Convio 4.0^® Signals New Era for Nonprofits; Next Generation of Market-Leading Software Includes Most Effective Email Marketing Solution Available

Built-In Online Best Practices, Plus Major Content and Data Management Enhancements, Also Help Maximize Online Results

AUSTIN, TEXAS (June 8, 2004) -- Convio -- the leading provider of software and services to help nonprofits and higher education institutions use the Internet for building strong constituent relationships and driving support today announced the release of Convio 4.0, ushering in a new Internet era for nonprofits. 

Convio designed its latest release, available in early August, with extensive input from nonprofits about what they need to be effective in today's increasingly wired world.  Organizations now can easily wage email campaigns that drive significantly higher constituent response and participation in fundraising, events, advocacy, volunteering and other mission-critical activities.  Enhanced content and data management functionality, and built-in best practices with step-by-step instructions, ensure every nonprofit professional can maximize results, regardless of his or her technical and online experience.

"Convio 4.0 signals a sea change in the way nonprofits use the Internet," said Gene Austin, CEO, Convio. "We've made it even easier and simpler for nonprofits, regardless of technical expertise, to conduct sophisticated online fundraising, marketing, advocacy and communications campaigns with built-in best practices coaching them every step of the way so they can get through to the right constituents at the right time to drive action."

New Convio Email Features and What Nonprofits Are Saying
With 71 percent of people in the United States using the Internet, email has become a primary channel for reaching and motivating constituents.  But getting emails delivered, opened and read is tough. The proliferation of spam has spawned widespread use of spam filters, which often mistakenly block legitimate email.  Even when emails get through, constituents with overloaded "inboxes" often delete messages unopened, or delete them after a quick glance if the content is not highly relevant.  In response to these new realities, Convio 4.0 lets nonprofits:

• Create, manage and monitor multiple emails in a campaign as well as total campaign effectiveness.  New automation features "recognize" how constituents respond to email communications, then ensure they receive the appropriate follow-up. For example, a constituent who responds to an email solicitation can be automatically removed from the list for that campaign, preventing re-solicitation. Also, organizations can track results across multiple emails in a campaign to see which have the most impact and which target audiences respond best. 
  
  "At all points during a campaign whether it lasts a few weeks, a few months or an entire year, we will be able to see how a constituent responds and send him or her appropriate follow-up email messages," said Karen Poirier, director, membership marketing, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. "We also can determine which campaigns are most effective and how we can conduct even better campaigns in the future." 
  
  
• Drive higher constituent response rates through advance testing of email messaging.  A nonprofit professional can quickly and cost-effectively conduct online A/B testing, which involves varying an element, e.g., the subject line, in two or more messages, and sending each to a small percentage of the target audience to determine which is more effective. The message then can be adjusted before sending to the entire target audience to achieve optimal results.
  
  
• Easily create a coordinated email marketing program across chapters, regions, schools, clubs or any other division within the organization. A centralized editor can automate the process of soliciting, reviewing and approving content from multiple contributors, such as regional affiliates or schools within a university.  Following editor approval, content is automatically formatted and inserted into a customized newsletter for that affiliate or school, along with content from the central organization.  Chapters or other smaller entities within an organization now have an efficient and affordable way to get their message to their constituents.
  
  "This new functionality enables our organization to communicate in a more personalized way with constituents, which is key for generating support and participation," said Shirley Sexton, director, Internet marketing, Easter Seals. "Each affiliate can now easily contribute content at the local level, which is then used to customize the newsletter content for each constituent, based on his or her geographic location."
  
  
• Optimize email delivery rates through spam testing. This feature automatically checks emails prior to transmission for anything that would trigger spam filters such as excessive punctuation in a subject line or certain words in the email that commonly appear in spam today. The checker alerts the nonprofit professional sending the email so he/she can revise the copy.  

Additional New Features Enhance Usability
Convio 4.0 also sets a new standard for Internet software usability. With a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, non-technical staff members, or "administrators," can:

• Create reusable page wrappers and stationery for consistent branding.  Administrators can now create reusable custom electronic stationery and Web page "wrappers" for a common look and branding across all future content. They can also easily manipulate image size, placement, alignment, and other attributes without the use of complex editing tools. 
  
  
• Foolproof personalization for email and Web site content. Convio's enhanced "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) interface now includes features that make personalizing Web or email content even easier. Convio's WYSIWYG now provides pull-down and context menus to simplify the process of adding personalized content. That content is displayed in real-time as an email message or a Web page is being composed, showing exactly how it will look when viewed by the constituent.
  
  
• Easily customize database fields for capturing the specific type of constituent information that matters most to their organization.
  
  
• Follow online best practices that are built in to the software, with step-by-step coaching that helps to ensure compliance.  For example, administrators are prompted through each step of setting up an email message -- from selecting the design template and choosing the target audience, to inserting merge fields (such as first name) and content based on constituent interests.

For more information on Convio 4.0, please visit www.convio.com/convio4.

About Convio
Convio is the leading provider of software and services that help nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions use the Internet to build strong constituent relationships to drive support and participation. Convio has online solutions for fundraising and membership, advocacy, special events, volunteer fundraising, Web site management and email communications.  All solutions include the Constituent360™ platform, a sophisticated, online marketing database that centralizes constituent data and integrates with offline databases. This gives organizations a unified view of constituent interests and motivations -- key for personalized and targeted outreach and communications. Convio also provides services and consulting to help organizations achieve success online.

Convio's clients include the American Diabetes Association, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, AVON Foundation, Brady Campaign United with the Million Mom March, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Chicago Public Radio, Easter Seals, Farm Aid, Georgetown University, KCET Community Television of Southern California, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, National Trust For Historic Preservation Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. For more information, please visit www.convio.com.

Whitney Wood Otstott
Corporate Communications Manager
Convio, Inc.
512-652-2632
wotstott@convio.com