As we’ve come to expect every year from Salesforce, I found the 2024 Dreamforce conference to be a whirlwind of sweeping innovation, furious networking with people passionate about the potential of the platform, and enough awesome free food to keep you going for three days straight.
I will admit that I started the week with a lot of hesitation given the radical changes that Salesforce has forced on the nonprofit community in the last two years. But I left both excited and contemplative about the future of nonprofit technology, even if we don’t yet have an exact roadmap of how we’re going to get there.
AI: The Game-Changer for Personalization
One of the most significant takeaways from the conference was the evolution of AI in the nonprofit space.
We're no longer talking about generic, one-size-fits-all AI solutions, like a non-personalized response to “Write an email to this donor” that has to be highly edited - so much so that you might as well have started from scratch yourself.
Rather, Salesforce is now integrating AI into the core platform in ways that leverage an organization's donor data, including unstructured information like notes from major gift officers (this is a big deal!).
This breakthrough means we might finally have effective methods for achieving personalization at scale, crafting donor communications that are truly tailored to each individual's experience, and that can mine through the pages upon pages of unstructured data that you’ve never been able to access without the help of a human brain to read, process, and synthesize:
The Rise of Data Cloud
Another key insight was the growing differentiator of leveraging data platforms (like Salesforce’s Data Cloud) to ingest, unify, and put to work your data across all of your systems.
Data Cloud allows companies to consolidate data from multiple sources, including CRM apps, third-parties, and data lakes housing both structured (e.g., tables) and unstructured (audio, images, etc.) information.
Data Cloud is not a static repository, but rather it is being put to use as an engine for Salesforce tools like Tableau, Marketing Cloud, and AI - unlocking insights, triggers, and potential donor journeys that until now have been inaccessible.
It’s yet to be seen how accessible Data Cloud will be to the average nonprofit, but I can’t help but think about how this could finally be an answer to the reality that nonprofits run on many different systems but their constituents have come to expect a unified experience across all facets of the organization.
Nonprofit Cloud: Their Showcased All-in-One Solution
Evident throughout the conference was Salesforce's investment in Nonprofit Cloud. Its Fundraising module has been out for over a year, and, yes, there are still some kinks to work out. The data model is totally different, and they will not be releasing a migration tool due to the fact that everyone has implemented the Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) a little bit differently.
Nonetheless, it was clear to me they're positioning Nonprofit Cloud as the comprehensive CRM solution for nonprofits, complete with volunteer management (!!!), outcomes tracking, and program delivery features. They’re also unlocking access to some features that have been available to the other Industries Clouds (e.g. Health Cloud, Financial Services Cloud) for a while, like their DocGen tool (hello in-platform donor receipts), scoring frameworks (hello RFM scores), and more personalized engagement feeds/summaries.
Additionally, their integration of Slack as more than just a communication tool offers intriguing possibilities for automations and workflows that keep teams connected to their data.
Planning now for a transition to this robust platform could put organizations in a great position to take advantage of Nonprofit Cloud in one to three years, depending on your level of complexity and requirements.
On the flip side, while all of this enhanced functionality is exciting, I'm mindful that Nonprofit Cloud will definitely come with a higher price tag than we've been accustomed to for the past 15 years. The decision to move to Nonprofit Cloud is the culmination of a long journey of elevating nonprofit technology to for profit levels, and that continued rise is finally coming with a price tag that more closely matches the power of the platform being delivered.
So talk to us about whether Nonprofit Cloud is the right choice for you.
Unexpected Lightning Updates
On a lighter (and mildly startled) note, Salesforce also announced that Lightning is getting a facelift!
Lightning is approaching its 10th anniversary, so I guess it could be time for another iteration—I just wasn’t expecting one! Get excited for dark mode, improved accessibility standards, simpler navigation/layouts, and increased use of color.
The Joy of Networking
My highlight of the week is that I took a risk and signed up for a “Braindate” with six individuals to talk about soft credits and it was the highlight of the week!
Soft credits recognize influence over donations rather than direct contributions known as “hard credits.” They allow nonprofits to track and acknowledge individuals or organizations who played a role in securing a donation, even if they didn't provide the funds directly.
They were from small and large nonprofits (including an actual, real-life donor advised fund representative), all facing the same data challenges of how to represent giving through third parties like Benevity and donor advised funds.
It was so refreshing to have a brass tacks conversation about options within the NPSP and participate in some nonprofit therapy: “No, you’re not the only one who struggles with this and actually almost everyone does.”
Moving Forward?
For those of you not yet ready to transition to Nonprofit Cloud, there are still plenty of ways to enhance your current NPSP experience:
- Head over to Free Like a Puppy and implement some of the best practices around Lightning record page design
- Take a moment to think about your automation strategy by perusing a session hosted by our friends at Oregon Humane Society
- Become a certified AI Specialist—Your first attempt is free through 2025 and part of Salesforce’s commitment to upskilling the workforce in an AI-powered world
As I left Dreamforce, I felt a mix of excitement and thoughtfulness about the future of nonprofit technology.
The advancements in AI and data management are promising, but they also come with challenges related to accessibility and affordability.
Even so, I'm optimistic about the potential for these innovations to fuel nonprofit missions exponentially in the years to come.
Got Questions about Your Nonprofit’s Tech?
If you're interested in discussing the evolution of Salesforce and its impact on the nonprofit sector or have questions about your current or future tech stack, I’m offering several time slots on Friday, October 25 for nonprofits to chat with me.
Think of it as a casual strategy session where you can ask anything you’d like!
