Mark Becker on Nonprofit Cloud

In May 2023, Salesforce released a new CRM offering called the Nonprofit Cloud. Since then, Salesforce has continued to roll out new products and functionality within Nonprofit Cloud.

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This article originally appeared in Nonprofit Pro.

If your nonprofit uses the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) or is considering a move to the Nonprofit Cloud, you might be interested in learning more about it and how it’s being adopted in the sector.

Let’s take a look at some key points about Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.

A Brief History of Salesforce NPSP and Nonprofit Cloud

Salesforce has provided technology for nonprofits for the past 20 years. During this time, there have been multiple solutions for organizations developed for or by Salesforce.

For the past 15 years or so, Salesforce’s prominent solution for nonprofits has been NPSP, originally called Nonprofit Starter Pack. Today, tens of thousands of nonprofits use NPSP for their CRM system and fundraising needs.

Some Differences Between Salesforce NPSP and Nonprofit Cloud

Without getting too techy about the differences between Salesforce NPSP and Nonprofit Cloud, here’s a simple overview.

NPSP is what many call a “managed” package. It’s built on top of the Salesforce platform as a sort of product that is installed in a nonprofit’s Salesforce environment. It’s primarily 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.

The Nonprofit Cloud, on the other hand, is built into the Salesforce platform. It’s not a managed product, which means it’s not a “product” installed in the Salesforce environment. Instead, 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 Nonprofit Cloud still must be customized for each organization’s needs, which may include setup, data migration, testing, and training.

Another difference between NPSP and Nonprofit Cloud is Salesforce’s investment. While Salesforce continues to sell and support NPSP, most of the new features and functionality they’re rolling out are within Nonprofit Cloud.

Adoption of the Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud in the Sector

It’s not clear exactly how many nonprofits have moved or are moving to Nonprofit Cloud. But a recent study about Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud implementations from Watt Hamlett Consulting sheds some light on the adoption of the Salesforce offering.

A few key highlights from the study of Salesforce consultants include:

In general, consulting businesses seem to be backing 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 likely a few hundred Nonprofit Cloud projects in progress or completed, and 75 or more firms with some experience with it. So, it seems fair to say that while it’s still early days with 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.

Tips for Moving Forward With Salesforce Offerings for Nonprofits

If your organization uses Salesforce NPSP or is considering moving to Salesforce, there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to whether you should adopt the 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 Nonprofit Cloud.

However, here are some tips to help you take the next steps as you consider using Salesforce solutions for your nonprofit.

Stay Informed

Salesforce continues to roll out new products, features, and functionality within Nonprofit Cloud. To stay current, it’s worthwhile to watch for announcements and product roadmaps from Salesforce.

Think Ahead

It’s important to think about your long-term technology plan when deciding whether to adopt the Nonprofit Cloud or choose/stay with NPSP. Consider your organization’s current technology systems and organizational goals for the next three to five years as you weigh your decision.

Consider the Pros and Cons

Staying on or starting out with NPSP might seem like a safe choice. Thousands of nonprofits are still using the solution, and Salesforce is continuing to support it. However, the focus for Salesforce appears to be around 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 Nonprofit Cloud, then you might want to stay on NPSP until you have a more comprehensive plan for moving to the Nonprofit Cloud.

On the flip side, 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 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 a lot of considerations when it comes to understanding the pros and cons 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.

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Mark BeckerAuthor’s page

Mark founded Cathexis Partners in 2008 to help nonprofit organizations get the most from their existing technology tools, implement new technology to address gaps and find the best overall approach to using technology to support their missions. He previously served as director of IT consulting at a fundraising event production company focused on nonprofits.

Mark also serves on the editorial advisory board for NonProfit PRO, where he contributes monthly to his blog, “Nonprofit Tech Matters.”