The Helix development team has been very busy this fall working on one of the most significant and comprehensive set of enhancements to Andar in recent times. On January 28th, 2009, release 2009.01 will be available for download.

Included in the January release is a new Content Management System (CMS) that allows our customers to build their entire web site directly in Andar. Tracking of constituent's web pages viewed and interests is automatic and updated live on their Andar account. Sharing of content through popular social networks such as Facebook is also tracked within Andar. The easy-to-use interface can also be used to build e-newsletter articles, and enhancements to the newsletter subscription module make e-mail blasting an easy one-click function. The new United Way of America "Live United" branding has been included in Andar as an easy look-and-feel web-option.

The campaign monitoring report has been revamped to use the customizable column feature currently used in the transaction register report. This will allow our customers to pick and choose which columns will appear in the report.

The Andar Community Building module has been enhanced to include year-over-year community indicator tracking and reporting. Also, the program allocation information can now be rolled-up to the agency level for a quick-summary view. Forms and surveys have also been enhanced to allow customization of font sizes and other viewing attributes.

Perhaps the most extensive list of enhancements are those pertaining to the Major Individual Gift (MIG) module. These include the import of analytics data from QBase Inc., into a new sub-tab of account attributes. This data can be displayed on the account dashboard and can be data mined. Helix is also releasing the ability to define Step-Up programs within Andar. These programs will automate the tracking of donors from year to year as they progress towards a leadership giving level.

The MIG enhancements also include the tracking of expectancy gifts. These, often called "fuzzy" gifts, are entered by resource development staff without the strict requirements of the finance department. Both the expectancy gifts and the regular financial transaction will support multiple gift relationships. These relationships are intended to provide additional thank you letters, foundation gift tracking, solicitor recognition, improved memorial gift tracking, etc. Giving totals will appear on all accounts related to these gifts. The thank you letter process has also been enhanced so users can predefine their thank you letter codes and build fast and easy selection lists for heads-down transaction entry staff. Additionally, billing schedules have been enhanced so that donors can specify not only the date of future billings but also the specific payment amounts for each billing date.

A key factor in the successful implementation of a CRM strategy involves the definition and execution of workflows throughout the organization. To support this endeavor, Helix is releasing, as part of MIG, workflow definition enhancements to the Plans feature of Andar/360. These enhancements include the ability to define dependencies and actions between tasks so that, for example, a task can only begin either once all tasks in a group are completed, or after any one task in a group completes. Custom decision points can also be defined to direct the workflow towards specific tasks. Other related enhancements include the ability to automatically link tasks, surveys, communications, and prospect touch points. This linking eliminates the need for users to navigate from one area of the software to another. Instead, upon completing a task of a plan, the user can automatically be taken to the appropriate window to complete a survey, a communication entry and/or enter touch points for an account. This sets the stage for additional workflow enhancements to further automate common business processes.

Helix continues to incorporate web technologies into Andar/360. As such, we have included in MIG the ability to display live RSS news feeds on constituent account dashboards. This means that upon viewing an account in Andar/360, users can be presented with a list of news articles live from Google or Yahoo that pertain specifically to the account. This will play an important role in the implementation of CRM.

Helix has also started the implementation of a new, more powerful, filtering feature that can be applied to lists (spreadsheet screens) within Andar. Filtering and sorting preferences will be automatically saved for each list and each user of Andar.

This press release highlights only the most significant of enhancements, the detailed notes accompanying the release offers the complete list. For additional information, please contact Helix at 1-877-479-3780 x303.

About Helix

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Helix is a leading provider of cost-effective, enterprise-wide fundraising and community support software to nonprofit organizations. Drawing on its 15 years of service and experience with the nonprofit sector, Helix offers within its “Andar/360 Fundraising Software,” an integrated suite of products that addresses various missions of non-profits, such as fundraising campaign management, online giving, allocation of funds, outcomes measurements, volunteer matching, and community services such as Information & Referral (211).

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Forward-Looking Statements

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In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Although Helix attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

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