What is Salesforce1 for Nonprofits and Why Should You Care

By: idealconsult

If you were in DC last week for the Salesforce1 World Tour or listened in on yesterday’s Helping Gamechangers Change the World webinar, maybe you heard some of these statements:

Salesforce 1 for Nonprofits is an end- to-end solution to give you more impact than ever before
Be a Connected Nonprofit
Salesforce1 for Nonprofits it is a group of solutions all built on the same platform
It’s a whole new world providing a 360 view and a unified contact record

You may have left thinking “so what does that mean for us?”

Salesforce has long been savvy at producing inspirational messages around cloud computing - and the world has benefited from this. However, what exactly those messages mean can be, well, cloudy. As a Gold Sponsor of the debut of Salesforce1 for Nonprofits we felt an obligation to tell you what Salesforce1 for Nonprofits actually is and why should you care.

So with that, what is Salesforce1 for Nonprofits, anyway?

Above all else, it is a marketing strategy aimed to help you better navigate the Salesforce ecosystem. With over 55 nonprofit-specific apps on the AppExchange (plus many more that provide discounts for NPOs), many nonprofits are completely overwhelmed by the plethora of options and need clearer guidance.

Salesforce1 for Nonprofits is the Salesforce Foundation getting strategic with how nonprofits should adopt Salesforce for their entire organization with a particular focus on four key operational areas:

Fundraising (i.e. Making Money)
Communications (i.e. Outreach)
Engagement (i.e. Collaboration)
Programs (i.e. Mission Management)

Each operational area is backed by a solution kit of the best nonprofit applications on the Salesforce platform, including roundCause, WealthEngine, Storybank, StayClassy, Salesforce Communities, and the Salesforce Marketing Cloud. All are backed by Salesforce1 technology, meaning they’re mobile-friendly and “play well” together.

It is important to note...Salesforce is not telling you that you shouldn't use certain applications or that the solution kits noted are the only applications that a nonprofit should use. Rather, they are suggesting there are certain applications that are likely to bring you more success in certain scenarios.

And now for the million dollar question...why should you care?

Or put a different way, what action should you take? The immediate answer is: none.

The next time you log into Salesforce, your views will be the same as they were two weeks ago. Salesforce is still the same incredibly flexible system that you have come to know and (hopefully) love, and any reputable consulting group can help you navigate it.

Salesforce1 for Nonprofits will simply help you find the best solutions if and when you are ready to advance or enhance your use of Salesforce. Salesforce1 for Nonprofits wants to help the user find the most relevant applications for the best end-to-end Salesforce experience.

If you are curious about some of the Salesforce1 solutions you’ve seen, please reach out. We are happy to coordinate demos or give you our frank opinion on whether your organization is right for a certain type of solution.