What the Blackbaud security incident means for Woodwell Climate supporters

Woodwell Climate Research Center was recently notified about a data security breach at Blackbaud, Inc. which may have affected our donors. This was an attack on Blackbaud’s computer systems, not Woodwell Climate’s, and Blackbaud has assured us that sensitive personal or financial information was not compromised. Woodwell Climate does not store credit card information, financial account information, or social security numbers in our database, hence no information of this nature could have been compromised by this incident. However, we take the privacy and information security of all Woodwell Climate community members seriously and, in the spirit of transparency, we are sharing what we have learned from Blackbaud.

Blackbaud is a global service provider of fundraising technology for nonprofits with more than 25,000 institutional customers around the world.  Earlier this year, it was the target of a ransomware attack that involved data from its nonprofit clients. More detailed information about this security incident can be found on the Blackbaud website.

No additional action is recommended at this time, but vigilance is always important. Cybercrime is a growing reality in our world today, and Woodwell Climate will continue to work to ensure that all personal data entrusted to us is protected and safe. We seek to work with vendors who are equally committed to our standards. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact either:

Leslie Kolterman
Chief Development Officer
lkolterman@woodwellclimate.org

Hilary Davis
Director of Information Technology
hdavis@woodwellclimate.org