Questions and Answers About the Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud
Your nonprofit might be using Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), or your organization might be using some other software and considering a move to the new Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud. Either way, it can be useful to know more about the Nonprofit Cloud and how it’s being adopted in the sector.
So, let’s look at a few questions and answers about the Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.
What’s the background of the Nonprofit Cloud?
Here’s a very brief history of NPSP and the Nonprofit Cloud:
Salesforce has provided offerings for nonprofits for the past 20 years. In this time, there have been multiple solutions for nonprofits developed for or by Salesforce.
For the past fifteen or so years, the major solution for nonprofits from Salesforce has been Nonprofit Success Pack, which was originally called Nonprofit Starter Pack. Today, tens of thousands of nonprofits use NPSP for their customer relationship management (CRM) and fundraising needs.
In May 2023, Salesforce announced a new offering for nonprofits called the Nonprofit Cloud. Since then, Salesforce has continued to roll out new products and functionality within the Nonprofit Cloud.
What are the differences between NPSP and the Nonprofit Cloud?
Here’s a simple overview of some differences between Salesforce NPSP and the Nonprofit Cloud:
NPSP is what’s often called a “managed” package. It’s built on top of the Salesforce platform as a kind of product that’s installed in a nonprofit’s Salesforce environment. It’s mostly used by nonprofits for fundraising and CRM. Nonprofits using NPSP have often added other managed packages, such as Volunteers for Salesforce and the Program Management Module, to address other needs while staying within the Salesforce environment.
In contrast, the Nonprofit Cloud is built into the Salesforce platform. That means it’s not a “product” installed on the Salesforce platform. It’s part of the platform itself. This approach provides nonprofit-specific features without the need to go through an installation process. But it’s important to note that the Nonprofit Cloud must still be customized for each organization’s needs, which may include setup, data migration, testing, and training.
Another difference between NPSP and the Nonprofit Cloud is investment from Salesforce. While Salesforce continues to sell and support NPSP, most of the new features and functionality they’re rolling out are within the Nonprofit Cloud.
How is the Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud being adopted in the sector?
It’s not clear exactly how many nonprofits have moved to, or are moving to, the Nonprofit Cloud. However, a study about Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud implementations from Watt Hamlett Consulting provides some insights on adoption of the Salesforce offering.
Here are a few key highlights from the study of Salesforce consultants:
- In general, consulting businesses seem to be lining up behind the Nonprofit Cloud. The majority of survey respondents said that they are ready and willing to take on Nonprofit Cloud projects.
- At the same time, only 25% have gone live with one or more implementations of the Nonprofit Cloud. About one-third of respondents have not engaged any clients or started any projects.
- Of those consultants who have started or completed implementations, the majority said that Nonprofit Cloud implementations are more complex than NPSP projects.
The report estimates that there are a few hundred Nonprofit Cloud projects in progress or completed, and 75 or more firms with some experience with it. So, while it’s still early days with the Nonprofit Cloud, there are nonprofits becoming early adopters of the offering, there are Salesforce consultants that are gaining experience with Nonprofit Cloud implementations, and many consultants consider themselves willing and ready to take on Nonprofit Cloud projects.
How should nonprofits move forward with Salesforce offerings?
If your organization uses Salesforce NPSP or you’re considering moving to Salesforce, there’s not one simple answer as to whether you should adopt Nonprofit Cloud at this time. In some cases, it might make sense to stay on NPSP. In others, it might make sense to move to, or start out with, some elements of the Nonprofit Cloud.
That said, here are some tips to help you move forward as you consider using Salesforce solutions for your nonprofit:
- Stay informed.
Salesforce continues to roll out new products, features, and functionality within the Nonprofit Cloud. So, be sure to watch for announcements and product roadmaps from Salesforce to stay updated. - Think ahead.
It’s important to think about your organization’s long-term technology plan as you make decisions about if you should adopt the Nonprofit Cloud or choose/stay with NPSP. Consider your organization’s current technology systems and your organizational goals for the next three to five years as you weigh your decision. - Consider the pros and cons.
Thousands of nonprofits are using NPSP, and Salesforce continues to support it. But the focus for Salesforce appears to be around the Nonprofit Cloud, so NPSP might not receive much innovation in the future. Plus, if you are already using NPSP, and the apps you use with NPSP don’t work within the Nonprofit Cloud, then you might want to stay on NPSP until you have a more thorough plan for moving to the Nonprofit Cloud.
On the other hand, if you were to move to the new Nonprofit Cloud, you would gain the benefits of an ongoing stream of new features and functionality from Salesforce. But you would also be an early adopter – which can come with its own challenges, including a low number of customer references and Salesforce consultants with minimal experience working with the solution. And until Salesforce consultants have more experience, the complexity and cost of Nonprofit Cloud implementations could be higher than NPSP. - Get expert help.
There are lots of considerations when it comes to understanding the implications of adopting new technology. It can be extremely helpful to work with a technology consulting firm to assess your organization’s needs and find the right solution for your nonprofit.
Take the next steps with Salesforce solutions for nonprofits
If your organization is considering adopting or expanding the use of Salesforce solutions for nonprofits, Cathexis Partners is here to help. We can work with you to review your goals and determine what Salesforce products are a good fit for your organization. We can also help you implement them in a way that supports your organization’s technology strategy and business goals. Contact us to get started.
