IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - October 7, 2010) - Sage North America today announced it has expanded the products and services it offers to nonprofit organizations and public libraries through TechSoup Global, a recognized leader in bringing technological empowerment and philanthropy to social benefit organizations. Sage Payment Solutions, the payments division for Sage North America, is now offering discounted merchant processing rates and a simplified application process for U.S. nonprofits through TechSoup. In addition, Sage is now offering Sage Simply Accounting Pro accounting software to Canadian organizations through the TechSoup nonprofit product donation service, which gives qualifying charities access to donated and discounted technology products.
"Our competitive pricing, excellent service and support, and robust product suite allow us to offer a best-in-class payment processing solution to nonprofit organizations," said Greg Hammermaster, president for Sage Payment Solutions. "Through TechSoup, we can offer nonprofits and public libraries additional discounts, plus a streamlined application approach, making it even simpler and cost-effective for organizations to secure and take advantage of a merchant account."
Nonprofit organizations signing up for a Sage Payment Solutions merchant (payment processing) account through TechSoup can take advantage of a simplified application process and preferred pricing.
"With the exponential growth of online giving over the past five years, the ability to accept donations by credit card is a critical tool in a nonprofit's overall fundraising strategy," said Roger Abraham, vice president of products, TechSoup Global. "This new offer in Sage's TechSoup program gives nonprofits a chance to benefit from a solid merchant banking service with transparent fees and highly competitive rates. Ultimately, it's about nonprofits being able to retain a higher proportion of donated funds by paying less for a quality credit card processing service."
Sage North America launched its philanthropic program in partnership with TechSoup Global in 2008. To date, Sage has donated more than more than 1,400 single-user licenses to U.S. nonprofit organizations through the program, which includes multiple Sage products to fill a variety of needs for nonprofits:
- Sage ACT! (U.S. only)
- Sage Fundraising 50 (on limited basis, U.S. only)
- Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting for Nonprofits (U.S. only)
- Sage Simply Accounting Pro (Canada only)
- Sage Timberline Office Estimating (for organizations like Habitat for Humanity, U.S. only)
Organizations receiving products from TechSoup's donation service pay a small administrative fee to cover operational costs, the verification and reporting of the organization's eligibility, and the fostering of content and community to support the effective use of the technology products.
For More Information
To sign up with Sage Payment Solutions through TechSoup, please visit call (866) 940-5024. Canadian companies wishing to request a free copy of Sage Simply Accounting Pro through TechSoup Canada can visit http://www.techsoupcanada.ca/product or call (866) 616-5795. U.S. companies wishing to request a free copy of another Sage product (listed above) through TechSoup can visit http://home.techsoup.org/stock/ or call (800) 659-3579, x700.
About TechSoup Global
TechSoup Global, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1987 on the belief that technology is a powerful enabler for social change. Alongside its partners -- including foundations and corporations, governments and NGOs, social entrepreneurs and volunteers -- TechSoup Global is working towards the day when every nonprofit and social benefit organization on the planet has the technology resources and knowledge it needs to operate at its full potential. Today, TechSoup Global has 180 employees, an annual operating budget of US$23 million, and operates programs in Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East through a network of independent capacity-building NGOs. With support of leading technology companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, and Symantec, TechSoup Global and its network have reached more than 120,000 organizations and distributed more than 6.3 million technology products in 34 countries. TechSoup Global also runs NetSquared, an ambitious global experiment that empowers individuals at the local level to build and share innovative technology solutions to social problems. For more information about TechSoup Global, please visit www.techsoupglobal.org.
About Sage Payment Solutions
Sage Payment Solutions, the payments division for Sage North America, has been providing businesses and organizations with electronic payment systems for more than 20 years. The company makes electronic payment processing easy for more than 155,000 merchants, allowing them to accept multiple forms of payment, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, Check21, gift and loyalty cards, and automatic recurring payment. Sage Payment Solutions provides a wide range of secure standalone and integrated payment processing solutions. Sage Exchange, its PA-DSS certified payments platform, integrates with many Sage software products to maximize the value of customers' business systems with automatically updated credit and debit card transaction information. Future Sage Exchange releases will offer additional integrated payment capabilities, including advanced point-of-sale (POS) device integration, payment origination solutions, and cash management applications. For more information about Sage Payment Solutions, please call (800) 261-0240, or visit www.sagepayments.com.
About Sage Simply Accounting
Sage Simply Accounting is the #1 choice of Canadian small businesses and accountants1, used by more than 500,000 Canadian businesses. Developed in Sage's global research and development centre in Richmond, B.C., the fully bilingual Sage Simply Accounting is known for its easy to learn, easy to use approach to accounting, while providing the most comprehensive features that small businesses require -- from start-up through to maturity. Sage Simply Accounting is supported by a highly trained team of customer service specialists in our Richmond, B.C centre, and by 10,000 consultant partners located in communities across Canada who help thousands of companies daily to manage their business more effectively with Sage Simply Accounting. For more information about Sage Simply Accounting, please call (800) 665-8805, or visit www.simplyaccounting.com.
About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs 4,000 people and supports 3.1 million small and midsized business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,100 people and supports 6.2 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com.
1Based on independent surveys of 312 Canadian businesses with 1-99 employees and 401 accountants who work with small business clients, conducted in Canada in June 2009.
Contact Information:
Press Contact:
Cynthia Sutton
Sage North America
(703) 793-2700 x 3032
cynthia.sutton@sage.com