Map Your Salesforce for Nonprofits Learning Journey

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

Name the two general roles that determine which Salesforce technology and learning resources are right for you.
Find resources to expand and deepen your Salesforce knowledge.

Choose Your Own Adventure

You’re hitting the trails to learn more about Salesforce for Nonprofits' products and features. Congratulations!

To help you get started, this module provides you with a list of learning resources. Think of this list as a map to plan your learning journey.

Two people navigate using a map and compass while on a hike.

If you haven’t already checked out the Salesforce for Nonprofits Basics module on Trailhead, it provides a summary of Salesforce’s products and features for nonprofits.

Find the Right Content for Your Role

Before we get started, it’s good to understand what resources apply to how you use Salesforce, and how your role and your organization’s relationship with Salesforce determines what learning resources are available.

Who Are You?

At Salesforce, we create content for two broad audiences: admins and end users.

Admins are the folks who do the behind-the-scenes work in Salesforce, like installing apps, changing page layouts, importing data, and much, much more.
End users are everyone who uses Salesforce to do their jobs, such as fundraisers, program staff, and marketers.

These audience names align with roles that are assigned in Salesforce, which translate into access and permissions in the system.

What’s Available

An additional layer is access to learning resources. Many learning resources are available free to anyone online, while others are available only to Salesforce users, or to users with certain Success Plans.

Every Salesforce customer has access to a Standard Success Plan, which provides admins with online technical support from Salesforce. Organizations looking for 24/7 support and individualized expert coaching can upgrade to a Premier or Signature Success Plan at an additional cost.

Now let’s explore the resources.

Access Online Resources

Online resources are a great way to learn about Salesforce for Nonprofits from wherever you work.

First, there’s Trailhead—that’s where you are right now! Here, both admins and end users can learn how to implement and use Salesforce for Nonprofits' products and features, then test their knowledge with quizzes and hands-on challenges. Two good places to start are with the Prepare for Success with Salesforce for Nonprofits trail and the Manage Your Mission with Salesforce for Nonprofits trail. You can filter Trailhead badges and trails by the nonprofit product category to find the full library.

For admins, there’s a wealth of detailed documentation online for Salesforce for Nonprofits products and features, as well as general Salesforce administration. Find it all in Salesforce Help.

We also offer many different types of online learning events, which you can find on the Customer Success Events calendar. Those events include webinars, which are available to any nonprofit customer. You can either join a live webinar and ask questions of our expert hosts, or view an on-demand webinar.

Admins at organizations with Premier Success Plans can also join topic-specific Expert Coaching sessions to find answers to their questions and get personalized guidance.

For more formal training, admins and end users can join the instructor-led courses offered in Trailhead Academy. These courses are available for a separate fee, with a discount on registration offered to nonprofit customers. If you’d like to earn a Salesforce certification, this is a good place to start.

Join the Community

True to the nonprofit spirit, there’s an active community of Salesforce for Nonprofits users ready to share advice and discuss strategies.

First, there’s the Trailblazer Community, an online community where nonprofit admins and end users can ask and answer questions, build Salesforce skills, share expertise, and connect with other Trailblazers in the nonprofit, education, and philanthropic sectors. We recommend you start by joining the Salesforce.org Hub and then join more specific groups—like the Nonprofit Hub—to collaborate with colleagues at similar organizations, using similar apps, or in your region.

Speaking of your region, admins may find it helpful to join a Trailblazer Community Group in their local area. Once you find a group, you can join meetings with your peers to get support and share what you’ve learned.

Get Expert Help

Need extra, hands-on help?

There are multiple paths to Salesforce support.

Coaching and advisory, strategic, and fundraising-focused services are available from our team of experts who understand the needs of organizations like yours. Learn more on the Salesforce Customer Success page.
Through Salesforce’s Impact Exchange pro bono program, you can request 20 hours of free, volunteer expertise from Salesforce employees on short-term projects.
You can find a Salesforce certified consultant to help you on your way.

And now the time has come to map your learning journey. To get you started, we’ve packed your bag with a Swiss-Army-knife’s worth of learning resources in this Resources list.

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