ESG Approach
ESG Approach
We believe that we will drive long-term sustainable value for all stakeholders by living out our higher purpose of “helping good take over” and operating all facets of our business through a world-class environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program. Our customers, employees, shareholders, and other key stakeholders expect us to take our unique position as the world’s leading software company powering social good very seriously, and as such, we make ESG an intrinsic part of our operations.
UN Global Compact and SDGs
In 2021, we took the next step in our journey by joining the United Nations Global Compact and signing on to its 10 principles that outline the fundamental responsibilities of business for human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.
We also track our impact on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Although we see all the goals as important and interconnected, we align our philanthropic giving to the needs of our communities and employee priorities. We have an ongoing focus on SDG 17, Partnerships for the Goals, through our commitment to share research and resources, participate in cross-sector collaborations, and connect the Ecosystem of Good® through our purpose-built technology.
The top three goals supported by our philanthropic giving in 2021 were:
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ESG Governance
We have developed a team structure to guide and provide oversight of our ESG initiatives. This includes:
- Executive sponsorship with CEO
- Oversight from the company’s board of directors, led by the Nominating and Governance Committee
- An employee-led, cross-functional ESG Steering Committee
- Employee impact teams dedicated to specific ESG workstreams
- Employee affinity groups focused on sustainability and social impact
The Nominating & Governance Committee for Blackbaud’s board of directors assists the Board and management in overseeing the company’s corporate responsibility and ESG matters, including evaluating the integration of ESG principles into business strategy and decision-making, as well as reviewing reports published by the company on ESG matters.
Blackbaud’s ESG Steering Committee is chaired by the vice president of global social responsibility and comprised of designated members from the Executive Leadership Team, as well as other senior leaders. The Committee engages with stakeholders, including employee affinity groups, to determine ESG priorities and is responsible for ensuring that they are adopted throughout the company. The Committee is accountable to the ESG executive sponsor, Blackbaud’s CEO.
Stakeholder Engagement
Our commitment to creating shared value for key stakeholders means we routinely seek feedback to inform our business decisions, mitigate risks, and prioritize the strategic initiatives we support.
Here are some of the tactics we use to collect that feedback:
| Stakeholders | How We Engage |
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| Customers |
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| Employees |
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| Shareholders |
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| Community |
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Materiality and ESG Priorities
We conducted a formal materiality assessment in 2021 to identify the economic, social, and environmental topics that are most important to our business and our stakeholders. The assessment included a survey of internal stakeholders across the company, delivered by an independent third party, which asked them to score the topics they deemed most consequential to Blackbaud and its customers.
The priority topics identified through the materiality assessment were grouped into five key “commitments” that will guide Blackbaud’s ESG strategy, goals, and alignment of resources.
Our priority ESG focus areas are:
- The Social Good Community
- People, Culture and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Privacy and Data Protection
- Climate
- Governance and Ethics