Discover How Connections are Represented in NPSP
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Define the core objects in Nonprofit Success Pack.
- Explain the relationship between contacts, accounts, affiliations, relationships, and leads.
This module is intended to be used with a pre-configured NPSP Trailhead Playground. As of December 2025, NPSP is no longer offered as a preconfigured package in production orgs. If you’re following along in your production or sandbox org, some descriptions or instructions in this module may not match details in your NPSP org.
The quizzes in this module ask questions based on the content of the videos included in each unit. Be sure to watch the videos to get the information you need to answer the questions.
NPSP Is About Connections
As a nonprofit, people are your most important resource—and managing those relationships is top priority. Regardless of whether you use NPSP for fundraising, program management, engagement, or all of the above, relationship management is the foundation.
There are five core objects in NPSP that represent the connections in your organization.
- Contact
- Account
- Affiliation
- Relationship
- Lead (optional)
For a more detailed explanation of objects in NPSP, along with a guided tour of how you can use the data model to store information about your stakeholders and relationships, watch this video.
You’ve learned a bit about the core objects you use to keep track of people and relationships in NPSP. In the next unit, you’ll take a look at how to record your interactions with those people.
Resources
- Resource Guide: NPSP Base Camp Resource Guide
- Hands-On Training Guide: Salesforce for Nonprofits Base Camp: Begin with Contacts and Accounts
- Trailhead: Stakeholder Data Management with Nonprofit Success Pack