Salesforce Nonprofit Tools: Understanding Nonprofit Success Pack and Nonprofit Cloud

Embarking on a mission to empower nonprofits, Salesforce introduced the Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) in 2008- a complimentary suite of specialized tools and features tailored to meet nonprofit organizations' needs. In more recent efforts to streamline its offerings within the core platform, Salesforce developed the Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud. This simplified solution is designed to evolve over time with additional features, similar to how  Salesforce approached their Classic to Lightning user interface transition. However, the introduction of Nonprofit Cloud makes choosing a Salesforce nonprofit solution more complex than it's been in the past. To provide some clarity, we’ll take a look at both platforms, their history, features, and functionalities so you can differentiate between them.

What is Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack? 

Salesforce's Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) is a set of tools and resources specifically tailored for nonprofit organizations. This is essentially a customized version of Salesforce's CRM platform designed to help nonprofits manage their fundraising, donors, and other essential tasks more effectively.

NPSP is considered highly flexible but may require a higher degree of technical expertise to set up and customize depending on an organization's requirements. Salesforce provides documentation, community support, and resources for NPSP. However, with the introduction of Nonprofit Cloud, Salesforce has stated it will continue offering support for NPSP but isn't planning to add new features to the platform. This means organizations will need to rely on their own technical expertise or hire consultants for more complex customizations and ongoing development.

What is Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud?

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is a comprehensive, cloud-based platform developed specifically for nonprofit organizations. It is designed to help nonprofits effectively manage their operations, fundraising, donor relationships, and program management. Nonprofit Cloud goes beyond the capabilities of the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack by providing additional features and tools right out of the box. So, while it covers features similar to the Salesforce NPSP, it takes these features a step further and makes them more accessible.

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud provides a comprehensive solution tailored to nonprofit needs right out of the box, so building out the features for your org is much less of a burden. Additionally, these features have a much lower barrier to entry for your org's users. 

If I'm new to Salesforce, how do I decide between Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and NPSP?

If you are a net new Salesforce customer, we suggest going with the Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud. This platform is easier to get started with and guarantees you will stay up to date with all of Salesforce's improvements going forward. If Nonprofit Cloud doesn't meet all your immediate requirements and you strongly believe NPSP is the solution for you, be mindful that choosing NPSP might necessitate a migration in the future. This process can be both expensive and challenging. Additionally, you shouldn't expect much in the way of new features when going with NPSP. Let's take a look at some of the reasons Nonprofit Cloud is the friendlier option for new Salesforce customers. 

• Features and Out-of-the-Box Functionality: Nonprofit Cloud provides a broader range of out-of-the-box features for donor management, program management, and marketing. 
• User-Friendliness: Consider the technical skills of your staff. If you have limited technical expertise, Nonprofit Cloud's user-friendly interface and pre-configured features may be more appealing. 
• Support: Consider the level of support and resources you need. Nonprofit Cloud typically offers more dedicated support and will receive regular updates that enhance the platform. 

What if I already use NPSP? Should I Switch to Nonprofit Cloud?

Unfortunately, the answer to this one is a little more complicated. If you've been utilizing the Nonprofit Success Pack for quite some time, you're likely familiar with your current system, and the idea of migrating is pretty intimidating. However, it's crucial to recognize that Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is poised to become the future standard for nonprofit organizations, especially with the rapid integration of AI systems across Salesforce. If you have the necessary resources, it would be in the industry best practices to start planning your migration in the next 12-18 months. Fortunately, as of November 2023, there is not a drop-everything-and-change situation. Your organization has time to strategize and plan its migration to the new platform without causing a major disruption in your day-to-day operations.

Feature Comparison 

Let's break this down with a side-by-side comparison of each platform. This table outlines the advantages of each service to give new Salesforce users a sense of which platform will address their needs. Although there may be some commonalities and nuances, this provides a high-level overview of what each platform offers new users.

Conclusion

Overall, Salesforce NPSP is a more do-it-yourself solution that provides a foundation for nonprofit organizations to build upon, while Nonprofit Cloud offers a more out-of-the-box and user-friendly platform. Nonprofit Cloud’s additional features, growing capabilities, and ease of access make it a more attractive option for new Salesforce organizations. Nonprofits currently using the NPSP platform should start planning a migration to the new platform as essential features for the future are added to Nonprofit Cloud.

Regardless of your choice, integrations like eSign Connect and Drive Connect offer extensive discounts to nonprofit organizations while seamlessly integrating Google Drive and DocuSign with Salesforce. If your organization uses Google Drive or DocuSign, check out the free 14-day trial offered for each!