Individual donors are one of your nonprofit organization’s most valuable assets. According to the Giving USA 2025 report, contributions from individuals comprised two-thirds of all giving, the largest share of all donations made in 2024. However, donor management can be challenging and complicated, particularly for larger organizations with multiple outreach platforms or donors living in distant locations. These complexities call for a robust, modern donor management system.
Donor management systems allow you to track donors’ information, build long-term relationships, and get more value from each fundraiser. While many donor management systems are available, Salesforce is the most comprehensive, scalable, and flexible option.
Salesforce offers various tools for nonprofits, with Nonprofit Cloud (NPC) being the most robust, specialized option. In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of Salesforce for nonprofits and how you can leverage these tools to enhance donor management.
Salesforce for Nonprofits Basics
What Products Does Salesforce Offer Nonprofits?
While there are many Salesforce products designed for broader audiences that nonprofits can and do use, such as Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (formerly Pardot), there are two tools specifically designed for nonprofit needs:
- Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP): NPSP is a managed package built on the Salesforce platform. Nonprofits typically use Sales or Service Cloud to access standard CRM capabilities, employing NPSP to facilitate and track fundraising initiatives, donor management, etc. Other Salesforce products, like Volunteers for Salesforce, help nonprofits manage other parts of their operations.
- Nonprofit Cloud (NPC): NPC is not an app or managed package. Instead, it is a core product built into the Salesforce platform and designed specifically for nonprofits. As an Industry Cloud, NPC works seamlessly with other Salesforce products, can give users access to features from other Industry Clouds, and offers access to common components. Compared to NPSP, NPC provides greater interoperability with other Salesforce tools, contributing to better, more efficient donor management.
Both solutions can be highly effective, so consider your organization’s individual needs if you’re thinking about migrating. Generally, NPSP is best for small to mid-sized nonprofits that are new to using CRMs or Salesforce and need basic donor management, fundraising, and reporting tools. NPC tends to be better for mid-sized to large organizations, or those with more complex needs, that already use some Salesforce products.
Is Salesforce a Donor Management System?
First and foremost, Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) system, which is a tool that organizations use to track and manage customer interactions and data. The nonprofit sector refers to these tools as constituent relationship management systems. Organizations then use the data and insights stored in their CRM to deepen donor relationships, boost engagement, drive revenue, and grow.
So while Salesforce is not exclusively a donor management tool, it does offer extensive donor management features, which we’ll cover in more detail later in this guide. For example, your nonprofit can offer exceptional user experiences by leveraging data from Salesforce to create custom, branded donor portals.
Can Salesforce Track Donations?
Yes, both NPSP and NPC can track donations. Salesforce makes donation tracking faster and more accurate, allowing you to gain actionable insights about donors’ behaviors and preferences.
Salesforce uses cloud-based data storage, meaning information about donations and supporters will immediately be synced for all of your users. Additionally, NPC includes a variety of donation-tracking objects that your organization can use right out of the box, making tracking recurring and pledged gifts simple.
5 Benefits of Salesforce Donor Management
Among donor management systems, Salesforce is the number one solution for a reason. Here are some of the key benefits that nonprofits using Salesforce can leverage:
- Centralized database. Keep all of your data from campaigns, events, and online outreach in one central location. Salesforce integrates with a wide range of third-party tools, including CMSs, allowing your data to flow seamlessly into your Salesforce system.
- Extensive customization. Salesforce is a customizable, flexible platform that scales with your nonprofit. Partner with a Salesforce developer to organize your donors and get detailed insights into your fundraising performance.
- Automation. Donor management can involve many time-intensive tasks. However, using features like Salesforce Flow, nonprofits can automatically send thank-you emails and pledge reminders, create donor segments, log gifts, and more. This reduces strain on your staff and gives them more time to develop creative strategies, interact with donors and volunteers, or work with beneficiaries.
- AI and powerful data analytics. NPC users can leverage AI-powered tools like Agentforce and Einstein for Nonprofits. Agentforce allows nonprofits to create custom AI agents that can complete tasks and serve supporters independently. Einstein for Nonprofits uses AI to generate predictive analytics (e.g., predicting whether a donor could be upgraded to a mid-level donor), helping you make more informed decisions regarding donor management.
- Salesforce AppExchange. Expand your Salesforce platform and connect with supporters in new ways using apps created just for Salesforce. The Salesforce AppExchange is full of add-ons built by the Salesforce team and reputable third-party developers. For example, Volunteers for Salesforce is a free app many nonprofits use to organize volunteers (who often are or will become dedicated donors).
The Salesforce community is brimming with knowledge from consultants and developers, making it a great resource if you need advice or pointers. Explore thoroughly written guides answering common questions about how to use a Salesforce feature or partner with a consultant specializing in Salesforce to get insight into your situation.
Salesforce Donor Management Products
Salesforce has multiple products dedicated to helping nonprofits with fundraising and donor management, including:
- Nonprofit Cloud. Contains the base features your charitable organization needs to get started with Salesforce. We’ll dive deeper into specific features below.
- Insights. Salesforce Insights Platform Data Integrity works in conjunction with NPSP to help nonprofits keep their data accurate and up-to-date. With an organized database, your team can confidently leverage its data to build a more effective donor management strategy.
- Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (MCAE). Building relationships is the heart of effective donor management. MCAE allows you to forge these connections with its custom email builder, personalization tools, and intelligent reporting capabilities.
- Experience. Empower supporters to engage with your nonprofit online through custom experiences built by Experience Cloud. Experience Cloud allows you to create self-service tools or web portals for donors. Your nonprofit can offer tailored donation forms, recommendations, or event invitations, and donors can create personalized profiles and manage their recurring donations.
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud Donor Management Features
Here are a handful of the top donor management features you’ll have access to if using NPC:
- Donation and gift management. Because NPC is designed for nonprofits, it is ready to track and manage almost any type of donation without customization. For instance, log gifts individually or in batches, track pledged donations, set schedules for committed gift fulfillment, designate restricted funds, and more.
- Personalization tools. Donors give to causes they feel a personal connection to, and you can build that connection by continually reaching out with unique messages tailored to each donor. Salesforce allows you to design email templates and populate them with relevant donor data to ensure each message is customized for its recipient.
- Automation. Using tools like the Flow Builder and Agentforce, your nonprofit can automate repetitive tasks and self-service processes. For instance, trigger emails that launch when a donor reaches a certain milestone or launch internal tasks or reminders based on donation size or recency (e.g., “Call donor within 48 hours to personally thank them.”). Or, if a donor has a question about how your recurring giving program works, they can ask your AI agent (even if your office is closed).
- Detailed donor profiles. The more you know about your donors, the better you’ll be able to reach out to them. Track detailed donor information like giving history, event attendance, volunteerism, communications, key opportunities, and more. Donor profiles give you a digestible snapshot of the donor, helping identify opportunities more quickly.
Get Started With Salesforce For Nonprofits
If you’re considering investing in Salesforce, the first step is determining which product is right for your organization. Conduct an internal assessment of your donor management needs to understand what you want from your platform and establish your donor management goals. You may also need help from Salesforce developers to implement your new donor management system.
This process can be complex, but our team at Fíonta is prepared to help whether you’re just getting started or are looking for ways to maximize your investment in Salesforce. We’ll help you determine which solutions best fit your needs and identify specific ways your team can use its technology to meet its needs. Depending on your needs, we’ll assist with data migration, complex integrations, custom software development, UX design, and more. To learn more, contact us today.
Wrapping Up
Choosing a donor management system requires looking at your nonprofit’s size, goals, supporters, and staff. While no one-size-fits-all CRM solution will work for every nonprofit, Salesforce’s range of donor management features and extensive, highly scalable customization options make it a flexible choice for many organizations.
To discover if Salesforce is right for you, reach out to a consultant for advice on the role Salesforce could play in helping you achieve your goals. For more on Salesforce, explore these additional resources:
- Raiser’s Edge vs. Salesforce: 5 Reasons Why You Should Switch. Currently using Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge CRM? See how it compares to Salesforce and whether now is the right time to switch systems.
- How to Leverage Agentforce for Nonprofits and Associations. Eager to learn more about the Agentforce? Check out this guide to discover innovative ways to leverage the tool.
- How to transition from Salesforce NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud. If you’re a current NPSP user, you might be thinking about migrating to NPC. Here’s what you need to know about making the switch.
With help from our team of experts, your organization can transform its approach to donor management with Salesforce. Contact Fíonta to learn more.