Many Americans have reacted quickly to the crisis in Ukraine with one out of four reporting they had donated in some way, according to a March 9 survey by Fidelity Charitable. It’s also heartening that two-thirds of those who had not yet contributed said they may well do so.
But will they really give? (As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.) Uncertainty about how donations would be used or whether they would reach intended recipients are some of the reasons people reported having been reluctant to give so far.
In the last two decades, the drive to overcome such barriers has given birth to dozens of technology companies trying to increase philanthropy by improving the process of giving back. Many of those have merged in the last five years in the hope that by consolidating they could do more good for the social impact sector and prosper in the process.
Along these lines, four businesses acquired over the last year by investors led by Apax Funds announced today that they were adopting the group name Bonterra to represent their company’s goal of “powering those who power social impact.”
Bonterra, the new name of a merged group of social impact technology companies was revealed today
“We are passionate about serving the people who make social good possible—the dedicated changemakers who work tirelessly to make a difference—and supporting them with proven technology that makes their jobs easier,” said Bonterra CEO Erin Mulligan Nelson, whose impressive resume includes a stint as the CMO of Dell.
Bringing together brands including CyberGrants (corporate social good and philanthropy), Social Solutions (case management) EveryAction and Network For Good (fundraising and relationship management) “has the power to reshape philanthropic giving, empower digital transformation, and bring the social good sector the technology it needs to accelerate lasting social change,” she added.
Bonterra CEO Erin Mulligan Sullivan
Bonterra’s services collectively support more than 19,000 customers, including 15,000+ nonprofit organizations, 80+ foundations, and more than 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies
Of course, merging companies is no guarantee that hoped for synergies will emerge – a challenge Mulligan Nelson did not hesitate to recognize.
That is why Bonterra’s backers have committed to investing in the companies to grow them instead of just seeking quick cost cuts, said Mulligan Nelson. And it is why she is spending the majority of her time on creating a brand and culture that will yield better solutions for corporate and nonprofit customers, the Austin-based CEO explained.
The need to react quickly to the Ukraine crisis provided Bonterra with an opportunity to put some of its early integration efforts to the test. Mulligan Nelson proudly described how in 24-hours the company provided customers with online giving tools and guidance on charities to support, an effort that has raised $22 million as of today.
