3/9: Todd Lant, Blackbaud

March 9, 2021:

The CIO of local tech success story Blackbaud joined us this week for an update on how his company, and the tech industry in general, has fared during Covid. We also learned of a more expansive vaccination program underway that will require lots of volunteers to help administer. Be sure to look at the post on Rotary Ready for more information.  

Todd Lant, Chief Information Officer for Blackbaud, spoke to us this week about the impact of Covid-19 over the past year and the forecast for the near future as we come out of the pandemic. Todd joined Blackbaud in 2003 and has been part of the company’s significant growth since that time. 

Blackbaud is the world’s leading software and cloud computing provider that serves the social good community — nonprofits, foundations, corporations, education institutions, healthcare organizations, and religious organizations. About $100 million a year moves through Blackbaud to their clients. Part of what makes the company successful is their culture. About ¼ of team members participate on non-profit boards in their local communities. 

Those not in the non-profit industry may not realize the great impact that the pandemic has had on their business. So much of their fundraising and donor outreach is done in person and at events. Revenues are down while costs have had stayed the same, or in some cases, increased. But the industry, like many others, has done a good job adapting to operating in the current conditions. They have figured out how to leverage technology to maintain contact with their donors and reach out to new people. Private schools have done particularly well during the pandemic. Online giving is up for many and those in the technology sector are doing well. But many other clients, such as theatre and arts organizations, are operating on less budget and relying on government support. 

There is a demand for enabling technology that allows Collaboration, Learning, Virtual Work, and build Culture within organizations. Meeting that demand has been a major focus in the past year. The ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) sector continues to grow. 

Todd spoke about how much the conditions have made recruiting people to Charleston even easier than before. People in urban centers who are working remotely, have realized that they may not want or need to live there to work. Blackbaud’s real estate strategy has evolved and changed several times over the last 5 years. It is now focused on coworking, not individual spaces for employees, but collaborative spaces people come to periodically to work with others.

Security and privacy are another focus of the company. There was a security breach last year and Blackbaud has taken that very seriously and is working hard to have the most secure environment possible.  Blackbaud is looking at how they build the company going forward. The past year was not a stellar revenue year but ended very strong and Todd has a positive outlook for the future.

Submitted by Jeff Webb,  Keyway Committee

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS 

      • Heidi Finniff gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.  
      • Joseph Tecklenburg welcomed all visiting Rotarians and guests.   
      • President Lisa presented Health and Happiness.
      • Past President Paul Stoney joined us on ZOOM to introduce our speaker, Todd Lant of Blackbaud.     

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

March 16, 2021  |  Issue 4999  President:  Lisa Van Bergen

COMING EVENTS 

    • March 16 – Dr. David Cole, “The Latest on COVID-19”(ZOOM ONLY)
    • March 23 – Dr. Mary Thornley, Trident Technical College
    • March 30 – John Darby, “How the Beach Company makes our region even better”
    • April 6 – John Warren, President/Kiawah, PGA Championship (ZOOM ONLY)
    • April 13 – Catherine Brack, The Gaillard / 11 am Board Meeting
    • April 20 –  Sam Konduros, SCBio, “The Life Sciences Industry in SC” 
    • April 27 – NETWORKING
NEWS BRIEFS

 

Meeting on ZOOM This Tuesday

Our meeting this Tuesday, March 16 will be on ZOOM ONLY.  Please do not come to 5 Faber. We will NOT be there. Look for the ZOOM link with the weekly email.

COVID:  In-Person Reminder

As we go back to attending meetings in person, we wanted to again share the below from the District. Members are asked to keep this in mind. 

It has come to my attention that we need to set some ground rules for dealing with Rotarians who contract COVID-19 and how we deal with this in our clubs.  First, for the Rotarians themselves. We MUST maintain absolute confidentiality for ANYONE who tests positive for COVID-19 unless they give us permission to share their information.  That said, we MUST also ask, even require, that any Rotarian who has been to an in-person Rotary meeting or other function and later suspects they have COVID-19 report this to their Club President as soon as possible.  This could be due to being in close contact with a person who tests positive or that they show symptoms. And, they absolutely must let the Club President know immediately if they test positive.  Then, keeping confidentiality, the Club President MUST let all who attended that event know that there was someone at the event or meeting who came down with symptoms or tested positive.  This will, at least, give all those notified the option of being tested immediately.  And, it gives them a warning that maybe they should limit their contact with others until it is proven that they are not infected.

 

Rotary Ready Update – COVID Vaccine Rollout

The daily vaccine clinic with MUSC to be held at 180 Lockwood in the former DMV Offices will not be a drive-in event. People will park their cars and walk in the building. Once those appointments go live later this week, they will need to register at: https://muschealth.org/get-vaccine  They will be automatically registered for their 2nd dose 3 weeks later at the same time and location for the Pfizer vaccine.

There will be a drive-thru event at East Cooper Medical Center starting on March 20 weekly. First dose events are scheduled on March 20 and April 10. Registration will be on the East Cooper website when they become available: https://www.eastcoopermedctr.com/our-response-to-COVID-19 and click on “Request Vaccine Request”. They will also be registered for their 2nd dose 3 weeks later at the same time and location for the Pfizer vaccine.

**Rotary volunteers from all the Lowcountry Rotary Clubs will be providing volunteers for all these events, but our club is primarily responsible for the DMV daily clinic for non-medical roles (12 3-hour shifts per day). Signup is looking good so far! Link is here to register to volunteer: www.rotaryready.com and select the Charleston site.

 

Charleston 50

The Charleston 50, a special group of generous supporters who contribute $500 annually to the Rotary Club of Charleston’s community grants program, is almost 50% filled! What a great opportunity to continue our decades-long tradition of grant-making while also building brand awareness and visibility before a group that values local businesses, generous leaders, and community-minded professionals.  This group receives exclusive benefits, and all funds will support local charities.  Your donation is 100% Tax-Deductible.  The group will never exceed 50 donors, and this is your opportunity to join the inaugural class of The Charleston 50!  Memberships will be accepted until 50 are obtained, and benefits continue through June 30, 2021.  At that point Year Two will start!

Please download and complete the attached Pledge Form, and return it via email to Phoenicia Miracle at [email protected].

 

As benefits (through June 30, 2021), each Charleston 50 member will annually receive:

  1. Their logo or name on the website with a hotlink
  2. Recognition at a meeting (Recognize two at a time)
  3. Right of first refusal for 2021-22
  4. a Charleston 50 lapel pin
  5. A frameable certificate for office
  6. A decal
  7. Permission to use The Rotary 50 on their website and email
  8. Automatic enrollment in and recognition at other Rotary events
  9. Name association with every good deed Rotary funds
  10. Special event post-Covid

 

Share The Warmth – Coat/Warm Clothing Drive Ends March 23rth

Fellow Rotarian, Joel Cardwell, is continuing to collect donations for “Share the Warmth” coat drive, through our meeting on Tuesday, March 23rd.

Donations can include coats, blankets, socks, sweaters, hats, gloves, or any warm clothing our less fortunate brothers and sisters could use to keep warm this winter. Donations can be for men, women or children. 

These donations will also be used for outreach in the streets by Slums to Slumber, and Uplift Charleston to help transition those suffering from homelessness into safe housing and care. 

Remember ….. Last opportunity to bring your donations to a meeting is on March 23rd.  Joel is also happy to come to your location to pick up donations.  You can contact him at 317.850.0853 or www.joelcardwell.com.

 

PR Committee Seeking Volunteers

Our club’s PR Team is looking for additional members to join their committee. Specifically, volunteer photographers are needed to take photos at our meetings. If you are interested in serving on the PR committee and helping in this role, please email Mike Sottak at [email protected]. Fancy cameras are not required, an iPhone will do! It would be wonderful to have a couple of volunteers alternating the weekly duty. 

 

Support The CART Fund

It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has a new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.

 

Support the Rotary Foundation

The District 7770 Million $ Campaign and dinner will be held on May 5th 2021 at the Francis Marion Hotel. Our own Sandy Morkel is the Chair for that event.  $10,000 spread over 3 years or a Bequest gets you an invite.  

And do not forget your opportunity to be recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow.  Eighty-five dollars a month gets you there.  Please reach out to Karl Riner, Club Foundation Chair, to sign up or ask questions. You can also donate to Rotary’s efforts to end polio now: https://endpolio.org/donate.

 

Our Club is on Social Media

Members are encouraged to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too!  We also need members to send us pictures of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc.  We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be sent to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].

 

MEMBER NEWS

Former member of our club and long-time Rotarian, Robert Adden (Bob) passed away on March 6.  He was 98 years old.  When Bob resigned from our club in 2010, he had been a dedicated Rotarian for 48 years!  Bob was employed by The Citadel and held the classification of Educ/Military/Business Administration.  He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Norma Sue Adden.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. 

Past President Sandy Morckel is featured in “Live a Girl:  Dare to Dream”, a new exhibition by artist Fer Caggiano, on view at the City Gallery from 3/11-5/2/2021.  Featuring portraits of more than 35 SC women, Like a Girl brings attention to women who have excelled, each with unique and inspiring stories.  A small group from our club will go on March 23rd to view, walking down after our meeting.  Please inform Lisa Van Bergen or Patterson Smith, if you want to join this group.   

 

Proposed New Member

The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:

Jan Luth – sponsor:  Denise Kaufman; classification:  Retired/Museum

In the event you know Jan, please tell a member of the Board how she/he will serve the ideas of Rotary. 

Stay safe and continue to stay connected as we help those who are most vulnerable in our community.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to fellow Rotarians if we can help you in any way in the days and weeks to come!

 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Rotarian:  Robie Scott

  • JOINED: 3/2/2021
  • SPONSOR: Past President Sandy Morckel
  • MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member, Membership Committee
  • CLASSIFICATION:  Media
  • PROFESSION: Director of Development & Community Relations, Post & Courier
  • SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF:  I served on the first co-ed Rotary Group Study Exchange to Scotland for Rotary District 7770.  At the time, women in Scotland were not allowed in Rotary.  I maintained my relationship with my host families (nine total) for many years and three of them visited me in the US.  I have also hosted a GSE Rotary Ambassador from Tokyo.

Birthdays

  • 3/16 – Alan Burgreen
  • 3/18 – Sue Sommer-Kresse
  • 3/20 – Karla Combs
  • 3/21 – Leslie Fellabom

 

By the numbers

    • Attendance on March 9, 2021 (In-Person and Zoom):  55
    • Not in attendance: Allen, Baggs, Baus, Berry, Bini, Brack, Cardwell, Coe, Coghill, Cohen, Cole, Cook, Crouch, Coxe, DeGraff, Diminich, Donaldson, Drafts, Echols, Fason, Fink, M., Galizia, Gill, Green, Hanger, Holmes, Husser, Imam, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Loredo, Lucy, Minson, Miracle, Moore, Moring, Morse, Oswalt, Palmer, Patrick, Peters, Plotner, Ravenel, Rust, Seguer, Shahid, Smith, H., Smith, M., Smith, P., Staley, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Tonney, Vanek, Wackym, Weston, Wieters, Williams
    • Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP

Cultivate a Positive Mindset

“The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude.” It’s true—mindset is everything! Cultivate a positive mindset by recognizing negative thought patterns and countering them with positive thoughts or affirmations.

 

ARE CLUB MEETINGS

Mondays

  • Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
  • North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
  • Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville

Tuesdays

  • East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
  • Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
  • Goose Creek: 12:45  m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek

Wednesdays

  • Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
  • St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
  • Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
  • Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville

Thursdays

  • North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
  • Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
  • St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.

Fridays

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.

  • We’re on FacebookTake a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
  • We’re on Twitter.  You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
  • We’re on Instagram.  You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY 

The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.

  • President: Lisa Van Bergen
  • Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
  • Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
  • Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029, Charleston, SC 29413-1029
  • Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved