Bonterra Launches Que for OneCause: AI Coaching Built on Specialized Event Data

With donor retention at risk heading into year-end, nonprofits get coaching grounded in 15+ years of fundraising expertise and 96,000+ nonprofit events

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bonterra, a social good technology company, today announced Que for OneCause, a coaching tool that helps nonprofit event teams plan and execute stronger galas, auctions, and fundraising events. Built into the OneCause platform, Que delivers best-practice coaching grounded in 15 years of fundraising expertise and insights from 96,000 nonprofit events. The tool surfaces specific guidance on event strategy, auction dynamics, paddle raise tactics, and donor engagement approaches, and it learns from each organization's own event history to deliver increasingly personalized recommendations. Que covers everything from initial event planning and setup through post-event donor follow-up, helping teams make better decisions at every stage.

The timing is critical. Recent data from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project shows giving up 4.3% in Q1, but donor counts continue to decline. New donor acquisition and retention remain among nonprofits' biggest challenges. Events are now more important than ever as the primary place to engage and convert donors.

"Nonprofits shouldn't have to rely on generic advice," said Bonterra’s Chief Product Officer John Manganaro. "Que draws on years of real event data to give teams specific guidance for their next gala or auction. It's coaching that knows your organization's history, not just sector trends."

A Donor Retention Crisis

Nonprofits face competing pressures: giving stabilizes while donor counts drop. For development teams managing limited staff and stretched budgets, every event becomes critical as a revenue driver and relationship-building opportunity. Yet many lack the insights to improve event performance year over year, often repeating the same approaches and getting similar results.

Que addresses this gap by surfacing specific coaching intelligence when teams are planning and executing events. Unlike generic resources, Que learns from each organization's own historical data, delivering tailored guidance for the next event. The more an organization uses it, the more specific the coaching becomes.

What Que Delivers

• Best-practice coaching grounded in 15+ years of sector expertise and 96,000+ nonprofit events. Que surfaces specific guidance on gala strategy, auction dynamics, paddle raises, and donor engagement tactics proven to drive results.
• Personalized coaching tied to each organization's own event history. Rather than generic benchmarks, Que analyzes past events to identify what worked and what didn't, then suggests strategies to improve next year.
• Platform-native access. Coaching lives directly in OneCause where teams are already planning events. No logging into separate tools or switching between systems.

Launching at Peak Fundraising Season

Year-end giving accounts for roughly one-third of annual nonprofit revenue. Holiday galas, year-end auctions, and special events drive substantial portions of annual growth. Nonprofits now have access to coaching that helps teams optimize event strategy, improve auction performance, and convert event attendees into year-round donors.

"We built Que to assist, not replace human judgment," Manganaro added. "Que surfaces insights and best practices, but nonprofit teams make the final decisions on event strategy and donor engagement."

Recognizing a Shift in How Nonprofits Use Technology

Nonprofit technology is moving beyond tools that help staff write faster. Organizations are increasingly looking for tools that help improve results: stronger events, better donor retention, more effective fundraising. Que for OneCause reflects that shift. By combining 15+ years of sector data with each organization's own event history, Bonterra is delivering coaching that changes how nonprofits plan and execute events.

Que for OneCause is available now. For more information, visit https://www.bonterratech.com/solutions/bonterra-que.

About Bonterra

Bonterra is the only solutions network built to connect nonprofits and funders across the social good ecosystem. Supporting more than 216,000 organizations and facilitating over $22B in annual giving, Bonterra helps nonprofits, volunteers, funders, corporate partners, and public agencies turn data into action and amplify impact. As the technology leader advancing the effort to raise charitable giving to 3% of U.S. GDP by 2033, Bonterra combines trusted platforms, ethical AI, and continuous innovation to power the next era of good.