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GruposNonprofit Ask Me Anything (Global)Publicação de Natalie Larino
Natalie Larino (Salesforce) publicou em Nonprofit Ask Me Anything (Global)
16 de jul., 18:50

Hello! Thank you for all who joined our AMER Ask Me Anything yesterday on July 15, 2026! Special shoutout to our July panelists @Skye Tyler @Clair Lam and of course our monthly co-host @Rob OBrien. Here's the recap -  

 

Q: I'm a newer admin trying to figure out how to best handle event planning and execution in Nonprofit Cloud (NPC). We have two major fundraisers each year that are currently being planned and executed almost entirely outside our CRM.

 

A: Great question — and the honest answer is: it depends! Start by mapping out exactly what data you're currently tracking (likely in spreadsheets) and asking yourself what needs

 to live in Salesforce vs. what's fine living elsewhere. Not everything has to be in Salesforce, and for more granular tracking needs, custom fields can go a long way — especially for things like sponsorships. 

 

Also consider your day-of logistics and activity tracking,  those decisions can shape your overall architecture. 

 

Core best practices to get you started:

 

  • Campaigns & Campaign Members: Structure events as parent/child Campaign records. Use Campaign Members to track invitations, RSVPs, attendance, and post-event engagement all in one place.
  • Program & Benefit Schedules: If your event involves multi-session programming or workshops, use NPC Benefit Schedules and Sessions to track participant allocations and attendance automatically.
  • Experience Cloud Integration: Connect your event objects to Experience Cloud to build external registration pages where attendees can self-register securely.
  • Source Tracking: Use auto-generated campaign source URLs to track which marketing channels are driving the most registrations and donations.

There are also excellent third-party tools built for event execution — Summit Events App and Nonprofits Need Event Management in Salesforce | Blackthorn

 are both worth exploring. 

 

Resources:

Q: I'm new to the Salesforce ecosystem and curious — as a beginner, is there any possibility to volunteer with nonprofits using Nonprofit Cloud to practice my skills and learn from others?

 

 A: There are volunteer opportunities out there, but a word of caution first: Agentforce for Nonprofits (AFNP) is a robust platform, and jumping into a live org without solid foundational experience can unintentionally cause real harm — broken configurations, data issues, and cleanup work that falls on the nonprofit staff. Please be honest with yourself about your current skill level before volunteering in a production environment. 

 

The most sustainable path to hands-on experience is through Trailhead and free dev orgs with AFNP already installed — you can experiment freely without any risk. There are also lower-risk volunteer opportunities involving more discrete, measurable tasks that can be a great entry point once you've built some foundation. 

 

When you're ready, here's where to find opportunities and community:

Q: I have about two years in the Salesforce ecosystem and a long IT background. I'm currently open to work and interested in gaining real experience by volunteering on nonprofit community projects.

 

 A: We'd encourage you to read this first: No Salesforce Work Experience? Make Your Own (and Stop Volunteering at Nonprofits). It's a genuinely great perspective on building experience without putting nonprofit orgs at risk. 

 

Also check out the Mindshare jobs group in the Trailblazer Community — it's a great resource for folks actively looking for Salesforce roles. 

 

Q: Following up on experience-building — do you know of any apprenticeships with Salesforce?

 

 A: A few solid options worth exploring:

One thing worth noting: many of the most successful Salesforce professionals became "also admins" — people who came from a business operations or program management background and grew into the platform. Deep knowledge of business process is often just as valuable as technical skill, so don't underestimate that side of your experience.

 

Q: Are there instances where you'd recommend NPSP for an organization just now starting to track donors in Salesforce?

 

 A: It depends on the use case, you’ll have to assess the trajectory of the nonprofit. There are a lot of different factors to consider if/when you need a more robust system. 

 

Also keep in mind the technical capacity of the organization. The size and scope of how you plan to grow are key differentiators of whether or not to stay on NPSP or consider implementing AFNP. 

 

Q: I manage 21 NPSP systems for a homelessness reduction nonprofit and their 20 affiliates across the country. They've set NPSP as a requirement for new affiliates but never standardized a fundraising platform. We now have affiliates on Click&Pledge, GiveSmart, PayPal, and BetterUnite — with more transitions coming as contracts expire.

 

 A: This is a real "interview the tool" moment. As AI-driven development continues to accelerate, platforms are moving fast — and that's both an opportunity and a risk. Some of these vendors may consolidate, pivot, or sunset features without much notice. 

 

When evaluating platforms, go deep on:

  • Alignment with your actual use cases — don't just evaluate features, evaluate fit
  • Value alignment — does the vendor's roadmap and mission align with the nonprofit sector?
  • Integration flexibility — how cleanly does it connect to NPSP and what does that maintenance look like across 21 orgs?

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What else came up?

  • Get involved with your local Salesforce user group — peer learning across orgs managing similar complexity is invaluable
  • Nonprofit Dreamin' is currently targeted for March 2027 — a great event to connect with others navigating exactly this kind of multi-affiliate challenge
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