Convio, Inc. and Mobile Commons at the 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference, today announced the availability of Mobile Commons suite of products to Convio’s clients, creating mobile applications that drive response rates and increase participation by allowing constituents to get instant information through their cell phone. With Mobile Commons, Convio clients can use text messaging to increase membership, inform and call constituents to action in real time, integrate voice messages into mobile and Web content, and create innovative ways for nonprofits to use constituent generated content for increased involvement and communication. Since the integration is built on Convio’s Open Constituent API, constituent data is seamlessly passed between the two systems. As a member of Convio’s Fusion Partner program, Mobile Commons is part of Convio’s Open Initiative designed to provide choice, interoperability and technological innovation for the nonprofit community.

“Mobile is a growing part of our outreach and engagement strategy,” says Geoff Handy, vice president for media and online communications for The Humane Society of the United States. “Integrating mobile interactions into our campaign strategy has helped us reach out on breaking news and share information with our advocates when and where they want it, since people keep their mobile phones within arms reach virtually around the clock. Data integration with our mobile, email, and web outlets will help us focus on communicating with constituents, not IT hurdles.”

The Convio/Mobile Commons product offering includes:

• A Web-based platform that allows organizations to integrate mobile messaging into campaign strategies and engage in two-way mobile communications.
• A Voice application that merges messaging and calling tying email, web and mobile campaigns together. This product makes it simple to play a prerecorded audio message before connecting users to destination numbers.
• Mobile information services that let constituents on the go find the information they need and want when they need it, allowing the organization to strengthen connections with constituents.
• A Text-to-screen and Web application that allows organizations to take incoming messages and project them on large screens at live events or onto widgets across the Web creating additional opportunities for use of constituent generated content.

“As mobile phones continue to morph into tiny computers with advanced capabilities to access information, video, social networks and more, communicating with the ‘un-tethered constituent’ becomes more and more important to nonprofits,” said David Hart, Chief Technology Officer of Convio. “A recent survey in The NonProfit Times1 showed that 17 percent of the donors they surveyed did not have a land line phone during the past 12 months. Our Open Initiative and partners like Mobile Commons will help us bring innovative technology to the nonprofit market to better meet the needs of these constituents and the organizations that rely on them for support.”

About Mobile Commons

Mobile Commons is a leading provider of mobile application focusing on cause related marketing, campaigns and advocacy. Mobile Commons’ software makes it simple to create mobile applications and connect them to the web, CRM, and other media.

Mobile Commons’ clients include Human Rights Campaign, Humane Society of the United States, NARAL ProChoice America, 1199 SEIU, and Sierra Club. For more information, please visit www.mcommons.com.

About Convio

Convio is a leading provider of on-demand constituent relationship management software and services to nonprofit organizations to enable nonprofit organizations to more effectively raise funds, influence public policy and support their missions by leveraging the Internet to build strong relationships with constituents. The Company’s online constituent relationship management, or eCRM, solution includes a suite of on demand software modules for fundraising, advocacy, email marketing and Web content management complemented by a portfolio of best-in-class consulting services.

Convio's clients include American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Sierra Club, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and National Public Radio. For more information, please visit www.convio.com.

1–The NonProfit Times, March 1, 2008, National survey of online donors by Harris Interactive.