When people Google Bonterra, they often see 2021 as its starting point. That year, lead investor Apax joined with Vista, holder of Social Solutions, and Insight Partners, holder of EveryAction, to unite those businesses under one brand. But, as Matthew Hardy tells us, the company’s history stretches much further back—“We have customers that are 20–25-year-old customers, so (there are) a lot of longstanding relationships.”
From its earliest days, Bonterra’s mission has been clear: provide “purpose-built software for nonprofits.” Today, that includes tools for strategic philanthropy, enabling Fortune 50 companies and foundations to distribute funds, manage grants, and ensure resources reach the right causes.
Read MoreIts Impact Management business works with both small nonprofits and large entities—including city and state initiatives involving millions of dollars—to answer the central question: “What’s the impact?” Hardy tells us many philanthropists have historically invested without a clear view of results; Bonterra’s solutions aim to change that.
Fundraising and Engagement solutions—traditional CRM-style donor management platforms—serve nonprofits across the spectrum, from micro-organizations to nationally recognized names.
Although backed by private equity “impact funds,” Hardy stresses there’s no easing of performance expectations. Bonterra tracks “all the same metrics you would typically see in your vertical SaaS companies”—from new and install base bookings to gross and net retention, margins, and EBITDA.
Ultimately, Hardy’s strategic lens centers on value realization. “If your customers…aren’t finding significant value…you’re not going to last long,” he tells us. Whether helping nonprofits hit fundraising goals or guiding corporate giving programs, Bonterra’s work is measured by both mission and metrics.
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CFOTL: What is Bonterra, and what are its offerings?
Hardy: We have different products that map to the consolidation of the company over time. People might Google Bonterra and see that it originated in 2021—when our lead investor, Apax, along with Vista (which held Social Solutions) and Insight Partners (which held EveryAction), brought those companies under one umbrella. But the company’s roots go back much further. We have customers we’ve served for 20–25 years, so there are a lot of longstanding relationships.
We provide mission-driven, purpose-built software for nonprofits. We also have a business serving large corporations—what we call strategic philanthropy—helping Fortune 50 companies and foundations distribute their funds. That includes grant management: how they process and manage those grants.
Our Impact Management business helps nonprofits understand the effect their funding and initiatives are having. This could be for small, local nonprofits or for large clients working with cities and states on multimillion-dollar initiatives. The first question they ask is, “What’s the impact?” Many philanthropists have spent heavily without being sure if anything changed. Our products help measure whether goals were achieved.
We also have Fundraising and Engagement (F&E) solutions—traditional CRM-style donor management tools used by nonprofits of all sizes, from small local groups to large national organizations.
CFOTL: Given your focus on social impact and doing the greatest good, what financial metrics drive your decisions as you scale this technology?
Hardy: We’re backed by the impact funds of our investors—many private equity firms have these funds dedicated to social good. That said, there’s no “relief” in expectations; they still expect strong returns and track us like any other vertical SaaS company.
We monitor the standard metrics you’d expect: new bookings, install base bookings, gross retention, net retention, margins, and EBITDA. But equally important is ensuring our customers succeed. In today’s market, if customers aren’t realizing significant, daily value, they won’t stick around.
For our nonprofit clients, that means meeting fundraising goals and achieving measurable community impact. For large corporations, it’s making sure employees are engaged in giving—through time, money, matching grants—and that contributions align with causes employees care about.
Bonterra | www.bonterratech.com | Austin, TX