Episode 85: From Predictive Models to AI Coaches: A New Era for Nonprofits with Ben Miller & Tanuja Korlepra

April 29, 20263 min read

Overview

Meet Ben Miller, Senior Vice President of Data Science and Analytics at Bonterra, and Tanuja Korlepra, Chief Technology Officer at Bonterra.

Starting the conversation, Ben shares his experience in fundraising analytics and industry research, while Tanuja mentions her background in big tech, including work with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, and her passion for using technology to drive meaningful impact.

The conversation introduces Bonterra as a mission-driven company that supports nonprofits through fundraising tools, donor engagement, and campaign management. Ben reflects on the early days of AI in fundraising, when predictive models faced skepticism, and contrasts that with today’s rapid adoption following breakthroughs such as ChatGPT.

Tanuja and Ben discuss key AI concepts -predictive, generative, and agentic- and highlight Bonterra’s innovation, “Bonterra Que,” an intelligent AI coach designed to help nonprofits improve fundraising outcomes. They also address the challenges of AI adoption, encouraging organizations to focus on practical use cases rather than hype.

The episode closes with a strong emphasis on ethical AI, trust, and the shift toward outcome-driven solutions that empower nonprofits to achieve real-world impact more effectively.

Cover art for episode 85: From Predictive Models to AI Coaches: A New Era for Nonprofits with Ben Miller & Tanuja Korlepra

Episode highlights

03:37 Overview of Bonterra and Its Mission
06:40 Evolution of AI in Nonprofit Sector
10:34 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption
15:09 Understanding Predictive, Generative, and Agentic AI
20:54 Development and Impact of Bonterra Que
30:01 Feedback and Success Stories from Bonterra Que Users
33:27 Outcomes as a Service in Fundraising
39:22 Responsible and Ethical Use of AI

Tips and tools to implement today

Use predictive analytics to identify likely donors and focus your efforts.
Try generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to draft emails and campaigns quickly.
Start small, pick one clear AI use case instead of trying everything at once.
Segment your donors using data to personalize outreach.
Use AI to analyze campaign performance and improve results faster.
Treat AI as a team assistant, not a replacement for human judgment.
Automate repetitive tasks such as email writing, reporting, and form creation.

Favorite quotes

"I really enjoyed being in the space of impact, and Bonterra, for me, is a great privilege, because this is a place where we can put cutting-edge tech with real impact on real people's lives. It's really rewarding and really motivating and inspiring." - Tanuja Korlepra
"Bonterra, we call ourselves a social good tech company, and what we want to do is empower the doers of good." - Tanuja Korlepra
"One thing that sets us apart from other companies in this space is that we try to understand our customers really deeply. And one thing we were very clear about from the very beginning is we don't want to do AI for the sake of AI. And a lot of companies are like, "Oh my God, if I'm not launching agentic AI products, I'm behind." That is correct, that is true. But for us, the real deal is, let's do something that helps our customers." - Tanuja Korlepra
"What we want to do is make sure, as technologists, we are bridging the gap between technology capabilities, innovation, and solving real customer problems. We obsess about our customers. We want to make sure that they have the best technology and tools possible. So the motivation really came from there." - Tanuja Korlepra
"One thing that we often tell our customers is, look, a lot is happening at the same time. There is a lot of news. Many influencers are talking about AI daily. It's fine to feel a little bit of turmoil and anxiety. What I tell everyone is to ground yourself in your own reality." - Tanuja Korlepra
"I always recommend starting with the particular use case that matters to you and then go, go explore more." - Tanuja Korlepra
"Agentic just means that the model is actually performing something. It's doing a task. It's not just predicting, but it is acting." - Ben Miller
"The whole sector, the whole world, has changed its view on AI. And so it's in everything we do. Google uses it in search. We use it on Netflix when you're trying to pick your best movie. We are so familiar with it, whether we call it AI or not, it has made it a lot easier to unlock within the nonprofit sector." - Ben Miller