Blackbaud, Inc., a leading provider of software and related services designed for nonprofit organizations, announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Convio, Inc., a leading provider of on-demand constituent engagement solutions that enable nonprofit organizations to more effectively raise funds, advocate for change and cultivate relationships.

Blackbaud and Convio share the belief that fully engaged supporters drive maximum value for nonprofit organizations. The acquisition of Convio will combine the two companies’ strengths to accomplish a common mission – making multi-channel supporter engagement a reality – at a faster pace than either company could achieve on its own. With nonprofit supporters acting across multiple channels, including receiving messages, donating, and advocating, across websites, social networks, email, mobile, events and direct mail, solutions must be designed to deliver optimum engagement across channels. Convio’s strength in online and social is a perfect complement to Blackbaud’s expertise, and its addition will enable Blackbaud to better serve nonprofit organizations.

Under the terms of the agreement, Blackbaud will acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Convio for $16.00 per share, representing a premium of 49% compared to Convio’s recent closing price and an enterprise value of approximately $275 million (based on fully diluted shares). Blackbaud will finance the deal through a combination of cash and debt.

The board of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, which is expected to close by the end of March.

Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s President and CEO, said, “We fully expect that Convio’s best-in-class, SaaS-based capabilities for large events, advocacy and federated organizations will enable Blackbaud to offer the industry’s most diverse and flexible set of online capabilities on a global basis. Moreover, the addition of Convio will broaden Blackbaud’s application portfolio, enabling the combined company to offer a comprehensive set of multi-channel supporter engagement solutions to nonprofit organizations of all sizes.”

Convio has over 1,500 customers in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., including 29 of the top 50 U.S. charities. In 2010 alone, Convio’s U.S. clients used its software and services to raise more than $1.3 billion online, send more than 4 billion emails, power more than 32 million advocacy actions and manage relationships with more than 248 million constituents.