Salesforce is the world’s leading cloud-based customer relationship manager, or CRM. They have two offerings designed with nonprofits in mind: Nonprofit Cloud and NPSP. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about both offerings so you can choose which one is best for your organization.
Launched in March 2023, Nonprofit Cloud is Salesforce’s first standalone CRM solution designed specifically for nonprofits. Many nonprofits already using Salesforce may be familiar with Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), a suite of tools designed to customize Salesforce to be even more effective for nonprofits.
So, which packs the best punch for nonprofits? And which significant differences should you keep in mind? We’ll explore the answers to both questions in this article. We’ll also introduce you to Donorbox’s powerful, native integration with Salesforce.
Let’s get started!
A CRM, or customer relationship management tool, is a software solution that allows businesses and nonprofits to track information about their clients such as contact information, engagement, relationships, and more.
The purpose of a nonprofit CRM includes the following:
Learn more about how to choose a CRM and some of the top options on the market in this article.
Launched in 2016, NPSP is an open-source application on Salesforce that offers features to help customize Sales Cloud for nonprofit use, with a focus on fundraising.
While this package offers a lot of functionality, the flexible options sometimes require more technical know-how than other nonprofit CRM solutions. Additional free solutions were created to help nonprofits with other tasks such as program, case, and grants management.
NPSP is a free and open-source application available on the Salesforce platform. Learn more in the Salesforce AppExchange.
Nonprofit Cloud takes Salesforce’s tools to a new level with functionality to help nonprofits increase efficiency, beneficiary impact, and donor engagement. Unlike NPSP, which was made up of several different solutions, Nonprofit Cloud compiles all functionality into one powerful nonprofit tool.
When Nonprofit Cloud was initially announced, there was some concern that Salesforce would stop supporting NPSP. If this is your current solution, don’t fret! Salesforce has not announced an end-of-life date for NPSP and new licenses for this product are still available.
However, many nonprofits are making the switch to Nonprofit Cloud to enjoy the additional functionality.
Nonprofit Cloud users receive their first 10 licenses for free through the Power of Us Program.
After those licenses, Nonprofit Cloud costs $60/month per user for Enterprise and $100/month per user for Unlimited. Review all pricing options in Salesforce’s pricing guide.
Let’s compare a few key features to understand the differences:
| NPSP | Nonprofit Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit Size | Mid-sized and large | Mid-sized and large |
| Pricing | A free and open-source app | Power of Us Program provides 10 free licenses; Enterprise Edition is $60/month/user, Unlimited Edition is $100/month/user |
| Support | Limited support with ample community resources | Dedicated support from Salesforce |
| Type of Product | Multiple installable packages | One Cloud package |
| Code Approach | More coding knowledge required | Less coding knowledge required, with more focus on automation |
| Program Management Module Updates | No longer receiving updates beyond bug fixes | Will continually update with new features and improved functionality |
| Program and Service Tracking | No Program and Service tracking | Program and Service tracking on both Objects and Schedules |
| Referrals | Case record types | Unique Object |
| Contact Management | Household accounts (Person accounts not supported) | Person accounts - Household accounts optional - plus more relationship functionality |
| Automation | Flow and Apex | Omnistudio, Business Rules Engine, Apex, and Flow |
| Actionable Relationship Center | Not available | Available to better track relationships of constituents |
The answer to this question depends on which of the following scenarios you fit in:
Choosing the right CRM can be a process, and we recommend taking your time to find a tool that best fits your needs.
If you decide you want to go with Salesforce, the following points can help you decide between Nonprofit Success Pack and Nonprofit Cloud:
If you’re already using NPSP and it fits your needs, you may not need to upgrade to Nonprofit Cloud! Salesforce will continue supporting NPSP indefinitely. However, keep in mind that Salesforce will no longer push updates for that package, so if there are any features you’re missing, it’s unlikely that you will get them with your current solution. Also, you may prefer to receive more support from Salesforce, which is available through Nonprofit Cloud.
In addition to the increased cost of Nonprofit Cloud, migrating from NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud requires creating a new Salesforce org and can be an extensive process, so consider if your team has the time to take on a migration. However, Salesforce is prepared to help customers make the migration and streamline this process.
If you’re already using Salesforce, you could go in either direction! To make your choice, consider the following:
Donorbox is proud to offer a native integration with Salesforce for Nonprofits, which works with both Nonprofit Success Pack and Nonprofit Cloud.
With comprehensive fundraising tools like a multi-step donation form, streamlined event ticketing, in-person fundraising with the Donorbox Live™ Kiosk app, and more, Donorbox helps thousands of organizations raise more to power their missions.
Allow all data collected through your industry-leading donation or Events forms to flow seamlessly to your Salesforce account so you can keep all data in one place. You can also customize your data mapping to fit your needs – learn how here.
Bonus: Download our free Donorbox + Salesforce Guide to learn how to leverage this integration to sharpen your marketing and build better relationships with your donors.
Salesforce is a household name for a reason – and pairing its powerful CRM functionality with nonprofit-specific tools makes it an excellent choice for mid-sized and larger nonprofits.
Both NPSP and Nonprofit Cloud provide a ton of value to small nonprofit teams looking to improve donor relationships, streamline their program management, and better track their fundraising goals.
Organizations of all sizes trust Donorbox’s comprehensive fundraising tools to power their missions. Sign up today and combine industry-leading fundraising with Salesforce’s popular CRM.
For more nonprofit tips, check out the rest of our Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the best of our blog in your inbox every month.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower