Convio’s Vinay Bhagat Appointed to Advisory Council for Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation

Internet Visionary With Expertise in Integrated Marketing Is Council’s First Technology Industry Representative

Austin, Texas (January 31, 2006) —

Internet visionary, Vinay Bhagat, founder and chief strategy officer of Convio, Inc., has been appointed to the Advisory Council of the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation (DMANF). Bhagat is the first Internet marketing expert to serve on the council.

"Vinay has been a passionate supporter of DMANF for several years and we're excited to have him on the Advisory Council," said Senny Boone, Vice President, Strategic Alliances & Executive Director, Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation. "His wealth of knowledge about the Internet and integrated marketing brings a new and very important perspective to our organization and membership. Vinay will continue to help us further the nonprofit sector's understanding of the crucial role the Internet plays in successful direct marketing."

The DMANF is the premier association for nonprofit organizations that use direct marketing media such as mail, telephone, and the Internet to communicate with donors, members and the public. DMANF's Advisory Council is the governing body responsible for providing direction, policy and leadership for the organization.

Bhagat is renowned in the nonprofit sector for evangelizing the importance of integrating the Internet into fundraising and direct marketing activities. Convio, which Bhagat launched in 1999, is the leading provider of online constituent relationship management (eCRM) solutions for nonprofits, serving more than 500 clients, including many of the nation's largest multi-affiliate groups. Convio's software and services help nonprofits use the Internet for building strong constituent relationships that drive fundraising, awareness and enduring support.

"One of our goals as a company is to continually educate nonprofits on how to effectively leverage the Internet for marketing, fundraising and other mission critical activities," said Gene Austin, CEO, Convio. "By serving on the DMANF Advisory Council, Vinay can really help the sector become even more savvy about online marketing. Equally important, Vinay's position on the council signals the maturation of our marketplace and is a testament to the significant impact that the Internet has had and will continue to have on the direct marketing industry."

More background on Bhagat

In addition to his new role on the Advisory Council, Bhagat is chairman of DMANF's Member Recruitment Committee. He also has served on DMANF's Education Committee as well as planning committees for the annual Washington, D.C. and New York conferences. Beyond DMANF, Bhagat is a member of the Board of Trustees of the ePhilanthropy Foundation, the foremost organization devoted to fostering the secure, private and ethical use of the Internet for philanthropic purposes.

Bhagat regularly speaks with Convio customers on integrated marketing topics at DMANF conferences and other major industry events. He also is a frequent contributing author for the quarterly Journal of the DMA Nonprofit Federation and other nonprofit industry trade publications. Additionally, he has written chapters for two of today's most popular books for fundraising professionals: The Nonprofit Handbook: Fundraising Third Edition 2002 Supplement and Nonprofit Internet Strategies: Best Practices for Marketing, Communications and Fundraising Success.

About DMANF

Since 1982, the DMA Nonprofit Federation (DMANF) and its predecessor organizations have been aggressive and effective advocates for nonprofits in postal, regulatory, legislative, and accountability issues. The Federation is the premier agent for improving public awareness and receptivity to direct/interactive marketing-driven philanthropy, and is the 'top brand' among all associations and advocacy groups working on behalf of nonprofits in this area. With more than 300 members, DMANF is one of the largest member segments of the Direct Marketing Association and is the leading association for member organizations that use direct and interactive marketing media such as mail, telephone, and the Internet to communicate with donors, members, customers, and the public. DMANF's full-time staff, located in Washington, DC, is assisted by legal counsel for regulatory and postal matters, and supplemented by the resources and professional staff of the DMA.

About Convio

Convio is the leading provider of software and services to help nonprofits use the Internet strategically to build strong relationships with constituents for driving fundraising, advocacy and other forms of support. Convio has online solutions for fundraising, advocacy, Web content management, event fundraising, ecommerce and email communications. All solutions include the Constituent360™ platform, a sophisticated, online marketing database that centralizes constituent data and integrates with offline databases.

Convio has been named 2005 "Private Company of the Year" by the Austin Business Journal. The company's clients include American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, AVON Foundation, Easter Seals, Farm Aid, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Trust For Historic Preservation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Thirteen/WNET New York. For more information, please visit www.convio.com. 

Press Contact:
Karoline McLaughlin
Director, Corporate Communications
Convio, Inc.
kmclaughlin@convio.com
512-652-7865