1. COMMON GROUND TOWN HALL FAQ
THE RETIREMENT OF COMMON GROUND
SEPTEMBER 12, 2012
WHAT’S CHANGING & WHY?
Blackbaud is retiring Common Ground. eTapestry and The Raiser’s Edge will be our go-forward CRM offers for
small to medium-sized clients, and Blackbaud CRM and Luminate CRM for larger to enterprise clients.
This decision was made after an objective analysis led by the product integration team over several months, which
included both Blackbaud and former Convio product management and our company leaders who reviewed and
approved the recommendations. Both internal factors – including product financials – and external – including
market opportunity, customer needs, and partner relationships – were taken into consideration.
Ultimately the decision was based on a recognized need to focus our efforts in a discrete number of CRM offers to
help us serve the market more efficiently and improve our ability to deliver value to our clients.
I’m confused. Is Common Ground Enterprise being retired or not?
Blackbaud (and Convio before the acquisition) has two different products called Common Ground, one of which is
referred to as Common Ground Enterprise.
Some Common Ground Enterprise clients are already on a path to migrate to Luminate CRM. They are not
impacted by the decision. Luminate CRM is a go-forward offering on the Salesforce Force.com platform for larger
and enterprise-sized clients, and will receive ongoing investment as a critical part of our product portfolio.
Other clients currently using Common Ground Enterprise may have been considering or planning to move to the
Common Ground product. That option is no longer available. Migrations to eTapestry, The Raiser’s Edge or
Luminate CRM are alternatives.
How do I determine the Common Ground product version that my organization is using?
From within Common Ground, you can determine the product version that you are using by looking under the
Quick Help section on the left sidebar.
 Common Ground clients are on versions 4.0, 4.1, 2011a, 2011a.1, 2011b, 2012a, 2012b.
 Common Ground Enterprise clients are on all versions less than 4.0 (3.9.6, 3.9.5, 3.5, 3.0, etc)
A separate set of communications has been provided to Common Ground Enterprise clients.

2. Is there any way Blackbaud will reconsider the decision to retire Common Ground?
The decision to retire Common Ground will stand.
Is Blackbaud considering making Common Ground available to users beyond the retirement date… by either
extending the managed package licenses indefinitely, making Common Ground available as a no-cost,
unmanaged package through the App Exchange or another platform, and/or releasing the Common Ground
code under an open source license?
We considered all of these options and others prior to the retirement announcement. We will not be offering any
of these options because ultimately we don’t believe they are in the best interests of our customers.
Why wasn’t Common Ground chosen to be the next generation of The Raiser’s Edge?
Given the technologies at our disposal, we believe the Infinity platform provides a great foundation for building the
next generation of solutions, and we plan to deliver new and innovative products built on that foundation. We
believe the ground-breaking leadership in cloud-based nonprofit solutions pioneered by the Common Ground
team and many of the valuable lessons learned can be incorporated into the next generation of our products,
regardless of platform.
Does Blackbaud believe that the Salesforce Force.com is a good platform?
Yes. Blackbaud continues to offer and recommend Luminate CRM for larger and enterprise-sized clients, clients
who select Salesforce as their CRM platform. Luminate CRM delivers strong functionality and integration with
other Blackbaud solutions, such as Luminate Online. We are also planning on integrating Luminate CRM into
additional offerings, such as Blackbaud Direct Marketing and Merchant Services.
WHAT’S THE TIMELINE?
Will the Common Ground system be turned off? Should customers be looking to migrate to a new system now?
First, there is no immediate disruption to Common Ground customers. You can continue using Common Ground
as you evaluate your options. You do not need to migrate now. In our prior communication, we announced March
31, 2014 as a “retirement date” for planning purposes, but we recognize that many of our clients have contract
expiration dates that extend past that date.
We wanted to provide ample time for clients to begin evaluating their options. We will be working with each client
to build individual plans to migrate efficiently. We will be offering incentives including migration services and
comparable license pricing for eTapestry, The Raiser’s Edge or Luminate CRM.
Although we hope that all of our Common Ground customers will move to another Blackbaud solution, we
recognize that some may want to pursue other options. We are committed to treating every Common Ground
customer, regardless of their choice, with the sincere and thoughtful care they deserve.

3. HOW DOES THIS IMPACT CLIENTS?
What is the significance of the March 2014 date?
 Before March 31, 2014, we will work with each Common Ground customer to support their migration to
another solution.
 We will not extend current contacts ending before March 31, 2014 past March 31, 2014.
 We will continue to fulfill our contractual obligations to clients with valid contracts past March 2014
through the end of their contract.
 After March 31, 2014 or the end of the contract for a specific customer, whichever is later, that
customer's users will not be able to access the Common Ground package, the support portal, or external
applications that run Common Ground Fundraising, like online forms.
What if I haven’t started my Common Ground implementation yet?
If you are about to begin your Common Ground implementation, you will need to decide if you wish to continue
with your original plan. You can use Common Ground as you evaluate your options. We would love to keep you as
a Blackbaud customer and believe we have excellent options for you.
What if I am in the middle of my Common Ground implementation now?
If you are implementing with a partner or on your own, you may feel that it’s the right decision to carry on with
your implementation, get up and running on Common Ground, and take some time to plan your next steps.
Regardless of where you are in your implementation project, all of the future options we will discuss will be
available to you.
How are you going to work with partners though this?
We know that many of our partners are affected by this decision and that they are on the front lines fielding
questions from our mutual customers. We sincerely appreciate this. We also commit to including our partners in
conversations with customers as we work together to determine the right options. Our partners bring insights
that are important both to our customers and to us. For our partners, their primary point of contact will be our
partner team and their partner manager.
WHAT ARE THE FUTURE OPTIONS FOR CLIENTS?
We plan to offer our Common Ground clients migration services to eTapestry, The Raiser’s Edge or Luminate
CRM, and rates comparable to Common Ground. Clients will be contacted by a transition team representative
with more details. This team will provide specific options to clients beginning in early October.

4. Why should I consider another Blackbaud solution?
The Common Ground decision is not one that anyone at Blackbaud took lightly. While we made the very difficult
decision to streamline our fundraising and CRM offerings, we offer proven alternatives in our portfolio and we
sincerely hope you will consider them.
For the past 30 years, we have been developing software and services for nonprofits. We are immensely proud
that our expertise is helping 27,000+ client organizations accomplish their missions. We are fully invested in the
success of each and every customer.
How do I know which Blackbaud solution will meet my needs?
We have created a team to assist clients, and we will be offering tools to help you understand your options. This
team will begin its outreach to clients in early October. We fully understand that this transition needs to be as
seamless as possible for you and your organization.
Will Blackbaud help me move to an alternative Blackbaud solution?
Yes, we’re very committed to providing excellent options for your consideration, and we will provide migration
assistance to our other products: eTapestry, The Raiser’s Edge and Luminate CRM. You will be contacted by a
transition team representative with more details.
Will Blackbaud help me move to an alternative non-Blackbaud solution?
Although we hope that all of our Common Ground customers will move to another Blackbaud solution, we
recognize that some may want to pursue other options. We are committed to treating every Common Ground
customer, regardless of their choice, with the sincere and thoughtful care they deserve.
You will have full access to your data through the end of your contract term with us and we will provide
instructions for exporting it.
Will Blackbaud allow me to cancel my Common Ground contract?
Yes. Blackbaud will allow the early termination of Common Ground contracts without penalty. In order to process
an early termination, clients must provide at least two-week’s notice and sign a simple one-page amendment
prepared by our transition team. Our transition team will provide assistance with the process and the form.
Will Blackbaud reimburse me for my costs already incurred to implement Common Ground?
We plan to offer our Common Ground clients migration services to eTapestry, The Raiser’s Edge or Luminate
CRM, and rates comparable to Common Ground. Clients will be contacted by a transition team representative
with more details. This team will provide specific options to clients beginning in early October.

5. WHAT DO CLIENTS DO NOW?
First, there is no immediate disruption to Common Ground customers. You can continue using Common Ground
as you evaluate your options. You do not need to migrate now. You will be contacted by a transition team
representative to review options.
If you are about to begin or are already in the process of implementing Common Ground, you will need to decide if
you wish to continue with your original plan. Whether you proceed or not, you are eligible for the future options
discussed.
QUESTIONS?
If you have additional questions, please submit them to cgtransition@blackbaud.com. We may also choose to
publish questions and answers on the Common Ground Resource Center, which Common Ground clients can
access from within Common Ground. Additionally, you can access the Town Hall recording and future updates at
www.blackbaud.com/convio.