Network for Good is a left-of-center donor-advised fund that facilitates and processes online donations for numerous nonprofits. It also has a for-profit subsidiary that markets donor-management software to nonprofits. ¹

Founding and History

Network for Good was founded in 2001 by executives from AOL, Cisco, and Yahoo! to make online charitable giving as easy and convenient as online shopping. It provided an online platform for nonprofits to raise money by acting as an intermediary donor-advised fund. It has partnered with very large firms, including Facebook and Google, to process fundraising initiatives. The network reports that it has assisted more than 350,000 non-profits raise more than $3.76 billion. ²

The network also launched a for-profit subsidiary arm that built and sells a fundraising software package. ³

In January 2022, Network for Good merged with three other software companies involved in nonprofit services: CyberGrants, EveryAction, and Social Solutions. This new merged entity was renamed Bonterra. Bonterra claims that it now has 19,000 customers which includes more than 15,000 nonprofit organizations and more than half of Fortune 500 companies. ^{4 5}

Finances

In 2019, Network for Good reported $497,505,019 in revenue, of which $496,505,019 stemmed from contributions and grants and $542,956 was generated from investment income. The organization had $497,548,343 in expenses, of which $485,432,773 was paid out in contributions, $5,180,193 was paid out in fundraising fees, and $361,626 was allocated to employee salary and benefits. It ended the year with $2,500,364 in net assets. ⁶

Policies and Projects

Network for Good serves as the processor for any donations to U.S.-based charities made through Facebook that do not utilize Meta Pay. Contributions are sent to Network for Good’s donor-advised fund, which then distributes the donation to the nonprofit as an unrestricted contribution. ^{7 8}

Network for Good encourages nonprofits to use “grounding agreements” to promote conversations about “diversity” in the workplace. These agreements are supposed to serve as a basis for the discussion of “privilege” and other aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). ⁹

Network for Good advises nonprofit organizations on how to reach LGBTQ donors. This advice includes dropping the use of “Mr.” and “Mrs.” in data entry forms and ensuring that donors have maximum freedom to be addressed as they prefer. It also advises organizations to recruit “diverse orientations and gender representations” for board and leadership positions. ¹⁰

Leadership

Erin Mulligan is the CEO of Network for Good/Bonterra, a position she has held since March 2022. Prior to this position, she was the CEO of Social Solutions, a company that provided cloud software to nonprofit organizations and merged with Network for Good in 2022. She has also worked in different capacities at a variety of nonprofits, and from 1999 to 2010 held various executive positions at Dell. ¹¹

Mulligan has expressed left-of-center political views. On her LinkedIn feed, she commented on the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs. Wade, stating that she “had grieved,” that women have never had an equal voice in American government, and that the ruling would lead to the suppression of LGBT rights. Mulligan has “she/her” pronouns listed in her LinkedIn profile. ^{12 13}

Mulligan has contributed small sums of money to the left-of-center political action committee ActBlue. ¹⁴

1. “Our Story.” Network for Good. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/about/our-story/.
2. “Our Story.” Network for Good. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/about/our-story/.
3. “Our Story.” Network for Good. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/about/our-story/.
4. Straham, Bill. “Network for Good Becomes Bonterra.” Network for Good. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/resource/network-for-good-becomes-bonterra/.
5. “About Bonterra: Technology Leader for Social Good Organizations.” Bonterra Tech. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.bonterratech.com/about-us.
6. Network for Good. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part I
7. “What’s Network for Good’s Donor Advised Fund?” Facebook. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/help/1127216777360764.
8. “Charitable Solicitation Disclosures.” Network for Good. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/legal/charitable-solicitation-disclosures/.
9. “How to Facilitate Diversity Conversations in the Workplace.” Network for Good. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/resource/how-to-have-dei-conversations-at-work/.
10. Buck, Clay. “Don’t Just Slap a Flag On It and Call It Inclusive: Understanding Your LGBTQIA+ Donors.” Network for Good. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/resource/dont-just-slap-a-flag-on-it-and-call-it-inclusive-understanding-your-lgbtqia-donors/.
11. “Leadership.” Network for Good. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.networkforgood.com/about/leadership/.
12. “Erin Mulligan Nelson Activity.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/erincnelson/recent-activity/shares/.
13. “Erin Mulligan Nelson.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/erincnelson/.
14. “Browse Individual Contributions: Erin Mulligan Nelson.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Erin+Mulligan+Nelson&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2022.