Charleston-based Blackbaud has entered into a strategic partnership with a national email marketing company to help small nonprofits leverage digital fundraising tools.

The agreement with Constant Contact Inc. means the companies will integrate key products and combine expertise to develop nonprofit-specific seminars, training and best practices, Blackbaud said in a news release.

Constant Contact has nearly a half-million customers, including more than 100,000 nonprofits. The company provides email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing and online survey tools. Blackbaud builds fundraising and management software and provides services to nonprofits; it has 24,000 customers around the world.

"We have more than 100,000 interactions with small organizations every day, and those interactions have made one thing very clear: Small organizations need education, in addition to easy-to-use, efficient tools, especially when it comes to marketing," said Rick Jensen, Constant Contact's chief sales and marketing officer. "This partnership will give nonprofits a perfect solution for those two needs, offering tools and 'know-how' to help them build strong relationships with their members and supporters."

The companies will link Blackbaud's constituent relationship management applications, starting with eTapestry, with Constant Contact's email marketing tool, to allow users to easily share information between the products.

The Center for Children & Youth Justice is a Seattle-based nonprofit that uses both Constant Contact and eTapestry.

"As our organization continues to grow, we will be increasingly using Constant Contact and eTapestry to enhance our major donor cultivation," said Rachelle Nesta, the center's director of development. "With an integrated solution, we will be able to more effectively segment and target our communications, improving the donor experience."

In addition to linking their products, Blackbaud and Constant Contact will build a seminar and training series focused on helping nonprofits enhance relationships and communications with their supporters.

"It is natural to work together –- linking our applications and our experience to benefit nonprofits," said Jana Eggers, Blackbaud's senior vice president of products and marketing.