What to Expect from Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and How to Start Using it Right Out of the Box

In today’s digital age, nonprofits and associations are continually seeking ways to streamline operations, amplify their impact, and better connect with members, donors, and beneficiaries. Leading this technological revolution is Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud – a powerful, integrated suite of applications tailored specifically to the unique needs of mission-driven organizations.

On April 30th, Rose Palipalli, Director of Consulting at fusionSpan, and Nicole Adair, Principal Solution Engineer at Salesforce, provided an in-depth look at the current and future capabilities of Nonprofit Cloud. They shed light on how associations and nonprofits can leverage this platform to seamlessly manage fundraising, programs, grant-making, and more – all within a unified system built to help nonprofits better leverage their data within emerging AI tools.

Webinar Replay

What is Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud?

At its core, Nonprofit Cloud is designed to be a comprehensive, end-to-end solution that streamlines and integrates every aspect of a nonprofit’s operations. With four key focus areas – fundraising, programs management, grant management, and outcomes measurement – this powerful platform provides a seamless experience for teams across the organization.

Fundraising Gets an Upgrade in Nonprofit Cloud

The fundraising capabilities within Nonprofit Cloud cater to the full spectrum of donor engagement strategies. From high-touch major gift cultivation to mass-market appeals and campaign management, users of Nonprofit Cloud have access to tools that facilitate personalized, multichannel outreach. Additionally, the fundraising operations module ensures gifts are accurately recorded, donor intent is honored, and the behind-the-scenes processes run smoothly.

Nonprofit Cloud’s Program Suite Offers Comprehensive Tracking

On the program management front, Nonprofit Cloud supports the entire lifecycle – from planning and delivery to case management and outcome tracking. Human service organizations can leverage guided intake processes, individualized care plans, and HIPAA-compliant note-taking for personalized constituent support. Meanwhile, the recently released outcome management features allow nonprofits to define strategic indicators, set program goals, and measure real-time community impact.

Grantmaking Capability is an Add-On

For grantmaking organizations, Nonprofit Cloud simplifies the complexities of the grant lifecycle. This includes online portals for application submission and review, tools for managing award requirements and disbursements, as well as capabilities for seamless grantee interactions throughout the entire process.

A Source of Unified Information

Perhaps most notably, Nonprofit Cloud’s strength lies in its ability to unite previously disparate functions within a single, unified system. As Nicole Adair mentioned during the webinar, “You’ve got your programs and your fundraising and your grant making…all in one place which makes this a kind of a unique value that we can provide.” With this level of integration and cross-departmental visibility, nonprofits can operate with unprecedented efficiency, alignment, and strategic agility.

What’s on the Roadmap for Nonprofit Cloud?

We’ll start the breakdown of the roadmap with an important disclaimer – these features are subject to change, and all purchasing decisions should be made based only on features currently available.

With the disclaimer out of the way, let’s dive in.

From the roadmap highlights, it’s clear that Salesforce is doubling down in its commitment to meet the evolving needs of nonprofits and associations, especially as it works to strengthen the integration of AI and advanced data analytics.

The expected introduction of a multiple-address data model in Spring 2024 supports this data-centric focus, enabling nonprofits to maintain a comprehensive, unified view of their constituents across various touchpoints.

We see this trend continuing in the Winter 2024 and Spring 2025 releases with the rollout of generative AI co-pilots capable of dynamically generating donor proposals, program summaries, and other critical documents by synthesizing data from across the nonprofit’s systems.

Predictive modeling is another area of focus, with plans to introduce models that can help nonprofits prioritize outreach efforts by identifying constituents likely to become recurring donors.

While this is far from an exhaustive overview of the roadmap, it underscores Salesforce’s commitment to continual innovation and providing nonprofits with a future-proof technology solution that evolves in lockstep with their growing needs. For a more comprehensive version of this roadmap, watch the full webinar.

Free and Low-Cost Resources for Nonprofits

While Nonprofit Cloud provides a comprehensive, feature-rich solution, Salesforce understands that cost can be a significant barrier for many mission-driven organizations. To put this transformative technology, “in the hands of impact makers,” the company offers a range of free and low-cost resources tailored specifically for the nonprofit sector.

Free Nonprofit Cloud Licenses

The Power of Us program provides eligible 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofits with up to 10 free Nonprofit Cloud licenses. This program serves as an ideal entry point, enabling organizations to experience the full capabilities of the platform without shouldering prohibitive upfront costs.

Prediction Builder

This no-code solution allows organizations to build and deploy custom AI models to derive predictive insights from their data, such as identifying potential high-value donors or forecasting program outcomes. With one free prediction builder included in Nonprofit Cloud licenses, nonprofits can begin experimenting with AI capabilities.

Free Data Cloud Access

For those seeking to unify and harmonize data across disparate systems, Salesforce’s Data Cloud presents a valuable opportunity. Nonprofits can leverage a free version of this powerful data management solution, establishing a comprehensive, 360-degree view of their constituents by bringing together information from various sources.

Data Cloud Webinar Recording

Slack for Nonprofits

Collaboration is critical for any nonprofit, and Salesforce’s acquisition of Slack has made this essential tool accessible to the sector. Nonprofits with fewer than 250 users can access Slack’s premium features at no cost, fostering real-time communication, knowledge sharing, and seamless teamwork.

Low-Cost Access to Tableau for Nonprofits

Analytics and data visualization are also within reach, thanks to Salesforce’s partnership with Tableau. Nonprofits with budgets under $5 million can obtain Tableau Desktop for free, unlocking advanced analytical capabilities and pre-built dashboards tailored specifically for the nonprofit sector.

Nonprofits Use of Einstein for Sales

The Einstein for Sales offering, priced at $900 per user per year, equips organizations with a suite of AI-powered tools to drive smarter decision-making and optimize donor and constituent engagement strategies. Einstein for Nonprofits is on the roadmap, but this option is a good one for organizations that want predictive and generative capabilities right now.

By leveraging these free and low-cost resources, nonprofits can begin their digital transformation journey, gradually building their technological foundations and preparing for more advanced capabilities as their needs evolve.

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud Supports Streamlined Operations and Better Outcomes

With its innovative, end-to-end capabilities, robust roadmap for AI and data integration, and accessible free resources, Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud empowers mission-driven organizations to optimize operations, drive strategic decision-making, and amplify their impact like never before.