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U.K. Charities and Universities Select Blackbaud Software to Maximise Impact

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With Recent Enhancements for Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and Blackbaud Grantmaking™, Organisations Can Raise More Funds and Drive More Impact

LONDON, July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, is helping U.K. customers maximise their impact with technology innovations that enable charities and universities to raise more funds and streamline their operations.

Blackbaud’s recently announced enhancements for its flagship fundraising product Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® illustrate the cutting-edge technology available to help fundraisers engage donors, save time, and deliver remarkable outcomes for their organisations. New features that will be available to all users at no extra cost, include:

Powerful new fundraising AIA streamlined Raiser’s Edge NXT user experiencePersonalised productivity dashboardsTop-performing donation forms

In addition, new capabilities are being rolled out for Blackbaud Grantmaking™, including a new applicant-centric portal. This portal allows grant applicants to view and edit applications across funders that use Blackbaud Grantmaking. The submission process has been streamlined with features that enhance communication, enabling both grantmakers and applicants to save time. In addition, new AI features allow users to translate application forms to over 25 languages, including French, Spanish, Welsh and more, which will help reduce barriers to funding and increase accessibility.

Enabling Impact
Charities and organisations across the U.K. and around the world are leveraging Blackbaud software to increase their impact and achieve their missions.

Martlets provides round-the-clock hospice care and essential services to people who are terminally ill in Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, and surrounding areas. Donations that used to require five to six processing steps with the hospice’s previous technology now can be processed in batches with a single click with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT for fundraising and Blackbaud Merchant Services for payment processing. “I love Raiser’s Edge NXT and the way it has transformed our workings,” said Claire Docteur, Donations Processing and Data Officer.

Oxford Brookes University, set in a historic student city, is one of the UK’s leading modern universities and is amongst the world’s top universities in 21 subject areas. To fully engage the university’s community of graduates across the world, their alumni relations team realised they needed to streamline how they capture, store, and apply alumni information by modernising their database and reimagining their processes. The university adapted their use of Raiser’s Edge NXT to leverage the system’s purpose-built modern capabilities. “We’ve really streamlined our processes and realised a lot of information we were capturing wasn’t serving us or our objectives,” said Anne Cossutta, Senior Alumni Manager. “Now, we have data that’s easily accessible that we actually need.”

The British Film Institute (BFI) is a government-supported charity that administers grants worth tens of millions of pounds for film production, distribution, education, audience development, and marketing intelligence and research. In 2023-24, BFI distributed £43 million in grants to support film and moving image activity across the UK. “We couldn’t deliver our grants program without Blackbaud Grantmaking working as well as it does,” said Paul Richardson, Head of Counter Fraud, Scrutiny and Risk for BFI. “It is absolutely a key, essential part of our grantmaking.”

Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) pursues a multi-faceted mission to care for older age veterans, improve relationships within naval families, assist those in time of need, help sailors and marines transition into civilian life, and improve morale of those serving and deployed. By switching their CRM database to Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT and creatively collaborating with Blackbaud specialists, RNRMC is advancing fundraising growth needed to achieve “a world in which UK sailors, marines, and their families are valued and supported, for life.” Now, four years later, they are bolstering their capacity to support the UK’s naval community through an even deeper partnership with Blackbaud’s teams for customer success, professional services, and training.

Other organisations that have recently chosen Blackbaud solutions include:

BeyondAutismSmart Works CharityThe Japan SocietyThe Myalgic Encephalopathy AssociationThe Royal NAAFI

CIOF Annual Convention
This week, Blackbaud will be a sponsor of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF)’s annual convention, taking place in London July 3-4, 2024. At the fundraising convention, Blackbaud will lead a workshop entitled “Maximising Your Fundraising with Technology: Why Creating a Failure-Friendly Culture is Key to Innovation” and will also be sharing a new eBook, “The Importance of Charity Fundraising Technology.”

“We are excited to interface with customers and those interested in learning more about Blackbaud solutions at the CIOF convention this week,” said Dan Keyworth, Vice President and Managing Director, Customer Success, Blackbaud. “With our recent advancements to Raiser’s Edge NXT, Blackbaud Grantmaking, and other technological innovations, charities and universities across the U.K. and around the world can implement the best solutions to meet their goals. As a leading software provider, we’re committed to helping these organisations improve their fundraising and engagement, and increase efficiency, so that they can remain focused on their mission.”

To learn more about Blackbaud at the CIOF convention, stop by stand 9 in the expo hall, or attend Blackbaud’s workshop on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 10:45 AM BST.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud’s essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud’s solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organisations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, Quartz’s list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.co.uk or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com

Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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Clarium Raises $27M Series A to Scale AI-Powered Supply Chain Resiliency Technology to Leading Health Systems

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Amid global supply chain volatility, Yale, Stanford, and Kaiser Permanente build resilient healthcare supply networks powered by Clarium

NEW YORK, May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Clarium, the company powering the world’s first and market-leading AI-powered healthcare supply chain resiliency platform, today announced a $27 million Series A funding round from Northzone, with participation from existing investors including General Catalyst, AlleyCorp, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Texas Medical Center Ventures, and 1984 Ventures. This round brings Clarium’s total funding to $43 million to-date, and will allow the company to deliver on its mission of optimizing the modern health system and mitigating growing economic and environmental uncertainty in the supply chain for suppliers and hospitals.

The healthcare industry overspends on its supply chain by over $25B each year, largely due to fragmented, unharnessed data, inefficient workflows, and wasted supplies. As major weather events, global pandemics, and economic tariffs intensify, supply chain vulnerabilities are poised to disrupt critical care operations in hospitals nationwide.

Clarium’s platform collects, unifies, and automates crowdsourced data from providers, suppliers, and vendors across the entire healthcare supply chain, creating the world’s first AI-powered resiliency platform dedicated to helping major hospitals and health systems manage their supply chain operations. Clarium predicts supply chain disruptions based on real-time weather, geopolitical, and current events data, providing tailored recommendations for substitutions and preventing major disruptions to productivity and outcomes. The resiliency platform – which spans workflow operations, inventory and stock management, and disruption and substitution optimization – are ideated and built in collaboration with leading health systems, allowing Clarium to respond swiftly and directly to the needs of supply chain teams. After adopting Astra OS, hospital systems have seen over $10 million in average cost savings, fueled by 50% faster disruption resolution and 88% substitute approvals.

“The fragmentation and inefficiencies of the healthcare supply chain continue to plague our country’s hospital systems as they face more financial pressure than ever,” said Steve Liou, Founder and CEO of Clarium. “At Clarium, we’re leveraging the power of AI to modernize the hospital supply chain, working directly with health systems to develop valuable technology that enhances productivity, cuts wasteful spend, and improves patient health outcomes. We are grateful for the support from Northzone and our existing investors as we continue scaling our platform to new partners across the country.”

“Working closely with Clarium has allowed us to access the next-gen technology we need to manage our supply chain more efficiently,” said Jacqueline Epright, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Yale New Haven Health. “Clarium is innovative to address supply chain pain points, attuned to our needs, and truly dedicated to helping our hospital systems save on costs and deliver the best possible health outcomes to patients.”

Clarium’s $27 million financial investment from Northzone and existing partners will allow the company to accelerate the development and scale of Astra OS – including additional app and solution development – expand its team, and develop relationships with new health system partners.

“Despite many recent advancements in healthcare technology, hospital procurement processes have largely remained stuck in the 20th century. While several point solutions exist, Clarium is the first comprehensive, end-to-end platform for managing the hospital supply chain,” said Molly Alter, Partner at Northzone. “We believe Clarium possesses the technology and vision to enable end-to-end supply chain management for every one of the 5,000 hospitals nationwide.”

Since announcing its seed funding in 2024, Clarium has doubled its headcount and added key leadership including Burton Bracken (Head of Business Development), Marek Sirendi (Head of AI), Marcelo Fracchia (VP of Growth), and Shivani Stadvec (Chief Marketing Officer). The company has also expanded its collaborators roster beyond Yale New Haven Health, Geisinger, Ochsner Health, and Boston Children’s Hospital to include The Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, St. Luke’s, and others. Additionally, Clarium announced a long-term strategic partnership with the Healthcare Industry Resiliency Collaborative (HIRC) to co-develop transformative technology and data standards.

To learn more about Clarium and its technology, visit www.clariumhealth.com.

About Clarium
Clarium is a healthcare technology company that is transforming how the hospital supply chain is managed for providers and suppliers. Clarium empowers leading health systems, including Yale New Haven Health, Stanford, and Geisinger, to optimize their supply chain operations with an AI-powered platform, Astra OS, which delivers unified data, actionable insights, and intelligent workflow automation. The company was founded in 2020 by Steve Liou and has raised $43 million in venture funding.

About Northzone
Northzone (northzone.com) is a global venture capital fund built on experience spanning multiple economic and disruptive technology cycles. Founded in 1996, Northzone has raised more than ten funds to date, with its most recent fundraise in excess of $1.2 billion and has invested in more than 175 companies, including category-defining businesses such as Trustpilot, Spotify, Klarna, iZettle, Kahoot!, Personio, TrueLayer, Spring Health, and Zopa.

Northzone is a full-stack investor from Seed to Growth stage, with transatlantic hubs out of London, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Stockholm and Oslo.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clarium-raises-27m-series-a-to-scale-ai-powered-supply-chain-resiliency-technology-to-leading-health-systems-302450625.html

SOURCE Clarium

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Echo360 Acquires GoReact, Adding Next Generation AI Video Assessment to its Learning Transformation Platform™

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Echo360 and GoReact empower millions of learners and educators worldwide with AI-powered video assessment to transform feedback, engagement, and learning outcomes.

NEW YORK, May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Echo360, the global leader in transformative learning for business and education, today announced its acquisition of GoReact, the market leader for AI-powered video-based skill assessment and feedback. This strategic acquisition gives millions of instructors and learners unprecedented access to authentic, real-time video feedback and assessment via GoReact’s intelligent, AI-enabled solution.

Enhancing Learning with AI and Video-Based Assessment

The combination of Echo360 and GoReact brings together two of the most forward-thinking leaders in the enterprise learning technology space. With the addition of GoReact’s AI-enabled real-time video feedback and assessment capabilities to Echo360’s AI-powered Echosystem™, the world’s first Learning Transformation Platform™, educators, trainers, and learners around the world will have a market-leading suite of tools to accelerate workforce readiness, build skills and competencies, and demonstrably improve measurable learning outcomes.

Focused on Customer Success and Advancing Learning Outcomes Together

“Echo360 and GoReact share a common mission of empowering learners with engaging, personalized, and data-driven educational experiences,” said Murad Velani, President and CEO of Echo360. “With GoReact, we have created an even more powerful AI enterprise platform that drives measurable outcomes and learner success across education, corporate training, and workforce readiness at scale.”

“We’re excited for GoReact to join Echo360’s global reach, scale, and enterprise Echosystem platform, which will enable millions more learners to benefit from AI-enabled skill mastery and career readiness,” added Ken Meyers, Founder and CEO of GoReact. “This alliance will accelerate innovation, expand investment, and unlock more GoReact growth.”

A Transformational Platform for Education and Corporate Learning

With the addition of GoReact, the Echosystem platform further enables competency-based education, training, and skill-building across education and commercial enterprises.  Key benefits of the integration include:

Personalized learning pathways, through AI-enabled activities and skill practice that deliver objective, individualized, and actionable feedback at scale. Deeper learning engagement and retention, through interactive experiences, keeping learners engaged throughout their learning journeys.Measurable, authentic assessments, through practical demonstration of skills and enhanced analytics that track learner engagement, success, performance, and support academic integrity.Lower costs, through unified workflows and simplified integrations across Echo360’s suite of solutions, including the world’s leading LMS and HRIS systems, enabling effortless adoption for existing and new customers.

“Our education and corporate customers seek cost efficiencies and enterprise solutions that scale; enabling them to consolidate their fragmented education technology stacks with an enterprise platform that enriches learner experiences, eliminates complex integrations, and simplifies support and change management. Echo360 provides our customers a proven path to achieve significant efficiencies and effectiveness,” added Velani.

About Echo360

Echo360 is the global edtech leader enabling transformative learning experiences for education and business through the Echosystem™: the world’s first and only enterprise Learning Transformation Platform™ (LTP™) that delivers dynamic creation, engagement, and assessment of education and training at scale for over 2000 customers and 5 million learners, instructors, trainers, and frontline workers across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions of the world. From leading global educational institutions like Columbia University, King’s College London, and the University of Sydney to corporate training leaders such as McDonald’s, H&R Block, and McGraw Hill.

Built for the cloud and comprised of innovative content creation (EchoInk™), video management (EchoVideo™), engagement (EchoEngage™), and assessment (EchoExam™) solutions, the Echosystem™ is an interoperable, modular platform that delivers measurable learning outcomes, personalized transformative learning and enriched learner and instructor experiences. Echo360; Transforming Learning.  For more information visit www.echo360.com

About GoReact

GoReact simplifies skills-based learning and assessment by providing more chances to practice, reflect and evaluate progress using the power of video. By providing evidence of competency, along with personalized feedback and AI-enabled tools, GoReact elevates skill development that transforms potential into mastery. More than 800 academic institutions and companies worldwide use GoReact to enable skill development, including GoReact’s current use in training more than 1 in 5 graduating new teachers in the United States. See how GoReact helps all learners build skills for a brighter future at www.GoReact.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jeff Peterson

Echo360

612.859.0488

394949@email4pr.com

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SOURCE echo360

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Bélanger Introduces Solara 2-Piece Roman Bathtub Faucet with Pressure Balanced Rough-In Valve

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The new Solara 2-Piece Roman Bathtub Faucet’s compatible 42RBR pressure-balanced rough-in valve simplifies tight-space installs and safeguards trim during construction.

MONTREAL, May 8, 2025 /CNW/ — Bélanger, a trusted name in Canadian faucet manufacturing for nearly 60 years, has unveiled the latest addition to its Solara collection: the 2-Piece Roman Bathtub Faucet (SOL42TCP), accompanied by its compatible 42RBR Pressure Balanced Rough-In Valve.

Available under the Bélanger Pro product category, the Solara Collection offers robust performance combined with aesthetic appeal – ideal for professionals in need of reliable, high-end designs. Solara includes innovative rough-in solutions designed to simplify installation, focusing on the innovative rough and trim installation that follows the build process.

The SOL42T Roman Tub Faucet features a two-piece, minimalist profile that makes a bold yet refined statement. Its straight modern spout and streamlined single-lever handle provide intuitive control and fluid aesthetics, while its solid brass construction and ceramic disc cartridge ensure durability and smooth operation over time.

Available in two timeless finishes – polished Chrome and Matte Black – the SOL42T easily complements spa-like sanctuaries and sleek contemporary interiors, making it an ideal choice for designers and builders aiming to elevate their bathroom projects.

What truly sets the Solara 2-Piece Roman Bathtub Faucet apart is Bélanger’s exclusive rough-in valve design. The 42RBR valve is designed to support more efficient project workflows by allowing the rough-in to be installed and tested in advance. The decorative trim can then be added at the finishing stage, helping to prevent surface damage often caused by exposure during construction. This staged approach safeguards decorative components from damage during construction, minimizes rework, and helps contractors maintain pristine finishes.

This design advancement is particularly impactful in large-scale or high-density residential projects, where labour efficiency and durability are paramount.

“At Bélanger, we are committed to delivering innovations that support those who install and rely on our products every day,” says Lidia Pedicelli, General Manager of Bélanger. “The Solara 2-Piece Roman Bathtub Faucet and its compatible 42RBR valve offer unmatched flexibility, time savings, and installation simplicity without compromising performance or style.”

The 42RBR Pressure Balanced Valve features an integrated anchoring system, making it ideal for tight spaces. Its multi-connection compatibility – supporting IPS, PEX, and WIR – provides versatility for various plumbing setups. A secondary hose allows for effortless handshower swaps, enhancing convenience for installation teams and end-users.

Other Key Features

Solara 2-Piece Roman Bathtub Faucet spout delivers up to 26.5 litres per minute (7.0 gallons per minute) at 60 psi (pounds per square inch), offering efficient fill rates for large bathtubs.

The handshower supports two spray modes – spray and stream – with easily switchable jets, providing comfort and usability for different bathing needs.

Its maximum flow rate is 6.6 L/min (1.75 gpm) at 80 psi, aligning with water-saving standards.

The faucet features a pre-installed, factory-calibrated and tested, pressure-balanced cartridge that ensures consistent water temperature during use – removing this step for the installer and streamlining installation.

The Solara 2-Piece Roman Bathtub Faucet, developed in Canada for Canadian professionals, was a finalist in the Plumbing Fixtures and Faucets category of the recent MCEE 2025 New Product Competition. The MCEE show is Canada’s largest expo for mechanical, plumbing, hydronics, HVAC-R, electrical, and lighting industries. This recognition highlights the faucet’s significance and appeal within the industry.

ABOUT BÉLANGER

Bélanger, a renowned brand in the faucet industry, part of the Oatey and Tubular Industries of Canada family of brands, is dedicated to creating timeless collections that blend global trends with local craftsmanship. With nearly 60 years of expertise and a reputation for superior quality, Bélanger offers elegant, minimalist designs that enhance any décor. Our products, designed for ease of use and long-lasting performance, are a testament to Canadian engineering and meticulous attention to detail.

Bélanger is based in Saint-Laurent, Quebec. For more information, visit www.belangerfaucets.com, call +1 (800) 361 5960, or follow Bélanger on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest or LinkedIn.

Oatey is based in Cleveland, Ohio, and has locations in the United States, Canada (including Tubular Industries of Canada), Mexico and China. For more information, visit www.oatey.com.

To download hi-res images visit, https://belanger-faucets.greenhousedigitalpr.com/solara-2-piece-roman-bathtub-faucet/

SOURCE Bélanger

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