For over a decade, the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) has been a trusted cornerstone for thousands of nonprofits worldwide. Built on top of Salesforce’s core CRM architecture, NPSP gave nonprofits a cost-effective and flexible way to manage donors, track relationships, and streamline fundraising. But in recent years, Salesforce has introduced a new generation of nonprofit technology: the Nonprofit Cloud (NPC).
Unlike NPSP, which is layered onto the Salesforce platform via managed packages, NPC is natively built into Salesforce as an industry-specific solution. It leverages the latest Salesforce innovations – Person Accounts, OmniStudio, Actionable Relationship Center (ARC), and a redesigned data model – to better serve modern nonprofit needs.
This article acts as a formal, strategic guide designed to help nonprofits plan and execute a migration from NPSP to NPC. Whether you’re a beginner navigating your first CRM transition or a seasoned admin, this guide will provide actionable steps, architectural insight, and tips grounded in real implementation experience.
What Is NPSP?
The Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) is an open-source Salesforce application maintained by Salesforce.org. It extends Salesforce’s standard data model to meet the operational needs of nonprofits, offering customizations for donation management, constituent relationships, and household tracking.
Some of its key features include:
- Household Account model for managing individual constituents
- Recurring donations and soft credit tracking
- Program and volunteer management add-ons
- Pre-built fundraising reports and dashboards
Its popularity stemmed from its accessibility – especially the 10 free licenses via the Power of Us Program – and its ability to grow with an organization through customization and community support.
What Is Nonprofit Cloud (NPC)?
Nonprofit Cloud (NPC) is Salesforce’s modern, unified platform for mission-driven organizations. Introduced as part of its Industries Cloud suite, NPC is not just a rebrand – it’s a full re-architecture.
What sets NPC apart:
- Native use of Person Accounts (no more “Household Accounts”)
- Modular architecture supporting fundraising, programs, and case management
- Visual relationship management via Actionable Relationship Center (ARC)
- Declarative logic through Business Rules Engine and OmniStudio
- Real-time outcome tracking and AI readiness
NPC represents Salesforce’s long-term vision for nonprofits, offering a scalable, future-proof platform built with flexibility and automation at its core.
NPSP vs. NPC: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Understanding the differences between NPSP and NPC can clarify what changes to expect. Here’s a breakdown across core functionality areas to help you evaluate.
| Feature Area | NPSP | Nonprofit Cloud (NPC) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Model | Standard Salesforce with NPSP extensions | Industry-standard model with Person Accounts |
| Household Management | Household Accounts | Person Accounts + Party Relationship Groups |
| Donation Management | Opportunities, Recurring Donations, Payments | Gift Commitments + Transactions |
| Relationships | Affiliations and Custom Objects | ARC, Account-Contact Relationships, Party Groups |
| Automation Tools | Process Builder, Flow | Flow + OmniStudio + Business Rules Engine |
| Add-ons | V4S, PMM, Outbound Funds, etc. | Built-in Program, Case, and Outcome Management |
| Deployment | Installable packages | Native functionality within Salesforce Industries |
| Volunteer Management | Supported via add-ons | Not yet natively supported |
Why Should You Migrate?
NPSP remains supported with no immediate end-of-life, but Salesforce is actively investing in Nonprofit Cloud for future innovation. Migration makes sense when:
- You’re rethinking data structure for scale
- Existing automation and customization are difficult to maintain.
- You need tighter integration across programs, fundraising, and analytics.
- You’re ready to implement AI, predictive insights, or advanced case management.
5 Phase Migration Framework
Successful migration isn’t just about moving data, it’s about strategic transformation. Here’s a step-by-step framework to guide your journey from NPSP to NPC.
1. Assessment and Alignment
Start by identifying your “why.” A clear understanding of your current state and goals will shape the entire migration effort. Ensure that you:
- Identify why you’re migrating: performance, scale, reporting, etc.
- Audit current usage: data model, automation, integrations, third-party tools
- Map out the desired outcomes in NPC
Pro tip: Don’t aim for a 1:1 rebuild. Use the opportunity to optimize.
2. Planning and Design
With goals defined, it’s time to translate them into actionable plans. This phase lays the foundation for structure, automation, and future scalability. Ensure that you:
- Map legacy objects (e.g., Recurring Donations → Gift Commitments)
- Plan data cleanup: deduplication, field normalization, data enrichment
- Design new automation using modern tools (Flow, BRE)
Example: Replace five NPSP process builders with one OmniScript and a rules-based decision engine.
3. Build and Configure
With a plan in place, your technical setup begins. This phase focuses on implementing new processes and rebuilding your architecture within NPC. Ensure that you:
- Set up a new NPC-enabled sandbox or org
- Rebuild automations and page layouts with NPC logic
- Integrate external systems using updated field mappings
Real-world insight: A nonprofit using Classy for online donations had to rebuild their integration to map to Gift Transactions and Person Accounts.
4. Data Migration
Your data is your nonprofit’s lifeblood. Migrating it cleanly and accurately to align with NPC’s model is critical for success. Ensure that you:
- Extract, transform, and load (ETL) your NPSP data into NPC’s model
- Pay special attention to:
- Household → Person Account conversion
- Address fields (NPC lacks seasonal address support)
- Soft credits and affiliations
- Test with small batches before full migration
Pro tip: Keep a crosswalk spreadsheet of old IDs to new ones to help with post-migration validation.
5. Training, Testing, and Go Live
Go-live isn’t just a switch flip, it’s a process. Effective training, thorough testing, and a solid support plan are key to long-term adoption. Ensure that you:
- Conduct role-based user training
- Validate key workflows (e.g., gift entry, donor search, program enrollment)
- Hold office hours and gather user feedback post-launch
Adoption tip: Start with power users, and identify “NPC Champions” in each department to support their peers.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Even well-prepared migrations can run into trouble. Here are common missteps we’ve seen and how to sidestep them.
- “Lift-and-shift” mentality: Don’t clone NPSP; rethink and redesign. This is your chance to get things done right.
- Underestimating Person Accounts: They function differently from Contacts/Households. Automation and reporting need rewiring.
- Lack of stakeholder buy-in: Fundraising, programs, and IT must be aligned.
- Integration mismatches: Confirm your third-party apps are NPC-compatible.
- Skipping a sandbox: Testing in production is risky, so always stage first.
Lessons from the Field
One international nonprofit transitioned from NPSP to NPC over the span of six months. They used this opportunity to:
- Decrease household clutter by 40% with Person Accounts
- Consolidate 15 legacy automations into 4 reusable OmniStudio flows
- Improve fundraising forecast accuracy through cleaner pledge tracking
The biggest win? Their development team finally had one system connecting donations, grants, and program services in real-time.
Final Thoughts
Migrating from NPSP to NPC is not a small task – it’s a strategic reimplementation. But for nonprofits ready to modernize their operations and prepare for the future of donor and program engagement, it’s a leap worth taking.
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud offers more than a CRM. It’s an adaptable platform that empowers nonprofits to deliver outcomes, not just outputs.
Approach your migration with care, clarity, and confidence, and you’ll come out stronger on the other side.
