World Trade Center Memorial Foundation Taps Convio to Help Raise $500 Million for Ground Zero Memorial Complex

Business Wire, Sept 8, 2005

AUSTIN, Texas -- Foundation Uses Market-Leading Internet Tools to Build Global Online Community and Drive Support for Development of 9/11 Memorial

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation -- the organization with primary responsibility to raise funds for and oversee construction of the memorial complex at the World Trade Center site -- has tapped Convio to help build a global online community and raise hundreds of millions of dollars.

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation will be launching a major integrated marketing campaign to reach out to and involve Americans and people around the world who want to honor victims, rescue workers and others involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York City. The Internet is a central element of the campaign because it enables the Foundation to cost-effectively and efficiently communicate with, engage and retain millions of constituents all over the country and even the world. The Foundation is using Convio to optimize the organization's use of the Internet for driving major support for the World Trade Center memorial project.

Convio is the leading provider of online constituent relationship management solutions (eCRM) for nonprofits. The company's software and services help nonprofits use the Internet for building strong constituent relationships to drive fundraising, marketing, advocacy and other forms of mission critical support. Convio enables organizations to quickly build large constituencies and drive significant giving online.

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation's initial goal is to raise $500 million -- $100 million online -- through individual donations, corporate sponsorships and major gifts. The Foundation will use the funds to build and maintain a memorial, a memorial museum, and other facilities on six of the sixteen acres slated for development at Ground Zero.

"This is, indeed, an ambitious fundraising goal and also one that is worth an historic effort as we set out to build a lasting memorial to honor and remember the lives lost in the World Trade Center attacks as well as those involved in the response and recovery," said Gretchen Dykstra, President & CEO, World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. "Working with Convio better positions us to fulfill this mission. We trust that Convio's experience in the nonprofit marketplace and history of success in helping organizations rapidly build huge online constituencies and drive millions of dollars in donations will make our online outreach campaign a success."

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation will use Convio to:

--Build and maintain a robust Web site that provides an online community for people who want to connect with one another to share their 9/11 stories and exchange other information;

--Keep constituents updated on the progress of the memorial building project through frequently updated Web site content as well as regular emails and electronic newsletters;

--Offer supporters numerous options for giving online such as posting a personal reflection in honor of someone along with their donation, or signing up for sustainer giving, e.g., making an automated monthly gift; and

--Post online photo albums and slideshows of events from 9/11 and the days following the attack.

The Foundation also may use Convio tools for managing registration and constituent participation in fundraising events.

"By working with Convio, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation will have access to proven tools that have helped organizations mobilize hundreds of thousands of constituents and raise tens of millions of dollars in a short period of time," said Gene Austin, CEO, Convio.

"As a relatively young organization with a big mission, the Foundation's use of the Web is absolutely essential as part of its integrated campaign to drive the level of support required for the World Trade Center memorial project."

In addition to the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, Convio also works with the Pentagon Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization established to create a memorial commemorating the many lives lost in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon. The organization is using Convio to accelerate fundraising to support construction and permanent maintenance of a memorial park adjacent to the Pentagon.

About World Trade Center Memorial Foundation

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation established to honor the innocent men, women and children murdered in the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 through the creation of a permanent memorial, "Reflecting Absence," at the World Trade Center site. The Foundation is committed to raising funds and constructing the Memorial and the Memorial Museum, which will be dedicated to telling the story of the events of February 26th, 1993 and September 11th, 2001, and honoring and remembering the lives lost as well as those involved in the response and recovery. For more information on the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, please visit www.buildthememorial.org.