IRIS acquires Donor Strategy
Howard Lake | 7 October 2008 | News
IRIS, the largest privately owned software and services business in the UK, has acquired specialist software provider Charity Software Ltd, better known by its trading and product name of Donor Strategy.
IRIS NFP Solutions, the group’s nonprofit specialist arm, now claims a market share of “54% of the top 100 UK charities”, with over 1,000 not-for-profit organisation clients.
The acquisition of Donor Strategy further extends IRIS’ reach in the SME charity and membership market and in wider elements of the education arena, including independent schools and higher education colleges.
Founded 30 years ago, IRIS has revenues of around £120 million a year and around 1,200 employees servicing over 60,000 UK businesses from a national network of offices. This year it was included in the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league table 2008, which ranks Britain’s fastest growing privately owned technology companies based on their growth over the last three years.
Simon Fowler, MD of IRIS NFP Solutions commented: “There is a tremendous synergy between the brands and the product portfolios are entirely complementary. Like IRIS, Donor Strategy has a first class reputation for its software and the quality of its personal service”.
Donor Strategy was established in 1994 by Jonathan Air, employs 28 staff and is based near Bristol. Air said: “We are delighted that Donor Strategy has joined IRIS and we are confident that it will provide a safe future for our company… As a larger organisation with the resources, service commitment and culture to maintain our favourable position in the market, IRIS will ensure that our customers’ investments are protected, our product stays in-tune with the sector and that client care remains central.”
Air will remain in an advisory role in the initial stages, moving on to pursue social entrepreneurial projects in Africa.
www.computersoftware.com/industry.asp?industryId=11&parentType=industry&parentId=11
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.