IUPUI Grads and Sisters Create Online Platform to Match Nonprofits with Donors

Sisters Stefany (Winteregg) Dolan, BS’12, and Stacia (Winteregg) Jones, BS’14, always knew that together they could make a difference in their community and beyond.

The seed was planted roughly 20 years ago, when their church, Grace United Methodist in Franklin, Ind., held a massive fundraising campaign to help build a new children and youth wing. The young women watched as generous people in the community donated money toward the effort; however, funds eventually ran out and the church had to go back to the drawing board.

Instead of asking for more money, the girls’ father, Jon Winteregg, BS’80, who graduated from the IU Kelley School of Business, had an idea. All the space needed to become functional was “stuff,” so he proposed the church ask for specific items instead. The finance committee organized everything it needed into a catalog, and one by one, members of the community stepped up to give.

Within 18 months, the space became functional, and Stefany and Stacia were left with a lasting impression.

“Nonprofits [face similar] problems year after year,” Stacia says. “So, we said, ‘Let’s give them a new tool where they can clearly communicate an item that they need.’ It also takes the ‘How are you going to spend the money?’ question off the table.”

In October 2022, with help from their parents, Stefany and Stacia launched becauseOne. The online platform, which resembles a gift registry, supports nonprofit organizations and their specific needs—think art supplies for a community center or mattresses for a homeless shelter.

The primary goal of becauseOne is to connect donors to nonprofits outside of their local community using alignment technology. The tech functions similarly to Facebook’s “people you may know” feature—suggesting nonprofits that best align with a donor’s giving history.

“I’ve always yearned for the ability to leave a mark and to make the community and nation where I live a better place,” Stefany says. “Those are obviously very lofty goals. But I think this is the answer.”