NPSP or NPC? This is a question every nonprofit that is planning to move its CRM to Salesforce or is already using Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) faces.
Nonprofits that are currently running on Salesforce NPSP keep hearing that they should move to Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud (renamed to Agentforce Nonprofit in October 2025). Meanwhile, other organisations advise that staying put is perfectly reasonable.
The answer to NPSP vs NPC depends on your current needs, future plans, budget, and capacity for change. NPSP remains fully supported, although Salesforce stopped developing new NPSP features. Nonprofit Cloud is where Salesforce is building its newer nonprofit capabilities. A move makes sense when those capabilities provide a solution to a crucial challenge for your organisation.
In this blog, we compare both products, explain their data models, examine costs, and identify when staying or moving makes sense. We’ll help you assess migration readiness and choose your next step.
What Is NPSP?
The Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) is a free, open-source suite of managed packages that adds nonprofit features to Salesforce Sales Cloud.
There is no separate NPSP licence. Your organisation needs the appropriate Salesforce edition and licences to run its CRM.
Its main building blocks include Household Accounts that group Contacts, Opportunities that record gifts, Recurring Donations that manage ongoing giving, General Accounting Units (GAUs) that support fund allocation, and Customisable Rollups that calculate giving totals.
The nonprofit community shaped NPSP over many years. As a result, organisations also benefit from third-party apps and established practices built around its data model.
What Is Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud (NPC)?
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is a native industry cloud launched in March 2023. It uses the core Salesforce platform and a data model designed for nonprofit work.
Its modules include Fundraising, Program Management, Case Management, Outcome Management, and Volunteer Management. Grantmaking is available under separate licensing arrangements.
The platform also includes native tools such as Data Processing Engine for data calculations and OmniStudio for guided forms and workflows.
Salesforce NPC offers a different approach to managing constituents, gifts and programmes. However, available features depend on the products, editions and licences your organisation selects. Review the proposed configuration before assuming a capability is included.
NPSP vs NPC at a Glance
| Area | NPSP | Nonprofit Cloud (NPC) |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Managed packages on Sales Cloud | Native industry cloud |
| Launched | Nonprofit Starter Pack originated in 2008 | March 2023 |
| New features | No new features since March 2023 | Current nonprofit product development |
| Support | Fully supported | Fully supported |
| Individuals | Contacts in Household Accounts | Person Accounts |
| Households and groups | Household Accounts | Accounts linked through Party Relationship Groups |
| Donations | Opportunities | Gift Transactions and Gift Commitments |
| Programmes and cases | Program Management Module and separate packages | Native modules |
| Rollups | Customisable Rollups | Data Processing Engine |
| New Power of Us organisations | No preconfigured NPSP org since December 2025 | Available through a licence bundle |
| Moving between platforms | Re-implementation, usually in a new org | Re-implementation, usually in a new org |
What Changes Between NPSP and Nonprofit Cloud?
How People, Households, and Organisations Are Stored
NPSP stores each person as a Contact grouped under a Household Account. Nonprofit Cloud stores each person as a Person Account and links households, families, and other groups through Party Relationship Groups.
In NPSP, Contacts sit alongside Household Accounts, Organisation Accounts, Relationships and Affiliations. This structure supports individual donors, families, companies and connections between people and organisations.
Nonprofit Cloud uses Person Accounts for individuals and Business Accounts for organisations. Party Relationship Groups and Group Memberships help represent households and other groups.
One technical constraint has major implications for migration: Person Accounts cannot be enabled in an org with NPSP installed. A move therefore usually requires a new org.
Every report, automation, and integration that reads Contacts or Household Accounts needs assessment and remapping. The team must understand how existing records connect before designing the replacement structure.
How Donations, Recurring Giving, and Fund Allocation Work
NPSP records each gift as an Opportunity. Nonprofit Cloud separates promised giving from money received through dedicated gift objects.
These objects serve related purposes, but they do not transfer one-to-one. Recurring gifts require the commitment, schedule, payment history, and payment-provider connection to be mapped together.
| Purpose | NPSP | Nonprofit Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| A single gift | Opportunity | Gift Transaction |
| An ongoing commitment | Recurring Donation | Gift Commitment |
| Scheduled future payments | Installment Opportunities generated by Recurring Donation | Gift Commitment Schedule |
| Fund allocation | GAU Allocation | Gift Designation |
| Soft credit | Opportunity Contact Role and Partial Soft Credit | Gift Soft Credit |
| Giving totals | Customisable Rollups | Data Processing Engine |
Programmes, Volunteers, Grants and Portals
NPSP focuses on fundraising and relies on the Program Management Module and separate packages or third-party apps for programmes, cases, volunteers and grants. Nonprofit Cloud brings several of these functions into a connected native data model.
For organisations that report programme outcomes to funders, this connected structure may reduce the work needed to bring fundraising and service delivery data together.
However, Grantmaking and some other modules require separate licences. Map every requirement to the specific products included in the proposed configuration.
Both platforms also require a third-party provider for payment processing.
Is NPSP Being Retired?
No, NPSP remains fully supported, has no announced retirement date, and Salesforce states that existing organisations have no requirement to migrate.
Here are a few reasons why many nonprofit leaders assume that NPSP might be retiring:
- NPSP stopped receiving new features in March 2023. Salesforce calls this status End of Innovation.
- Salesforce renamed Nonprofit Cloud to Agentforce Nonprofit in October 2025.
- Since December 2025, new Power of Us applicants no longer receive a preconfigured NPSP org.
Existing NPSP organisations can continue operating and receiving Salesforce support. The decision to move remains theirs to make based on business goals and CRM needs.
NPSP vs Nonprofit Cloud: What Each Costs
NPSP is free to install as an open-source managed package on eligible Salesforce user licenses. Nonprofit Cloud is licensed as a dedicated Industry Cloud product, meaning a complete cost comparison must account for ongoing user licenses, platform add-ons, and initial implementation services.
Eligible UK non-profits applying through the Power of Us Program receive 10 donated Enterprise Edition licenses. Organisations can choose between 10 donated Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise licenses or 10 traditional Sales Cloud Enterprise licenses (for running NPSP). Salesforce also offers a ~50% discount on additional licenses, add-ons, and products.
For updated costs, explore the latest Agentforce Nonprofit pricing.
| Category | NPSP | Nonprofit Cloud (Agentforce Nonprofit) |
|---|---|---|
| Power of Us Grant | 10 Donated Enterprise Sales/Service Seats | 10 Donated Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise Seats |
| Additional User Licenses | ~£360 – £480 per user/year (discounted Sales Cloud) | ~£600 – £720 per user/year (Nonprofit Cloud User) |
| Specialised Add-Ons | Third-party managed packages (e.g., Volunteer/Grant tools) | Native modules included; Grantmaking licensed separately (~£200–£350/user/yr) |
| Base Managed Package Cost | £0 (Free open-source managed package) | Included within Nonprofit Cloud tier pricing |
| Baseline Implementation (Partner) | £10,000 – £18,000 (standard setup/optimisation) | £25,000 – £35,000+ (re-implementation & data migration) |
When Staying on NPSP Makes Sense
Staying on NPSP is a sound decision when the system meets current needs and moving to Nonprofit Cloud offers no clear business benefit.
However, staying still requires maintenance, attention to technical debt, and preparation for future needs. If the system has become difficult to maintain, investigate the causes before deciding whether migration is the right fix.
Consider staying if:
- Your fundraising processes work well, and staff can complete their work reliably.
- Your team maintains the org confidently and understands its configuration.
- Your integrations and reports produce reliable results.
- Your organisation recently invested in NPSP improvements.
- Your budget or staff capacity does not support a re-implementation.
- You have not identified a specific benefit from moving.
When to Seriously Consider Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud
A move deserves serious evaluation when it solves a specific operational problem or supports a defined future requirement.
Consider moving to Nonprofit Cloud if:
- Your organisation manages programmes, participants and outcomes alongside fundraising and needs those records connected.
- Your NPSP org has conflicting automation or undocumented customisation. Assess these issues carefully because a move does not automatically remove them.
- Important processes depend on spreadsheets or disconnected applications that suitable Nonprofit Cloud modules could replace.
- You already plan a major change, such as a new donation platform, finance system, or merger.
- You have a defined plan for AI-supported workflows or constituent portals that depends on the newer data model.
Five Checks to Run Before Moving from NPSP to NPC
Here’s everything you need to assess before moving from NPSP to NPC:
Operational Workarounds
Measure the hours spent correcting data, reconciling transactions, and working around the system. Record the processes that cause the most friction.
Integration Dependencies
List every connected system, including donation platforms, payment gateways, finance tools, and marketing applications. Record each system's owner, purpose, and criticality, then confirm compatibility with Nonprofit Cloud.
Data Quality & Scope
Measure duplicate rates, missing key fields, and relationship accuracy. Inventory the historical records that must move.
Customisation & Technical Debt
Inventory custom fields, Flows, Apex code, and reports. Record which components staff use and which processes depend on them.
Total Cost & Expected Benefit
Compare three-year costs for staying and moving. Define measurable outcomes, such as hours saved, fewer reconciliation errors, or improved reporting accuracy.
What an NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud Migration Involves
An NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud migration is a re-implementation, usually in a new org, because the data model changes underneath records, reports, and automation.
For example, a custom field may feed a Flow, which updates a donation record. That donation then feeds a report and a finance integration. Changing the underlying record requires the team to review the full dependency chain.
The assessment should cover five areas:
Data Mapping
Define how Contacts, households, gifts, commitments, and relationships map to the new objects.
Automation
Review Flows, Apex code, validation rules, and scheduled processes.
Integrations
Assess every connected platform and its data dependencies.
Reporting
Rebuild reports and confirm that totals remain accurate.
Business Validation
Test fundraising, acknowledgements, recurring giving, and financial reconciliation.
Each integration needs assessment, although not every integration needs rebuilding. Recreating every customisation carries old complexity forward, while removing components without understanding their purpose risks disrupting operations.
How Long Does an NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud Migration Take?
The exact timeline for NPSP to NPC migration depends on the following factors:
- Data volume and quality,
- Number of integrations,
- Depth of custom automation
- Whether programmes and volunteers move alongside fundraising
The discovery phase usually takes the first two to three weeks, according to the proposed delivery approach. Before cutover, our team runs a tested migration rehearsal and reconciles record counts and financial totals.
To get an accurate timeline and cost estimate for your NPSP-to-NPC migration project, connect with our Salesforce Nonprofit consultant.
Migrate, Prepare, or Wait: What Should Be Your Next Step
There are three reasonable outcomes when deciding between NPSP and NPC, and each is a valid decision.
- Migrate when the business case is clear, and your organisation has the budget and capacity for implementation.
- Prepare first when the benefits look promising, but your data, processes, or integrations need work.
- Wait and reassess when NPSP meets current needs and the benefit of moving remains unclear.
Regardless of your decision, the following groundwork will help:
- Clean the data that matters most to daily operations.
- Document critical processes and their owners.
- Inventory integrations and confirm their purpose.
- Retire unused customisation after checking dependencies.
- Set a baseline for measuring future results.
Before committing, ask yourself three questions:
- What problem must the new platform solve?
- What will the organisation spend in time and money?
- How will we measure whether the change worked?
How ProvidusCRM Helps Nonprofits Decide Between NPSP and NPC
Who gives an honest answer about whether your organisation should move? ProvidusCRM is a BeyondNPSP partner, an initiative founded and funded by FinDock that helps nonprofits move from NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud.
The proposed delivery approach covers discovery and readiness assessment, migration planning and implementation, training and adoption, and ongoing partnership.
The package is intended for international development and humanitarian organisations, faith-based charities, fundraising-led nonprofits, and community and social impact organisations.
Book a readiness assessment to review your current Salesforce setup, identify the work involved, and understand whether a move makes business sense. The assessment should give your leadership team a clear basis for its decision, including the preparation required and the likely cost drivers.
Frequently Asked Questions About NPSP vs. NPC
What is the difference between NPSP and NPC?
NPSP and NPC use different Salesforce data models. NPSP consists of managed packages installed on Sales Cloud, while Nonprofit Cloud is a native industry cloud with dedicated objects for fundraising and programme delivery. Person Accounts cannot be enabled in an org where NPSP is installed, which usually makes migration a new-org implementation.
Is Agentforce Nonprofit the same as Nonprofit Cloud?
Yes, Salesforce renamed Nonprofit Cloud to Agentforce Nonprofit in October 2025. The name Agentforce 360 for Nonprofits refers to the wider nonprofit product line-up, which includes NPSP. The names describe different levels of Salesforce's nonprofit offering, so confirm the product in any licence proposal.
Do we have to migrate from NPSP?
No, Salesforce states that existing NPSP organisations have no requirement to migrate. A business need, such as connecting programme outcomes to fundraising records, provides a stronger reason to move than the product name alone. Organisations should assess the cost, capacity and expected benefits before making a decision.
Can we upgrade NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud?
No in-place upgrade is available for this change. The move usually involves implementing Nonprofit Cloud in a new org and mapping historical gifts, recurring commitments, relationships, and other records to the new data model. The team must also assess integrations, reports, and automation before the new system goes live.
Can new nonprofits still start on NPSP?
Yes, NPSP remains open source and can still be installed. However, since December 2025, new Power of Us applicants have not received a preconfigured NPSP org. Eligible applicants choose between the Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise Edition and Sales and Service Enterprise Edition licence bundles, according to Salesforce's current guidance.
Is Nonprofit Cloud more expensive than NPSP?
It often has higher direct licensing costs because Nonprofit Cloud is licensed as a product, while NPSP is free to install on eligible Salesforce licences. However, the full comparison depends on donated licences, additional products, implementation work, and ongoing support. Obtain a current quote and compare three-year costs before deciding.
