Bonterra is a software company that builds and provides tools for organizations engaged in social good, including nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and government/public-sector agencies. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Bonterra Chief Technology Officer Tanuja Korlepra to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Tanuja Korlepra’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Korlepra said:
“I have been working in the technology industry for over two decades as a technology and product leader, launching products with high customer and business value and building high-performing teams. I have been fortunate to work at some of the most demanding and innovative environments in tech: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Veritas, where I worked on large-scale distributed systems for data, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence. My focus has always been on systems that scale intelligently and operate resiliently.”
‘I believe technology is most powerful when it is in the service of something greater than itself. That belief led me to USAFacts, a civic data initiative founded by Steve Ballmer to empower Americans with facts. As CTO, I led product development to make government data transparent and accessible to everyday Americans. I found the intersection of technology and social impact to be most meaningful and fulfilling, and Bonterra is a perfect continuation of that calling. It is a rare opportunity to merge technology with a deep purpose.”
“As CTO at Bonterra, I lead technical strategy, innovation, product development, and engineering operations to empower social good organizations to maximize their impact with best-in-class technology solutions. What motivates me most is using frontier technology to reimagine what’s possible for social impact organizations.”
“I’m also deeply committed to inclusive leadership and mentorship. I believe in building environments where innovation thrives, and every individual is empowered to lead, learn, and grow. I’ve mentored emerging leaders across multiple companies and continue to advocate for underrepresented groups in tech.”
“I currently lead the Bonterra’s technology strategy, innovation, engineering execution, and operational excellence with a focus on delivering customer-focused, scalable, and innovative solutions for the social good sector.”
“I am a technology optimist and bullish on its abilities for both customer-facing capabilities and internal productivity. Internally, I’m focused on AI enablement across our teams, from code generation and operations to product thinking. Instead of applying AI to surface-level tasks, we are rethinking how work gets done, and who does it.”
“We build systems that solve real-world challenges for nonprofits, funders, and CSR leaders. They support high-impact tasks including fundraising, grant writing, managing caseloads, running campaigns, finding the right nonprofit organizations to donate to, and driving outcomes with autonomy and context.”
“I work closely with partners like AWS to accelerate innovation and optimize infrastructure, while also nurturing a high-talent-density, inclusive engineering culture where experimentation and purpose-driven work thrive. Ultimately, my responsibility is to ensure Bonterra’s technology doesn’t just support our customers; it transforms what they’re capable of achieving.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Korlepra reflected:
“Working at Bonterra has been thrilling, and I have many favorite memories to choose from. Recent times have been exciting because of our focus on internal AI use. I believe we are still in the early phases of AI shifts.”
“For our teams, the highlight isn’t just efficiency improvement. It is the confidence; it is watching their mindset shift from “can we do this?” to “what else is now possible?” to “what else can we reimagine and reinvent?” AI has been a force multiplier for our teams. It not only helps you work faster, it helps you work smarter. Agentic AI coding and design tools allow us to conceptualize, build, and iterate products faster.”
“One recent example is of two development teams who went aggressively AI-first and tripled their volume metric, which is lines of code change per developer. The team also increased their impact metric by one and a half, which is the number of features launched. What once took months is now taking 2-3 weeks. This dynamic is also reflected in our customer experiences with tools that help customers optimize their fundraising, helping them move faster, raise more, and create a larger impact.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Korlepra explained:
“Bonterra’s product portfolio is designed to serve both sides of the social good ecosystem: the nonprofits creating change on the ground and the funders who power that change. On the nonprofit side, our solutions span fundraising, supporter engagement, and service delivery. Tools like EveryAction, Network for Good, DonorDrive, Mobilize, and ActionKit help organizations engage supporters, activate communities, and drive sustained giving across digital, grassroots, and peer-to-peer channels. On the service side, Apricot equips nonprofits with powerful case management and reporting capabilities to track outcomes and drive measurable impact.”
“On the funder side, we offer solutions that support both corporate social responsibility and institutional grantmaking. CyberGrants enables enterprise CSR, including employee giving and volunteerism, while Grantmaker supports streamlined, data-driven grantmaking for foundations and other philanthropic institutions.”
“What sets Bonterra apart is our ability to connect the entire social good ecosystem—nonprofits, funders, campaigns, volunteers, and donors—into one coordinated, intelligent network. Our products don’t just support impact; they amplify it through alignment, automation, and deep cross-sector connectivity.”
“Furthering Bonterra’s ability to connect nonprofits and funders, the company recently launched Bonterra Que, the first fully agentic AI platform purpose-built for the social good sector, spanning the entire ecosystem of funders, nonprofits, and supporters. Embedded in Bonterra’s existing product suite, Que acts as an autonomous teammate, helping social good organizations raise more money and accelerate impact.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Korlepra acknowledged:
“Nonprofits are often cautious about adopting new technologies and sharing organizational data—and for good reason. Learning to use new tools can be time-consuming, and those in the social good sector are often operating with limited time and resources. Many also manage highly sensitive, personal information, which adds another layer of complexity.”
“Introducing new technology while honoring these valid concerns requires a thoughtful and empathetic approach. A big part of that is educating the market on the tangible benefits technology can bring. By taking the time to understand the real challenges our customers face, we can build features that truly support their work, making their jobs easier while preserving the trust they place in us.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Korlepra about customer success stories, she highlighted:
“We work with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund (MHEF), a funder that works to expand healthcare access across the state of Michigan. In 2020, MHEF found itself at an increased need to offer active support to grantees amidst the rapidly evolving global pandemic. They invested in Bonterra Jumpstart to provide them with the coaching and technology they needed. Bonterra’s coaching allowed them to increase efficiency and productivity and offer the hands-on support their partners needed.”
“Not only has MHEF seen positive impacts from using Bonterra’s software, but their customers have experienced the benefits as well. Alpena Senior Citizen Center, a nonprofit partner of MHEF, started with a few thousand dollars for their year-end campaign. By utilizing JumpStart and Bonterra’s digital fundraising tools, they were able to raise that number to $30,000.”
“Bonterra’s technology impacts real people every day, and it’s rewarding to play a role in their journeys and the difference they make in their communities.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Korlepra affirmed:
“While most of the market still delivers traditional SaaS solutions that require users to configure, manage, and operate workflows, we’re moving into a new era: one defined by intelligent systems that do the work with you or for you.”
“Our ambition isn’t to incrementally improve legacy processes. It’s to re-architect the experience of doing good. What makes this vision possible is our scale and data advantage. With over 443,000 daily donation events and $28 billion in annual giving, Bonterra operates the most comprehensive data network in the industry. Our platform gives nonprofits and funders unmatched insight into donor behavior, engagement trends, and impact outcomes.”
“We’re also uniquely positioned because we serve both sides of the social good equation: the doers (nonprofits and grassroots movements) and the donors (institutional funders, CSR teams, and individual supporters). This full-spectrum view allows us to build the Bonterra Network, a connected marketplace where relationships, funding, and outcomes flow with intelligence and intent.”
“And underpinning it all is a bold, measurable goal: “3% by ’33”, to increase philanthropic giving and volunteerism in the U.S. to 3% of GDP by 2033. That’s not just a tagline. It’s a product roadmap, a data strategy, and an engineering ambition all in one because reaching that number isn’t about incremental tools. It’s about systemic acceleration.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Korlepra emphasized:
“We want to ensure that we are evolving alongside the technology landscape. This means understanding our customers’ needs and how we can introduce them to new technology to make their lives better.”
“As we look to the future, we are working to integrate AI into the Bonterra solutions platform to help our customers streamline daily administrative tasks, receive case management insights quickly, and increase the overall functionality and efficiency of our platform. Our goal is to help Bonterra customers get to a place where they feel comfortable utilizing technology, and employees feel empowered working with AI to help increase productivity and customer satisfaction.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Korlepra concluded:
“The role of the CTO is evolving fast, and it is getting even more exciting. It’s not enough to be technical. You need to be anticipatory. As AI systems mature, the question becomes: are we designing organizations to collaborate with intelligence, or to be bottlenecked by legacy mindsets?”
“My call to other technology leaders is this: lean into the frontier. Build with courage. Measure success not just in features shipped, but in capacity created. This is our generation’s cloud moment. Let’s make sure we don’t miss it.”
