Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud versus NPSP (Nonprofit Success Pack): Which one is right for your organization?

Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps businesses and nonprofits manage their operations like sales, fundraising, marketing, and customer and donor service activities. It provides a centralized platform for organizations to streamline their processes, improve customer and donor relationships, and drive organizational growth.

Salesforce offers 2 distinct solutions on the platform for nonprofits:

• Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)
• Nonprofit Cloud (New)

In this post, we’ll explore the differences between the two and help you make an informed decision.

What is Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud?

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is a comprehensive solution designed specifically for nonprofits, providing a suite of tools to help organizations manage their operations, fundraising, and donor relationships. It includes a range of features, including:

1. A constituent relationship management (CRM) system to manage donor and volunteer information
2. Fundraising and marketing automation tools to help organizations reach new donors and retain existing ones
3. A grant management system to help organizations manage their grant applications and reporting requirements
4. Volunteer management tools to help organizations recruit, manage, and retain volunteers
5. Program management tools to help organizations track and manage their programs and services.

What is Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) and how does it differ from Nonprofit Cloud?

Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) is an open source solution built on top of Salesforce, designed specifically for nonprofits. NPSP was first released in 2005 as "Nonprofit Starter Pack". It has since gone through several updates and versions, with the latest version (NPSP 3) being released in 2019. 

NPSP offers everything Nonprofit Cloud offers: (1) a constituent relationship management system, (2) fundraising/marketing automation tools, (3) grant management, (4) volunteer management and (5) program management. The main differences between NPSP and Nonprofit Cloud are architectural.

Firstly, the NPSP framework is a series of managed packages, built by Salesforce, installed on top of the Enterprise Editions of Salesforce Sales and Service Cloud. On the other hand, Nonprofit Cloud is being packaged as a distinct industry cloud offering from Salesforce (similar to Health Cloud, Financial Services Cloud, Manufacturing Cloud, and others). And this different architecture has a few implications.

Pricing

Nonprofit Cloud is a more expensive solution, with pricing starting at $60 per user per month. NPSP, on the other hand, is cheaper, starting from $36 per user per month, but organizations may need to pay (more) for additional features or support. Both solutions offer the first 10 licenses for free with the Salesforce P10 program for nonprofits.

Customization

Nonprofit Cloud is easier to customize, allowing organizations to tailor the platform to meet their specific needs. NPSP, on the other hand, is an open source solution, which means that organizations can modify the code to meet their needs. NPSP may therefore require a bit more technical expertise.

Support 

Nonprofit Cloud provides dedicated support for nonprofits, including access to a dedicated account executive and technical support. NPSP, on the other hand, relies on community support, although there are 3rd  party vendors that provide additional support.

Managed packages, such as NPSP (Nonprofit Success Pack), aren’t directly supported by Salesforce. On the other hand, industry solutions that are integral parts of the core platform, such as Nonprofit Cloud, receive Salesforce’s full support. When it comes to third-party add-ons available through outlets like the AppExchange, they are more likely to be compatible with Nonprofit Cloud. This is because third-party developers often prefer to create custom solutions that can accommodate all Salesforce editions, including industry solutions, rather than tailor their products to fit a single package. In conclusion, this means that the support of both Salesforce and 3rd parties is likely better with Nonprofit Cloud than NPSP.

Which one is right for your organization?

When deciding between Nonprofit Cloud and NPSP, it’s important to consider your organization’s specific needs and resources. If you already have NPSP and the resources or technical expertise to maintain this managed package, NPSP may be the right choice for you. However, if you want to start fresh and with the latest and greatest, knowing that it might take one or two releases before everything works according to plan, Nonprofit Cloud may be the better option.

Ultimately, both Nonprofit Cloud and NPSP are powerful tools that can help nonprofits achieve their goals. By understanding the differences between the two solutions, and considering your organization’s specific needs, you can make an informed decision and choose the solution that’s right for you.

Do you want to know more about what is the right fit for you? Reach out to our Salesforce team here!