet phenomenon and the magic of fundraising."

Phillips said he believes eTapestry can help the smallest of Nazarene Compassionate agencies that have annual budgets as little as $50,000 to the largest, which administer budgets of more than $3 million.

Before eTapestry, Height said his ministry had used traditional software packages that the ministry continually outgrew, forcing it to buy all new packages every few years.

"We needed something that would grow with us," Height said. The ministry offers after-school programs, emergency food and shelter, a summer day camp, home repair classes and other outreach activities.

"This is something that takes me into consideration, meets my needs, can grow with me and has a smorgasbord of things to pick and choose from," Height said. "We're almost a $500,000 nonprofit. If in two years, if we're a million-dollar nonprofit, I have a package that will grow with me."

Chip Muston, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries account executive for eTapestry, said eTapestry's versatility allows it to efficiently serve the very smallest to the very largest of nonprofits.

"eTapestry handles program upgrades so smaller nonprofits without IT staff don't have to worry about paying for or installing new software," Muston said. "eTapestry is designed based on the needs of nonprofits and no one else."

Founded in 1999, Indianapolis-based eTapestry.com is the first Web-based donor database and communications management system that rents its software to customers who access it over the Internet. Nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes using eTapestry.com do not pay the large upfront purchasing costs or the ongoing maintenance and support contracts typically paid in the purchase of more traditional software. For more information, go to www.eTapestry.com.

Sioux Falls, S.D. - Online community CharityChannel is partnering with eTapestry.com and other Internet philanthropy experts to produce E-Philanthropy Review, a new electronic newsletter for busy professionals in the nonprofit sector who want original and succinct information on using Web-based technologies.

E-Philanthropy Review, a free, weekly newsletter supported through sponsorships, will debut on July (30). The first edition, focusing on online giving, will be e-mailed to about 9,500 readers.

The newsletter will concentrate on a range of e-commerce topics and their connection to fundraising and philanthropy. About 20 Internet philanthropy experts contribute to E-Philanthropy Review, which is edited by eTapestry. Readers can sign up for the newsletter at www.charitychannel.com.

"One thing that really differentiates E-Philanthropy Review from the other e-mail newsletters is that it's not one company or one organization that's putting it together," said Michael L. Wyland, CharityChannel chief operating officer. "We're teaming with eTapestry, which has many partners in the e-philanthropy field. We're tapping all that knowledge to put the newsletter together."

Wyland and CharityChannel CEO Stephen Nill came up with the newsletter idea about one year ago.

"We believe there is an audience out there that is curious, that is interested, that wants to be informed and educated about philanthropy and what impact it could have on their organization, as well as their own professional development," Wyland said.

The newsletter is not for tech-savvy people who want to read about operating systems or product releases, said Steve Rusche, COO of eTapestry, a Web-based provider of donor database management systems.

"E-Philanthropy Review is for directors, volunteers and board members who have heard about e-philanthropy and are curious about what it means," Rusche said. "Anyone who has an online presence, a contract with an applications service provider, an affiliation with a charity mall or conducts marketing via e-mail will find something of interest in the newsletter."

The newsletter will strike a balance as a thorough read that doesn't force people to click on other links for more information but remains brief enough so that it can easily be read sitting at a computer, Wyland said.

"The writing style is going to be serious and informative but brief and accessible," he said.

To sign up for E-Philanthropy Review, go to CharityChannel.com

CharityChannel is a volunteer-driven online community of professionals in the nonprofit sector throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and many other countries. Established in 1992, CharityChannel is the oldest and largest online community of nonprofit professionals in the world.

Indianapolis-based eTapestry is the first Web-based donor database and communications management software. Founded in 1999, eTapestry rents its software to customers and delivers it on the Internet. For more information on eTapestry, go to www.eTapestry.com.

INDIANAPOLIS - Goodwill Industries International, Inc. has selected eTapestry.com as a donor management solution that will help the organization meet its fundraising goals.

Under the terms of the agreement, eTapestry also will offer its discounted services to the Goodwill network of 181 autonomous, member Goodwill agencies in the United States and Canada. eTapestry will provide a 10 percent discount off its base services and user fees, as well as training discounts, to Goodwill member organizations.

"Web-based applications running in an ASP model allow us to have more functionality without the cost of additional servers and infrastructure," said Mark Goldberg, chief information officer of Goodwill Industries International, headquartered in Bethesda, Md. "In choosing an ASP, we focus on efficiency, accessibility, and cost-reduction."

Chip Muston, eTapestry national account executive for Goodwill, said now is a perfect time for Goodwill and eTapestry to come together.

"Because eTapestry is an Internet application that can be accessed anywhere, it provides the flexibility and the efficiency that Goodwill will need to expand its fundraising endeavors," Muston said.

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 181 local, autonomous member organizations in the United States and Canada, and 35 international associate members in 24 other countries. Each organization serves people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job training and employment services, as well as job placement opportunities and post-employment support. In 2000, the agency served more than 440,000 people and reported $1.85 billion in revenue. Goodwill channels 84 percent of its revenue into its programs and services.

Founded in 1999, Indianapolis-based eTapestry.com is the first Web-based donor database and communications management system that rents its software to customers who access it over the Internet. Nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes using eTapestry.com do not pay the large upfront purchasing costs or the ongoing maintenance and support contracts typically paid in the purchase of more traditional software.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - eTapestry.com has broadened its nonprofit software market to the United Kingdom and Ireland through its new partnership with UK consultant and reseller Minerva - www.minerva-computers.com.

"Except for Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland are the biggest marketplaces outside of the United States," said eTapestry CEO Jay Love. "Philanthropy began in the United Kingdom. That's where our American tradition of giving and helping others started."

The agreement broadens eTapestry's market by about 10 percent, Love said.

Minerva will have exclusive rights to resell eTapestry, a Web-based donor database and communications management system for nonprofits, in the United Kingdom and Ireland and non-exclusive rights to the remainder of Europe.

By late June, eTapestry.com will be modified for these markets, allowing users to enter their home country currencies and addresses into eTapestry's system. eTapestry.com also will be modified to handle the United Kingdom's unique tax deduction donation process.

"Minerva is one of the premier suppliers to the marketplace," Love said. "Minerva is very well known and it has many customers in this market. We have held off selling in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the hope that we could find a partner like Minerva."

Charles Bagnall, Minerva manager of eTapestry products, said his company discovered eTapestry when it was searching for a way that it could offer Internet functionality and online fundraising capabilities to the many charities that had requested those services from his firm.

After conducting a survey of 1,500 nonprofits in Western England, Bagnall said Minerva discovered that 97 percent had Internet connections and only 17 percent were using software created for fundraising.

"While not all nonprofits with Internet connections are actively involved in fundraising, those figures spell out a huge market potential," Bagnall said.

Minerva is a successful, independent computer software and services provider based in the UK. The company, which has implemented more than 400 systems, has been helping clients with all aspects of IT for more than twenty years. Minerva is an acknowledged leader in providing system solutions to charities, membership organizations and institutions. For more information, go to http://www.minerva-computers.co.uk.

Founded in 1999, Indianapolis-based eTapestry.com is the first Web-based donor database and communications management system that rents its software to customers who access it over the Internet. Nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes using eTapestry.com do not pay the large upfront purchasing costs or the ongoing maintenance and support contracts typically paid in the purchase of more traditional software. For more information, go to www.eTapestry.com.

INDIANAPOLIS - eTapestry.com, developer of Web-based donor database and communications management software, has partnered with Philanthropic Service for Institutions (PSI), the philanthropic consulting department of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

PSI, based at the World Church Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD, represents 300 Seventh-day Adventist institutions, including academies, colleges and universities, and hospitals. These organizations will receive a 10 percent discount on eTapestry basic service and user fees, in addition to training discounts.

eTapestry founders, who headed up Master Software Corp. before it was absorbed by Blackbaud, had a lot to do with PSI partnering with eTapestry, said PSI spokesman Randy Fox.

"One of the reasons we were interested in eTapestry was because we used to have a relationship with Master Software Corp. in the form of an exclusive agreement for its Fund Master software," Fox said. "eTapestry has really done its homework and it has come out with something that is a top-notch product."

eTapestry CEO and co-founder Jay Love, former Master Software CEO, said he was glad to be working with Philanthropic Service for Institutions once again.

"We feel like we're being welcomed home by old friends," Love said. "It's great to be able to serve such wonderful members as this group has."

eTapestry is the only Web-based software that PSI has endorsed. eTapestry is responsible for hosting the software and implementing its upgrades. Nonprofits can access the software and their secure databases wherever and whenever they have a Web browser and Internet connection.

PSI also was impressed with the national associations eTapestry has established with key organizations, such as The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, Fox said.

"These relationships with nationally recognized and respected fundraising groups are a huge feather in eTapestry's cap and speaks highly about its product and services," Fox said.

So far, about 160 of the group's membership of hospitals, colleges and academies actively raise funds.

"eTapestry was designed for organizations like PSI, whose members have widely dispersed clients who need an easy-to-use economical donor management system," said Chip Muston, eTapestry sales coordinator. "All but the very largest organizations have found that managing a network and client server systems diverts important resources from their core mission."

That was true for Jim Closser, executive director of the Tennessee Christian Medical Center Foundation, affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Closser's small fundraising office had been working for years in DOS with Fund Master software. When Closser went shopping for a new software package, he said he was put off by the prices of other systems.

One system he looked at would have cost him $20,000 for just the necessary software and hardware upgrades. By signing up for eTapestry, Closser said he avoided the capital outlay. He now pays about $2,000 a year for eTapestry, which is comparable to just the maintenance fees for the other system.

While the cost savings were a plus, Closser said the real driving force behind his decision to go with eTapestry was because he knew he could trust the leadership of the company, whom he had worked with before.

In addition to being able to access his database from anywhere in the world, Closser said he is relieved that he is not responsible for upgrades, which eTapestry typically conducts on the weekend.

"When you log in the next Monday morning, you have the full advantage of the upgrades and you haven't done anything," he said.

In addition to no maintenance hassles, eTapestry's easy-to-use system has quickly gained the trust of fundraisers who don't consider themselves proficient in the use of computers.

"I'm not a real hot-shot computer person, so I was a little apprehensive," said Carol Laker, a donor database novice who works in the development office of the San Francisco Junior Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist school. "But, I'm doing just fine. Whenever I run into a problem, the eTapestry customer service representatives quickly help me figure it out."

Founded in 1999, Indianapolis-based eTapestry.com is the first Web-based donor database and communications management system that rents its software to customers who access it over the Internet. Nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes using eTapestry.com do not pay the large upfront purchasing costs or the ongoing maintenance and support contracts typically paid in the purchase of more traditional software. For more information, go to www.eTapestry.com.

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.

December 10, 2000 - Boca Raton, FL - Mark Hamill, star of Star Wars, hosts another upcoming episode of the ".com" series, scheduled to air as paid programming on CNBC, Saturday December 16th at Noon Eastern Time. Now in its fifth season, ".com" explores the latest technological innovations and the rapidly evolving Internet landscape.

The program includes a special report entitled Making Charitable Organizations More Cost Effective, which focuses on a new software solution, that's improving the bottom line of charitable organizations - announced Jim Wilhelm, Executive Producer of the series.

When it comes to charitable organizations, every dollar spent on an operational cost; is one that's not available to help those in need. That's why eTapestry.com's new software is making the fundraising business more affordable and accessible. By using an Application Service Provider model, they are hosting the actual application on their server, allowing for the convenience of low maintenance and easy upgrades. And most importantly, it comes with a significantly lower price tag.

"By creating a Software that will help to make charities more cost effective, eTapestry is helping those in need," said Patty Elliot, Co-Executive Producer of the series. "They are providing a way to weave together donors, board members, volunteers, and staff; all under one electronic roof."

In addition to national broadcast on ".com," the special report will be reformatted and distributed via satellite as a Video News Release to over 750 domestic television stations. Like all of TVI's productions, the story is available for viewing on the Internet.

The ".com" viewer site, www.tvi.net, allows visitors to watch Making Charitable Organizations More Cost Effective, and other stories in their entirety, on-demand and in full motion video, after the program has aired. From the site, visitors access information through links to many outstanding educational resources on the Web.

Hamill regularly anchors the ".com" series, which is produced and paid for by TV Interactive, a highly acclaimed independent producer of original programming and a pioneer in Web broadcasting. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, TV Interactive's other productions include; "Healthy Solutions" with Emmy-winner, Mariette Hartley, "Women in Charge" with Nancy Glass, and "First Priority" with Hunter Tylo.