Nonprofit Nation with Julia Campbell

Episode: How Tech Is Transforming Grantmaking with Maya Kupperman
Release Date: March 18, 2026

Overview

In this episode, host Julia Campbell sits down with Maya Kupperman, co-founder and CEO of Temelio, a modern grants management software platform designed for small to midsize foundations. Together, they discuss the ways technology is revolutionizing the grantmaking process—making it more efficient, reducing administrative burdens, improving relationships between funders and grantees, and paving the way for more equitable access to funding. Maya shares her professional journey, offers insights into the challenges of traditional grantmaking, and explains how thoughtfully designed software—incorporating automation and even AI—can enrich, not replace, the vital human connections at the heart of philanthropy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Maya Kupperman’s Professional Journey (02:39–08:06)

• Maya’s introduction to nonprofit work began as a teenager running a small nonprofit providing free dance classes to children in migrant worker communities.
• Her experiences in grant writing and development gave her firsthand knowledge of nonprofits’ administrative pain points.
• Inspiration to enter the tech field came from witnessing transformative software in the private sector—realizing nonprofit tech was far behind.
• Temelio was born after extensive outreach to nonprofit professionals and funders revealed common frustrations with existing systems.
• Quote:

  "I just started to feel like nonprofit tech was… decades behind what I now was seeing in the for-profit, especially tech startup world. And that really started to sort of bother me."
  — Maya Kupperman (05:58)

2. Grantmaking Pain Points & Systemic Challenges (08:06–14:09)

• Grant applications are often clunky: non-saving forms, inability to download/upload, and lack of consistency between platforms.
• Funders also feel that existing systems fail to provide meaningful visibility into impact or equitable funding patterns.
• Many foundations unwittingly make the application process much harder than necessary due to technical limitations.
• Quote:

  "Applications don't save. You can't view the full application without going through... Every funder is using a different platform… sometimes they're actually using the same platform but… you have ten different logins because each of those profiles are siloed."
  — Maya Kupperman (07:00, 12:12)

3. Introducing Temelio: Features & Differentiators (08:59–14:09)

• The name “Temelio” was chosen for its similarity to “foundation” in Greek after “Granite Software” proved unavailable.
• Core “table stakes” features include:
  • Autosaving information
  • Ability to download/upload applications as Word docs
  • Centralized grantee profile for multi-funder access (one login, cross-population of fields)
  • Built-in AI features for auto-filling forms and suggesting reusable responses
• User interface focuses on ease (emulating Google, Airtable) and advanced data visualization/reporting.
• Funders are drawn to Temelio for the improved grantee experience their system provides.
• Quote:

  "So if I as a nonprofit am working with five funders that use Temelio, I have one login. I can see all the information I've submitted, all the reports… and I can also auto populate responses."
  — Maya Kupperman (12:45)

4. Disconnects Between Funders & Grantees (15:18–20:05)

• The biggest divides lie in:
  • Reporting (either perfunctory or overly prescriptive/funder-centric)
  • Lack of transparency around application chances and review status
• Temelio aims to bridge these gaps by providing tools like:
  • Time estimates for forms (promoting awareness of the applicant’s effort)
  • Status tracking so applicants can see where they stand in the process
  • Eligibility quizzes to weed out poor matches early
• Quote:

  "It’s rare that we see funders be super clear about what are your actual chances of getting funded... it should be made clear, you know, whether or not you’re a good fit so that you don’t invest tons of time..."
  — Maya Kupperman (18:26)

5. Technology, Automation, & AI: Enhancing, Not Replacing Relationships (20:24–27:37)

• There is skepticism about technology eroding the human touch in philanthropy.
• Maya’s perspective: AI and tech should support and free up time for genuine relationship-building rather than substitute it.
• Use of AI for streamlining repetitive tasks (editing, data classification) and for transparency (auto-tagging, easier reporting).
• A funder using an AI “bias check” demonstrates how automation can mitigate, rather than perpetuate, inherent biases in decision-making.
• Data privacy and security remain paramount; Temelio ensures data is not used for model training and is protected as a standard practice.
• Quote:

  "AI should not be used to replace the human parts of this process… AI is very much… a cautionary tale with bias, but there’s also ways that… when used strategically, can actually be used to combat bias."
  — Maya Kupperman (21:21, 27:19)

6. Towards More Equitable Access to Funding (27:37–34:26)

• Technology enables data-driven grantmaking: funders can intentionally analyze who is (and isn’t) getting funded and act to close gaps.
• Example: A foundation in Anchorage, Alaska, uses data fields like budget size to monitor diversity in the organizations they support, adjusting strategies accordingly.
• Integration with platforms like Candid/Guidestar allows for streamlined, up-to-date nonprofit profiles and easier application processes.
• Quote:

  "It’s just a matter of like setting it up and deciding as an organization like we care about this… We actually need our data and our outcomes to represent that."
  — Maya Kupperman (30:14)

• The dream: centralizing all open grant opportunities in one place using standardized data so that nonprofits can easily find their best funding fits.

7. Future Directions: Baby Steps Toward Interoperability (31:22–34:26)

• Not all foundations are proactive, but the sector is taking small steps toward data-sharing and integrated information pipelines.
• Temelio is working on two-way syncs with data repositories to keep nonprofit profiles updated without extra work.
• The goal: drastically lowering application barriers and giving nonprofits more time for their missions.

Notable Quotes

• "I had never seen a tool in the nonprofit space feel that impactful."
  — Maya Kupperman (05:24)

• "I was a grant writer for years, so yes, I get it."
  — Julia Campbell (06:56)

• "We have some funders that do this very well, which is if you're doing a big open call, having a clear eligibility quiz… and then that initial application is really short."
  — Maya Kupperman (19:20)

• "I personally, I don't believe AI should ever be making grant making decisions."
  — Maya Kupperman (22:51)

• "How can we use what's in our system, keep those profiles even more up to date without the nonprofits having to manually go in and do it?"
  — Maya Kupperman (33:49)

• "Thank you so much for being here. I'm feeling so much more hopeful about the future of grant making."
  — Julia Campbell (35:21)

Important Timestamps

• 02:39 Maya shares her journey into nonprofits and the origin story of Temelio
• 07:00 Discussion on key pain points with traditional grant platforms
• 08:59 The story behind Temelio’s name & core software features
• 12:10 Centralized grantee profiles and streamlined user experiences
• 15:18 Analysis of disconnects between funders and grantees
• 20:24 Tech, automation, and preserving the “human touch” in philanthropy
• 21:21 Maya’s philosophy on the role of AI in grantmaking
• 27:37 How data helps funders track equity and identify funding gaps
• 31:22 Trends: Proactive vs. reactive foundation behaviors, integration with Candid/Guidestar, future vision

How to Connect and Learn More

• Website: trytemelio.com
• LinkedIn: Temelio regularly posts updates and grantee spotlights.
• Contact: Reach out at contact@trytemelio.com for demos or discussion.

Tone and Closing

The conversation is energetic, optimistic, and rooted in both practical wisdom and a shared sense of mission. Maya and Julia affirm that while technology is no substitute for genuine partnership, it can—and should—serve as the infrastructure that frees both funders and nonprofits to focus more on impact and less on paperwork.

"This was a super energizing conversation."
— Maya Kupperman (35:40)