We recently shared a how-to recipe for creating a Next Ask Amount formula field on the Contact record in the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack. Next, we tossed in twelve different versions of that formula to give you options. Now we take this same concept and extend the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack by creating a Next Recurring Ask Amount field to convert one-time donors into sustaining supporters.
For a deeper dive into strategy, Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack tactics, and details on operationalizing your personalized ask using Pardot or the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, watch our recorded webinar, Making the Right Fundraising Ask: When, How and How Much.
Objective
Create a Next Recurring Ask Amount formula field on the Contact record in the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) for use in personalized sustaining donor fundraising appeals
Estimated Time
5 minutes
Requirements
- Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack
- Use of the Donations (aka Opportunities) to track donations
- Rudimentary familiarity with creating custom fields and editing page layouts in Salesforce
Desired Outcomes
- Facilitate the use of a personalized recurring donation ask amount when sending sustaining donor fundraising appeals to a Contact
The End Result
At the conclusion of our process, we'll have one formula field on the Contact object called Next Recurring Ask Amount that divides Total Gifts Last Year by 10 and rounds up to the nearest whole number. Using this value in personalized fundraising appeals, you can encourage donors to become monthly sustaining supporters at a annualized rate that is slightly higher than their total gifts last year. As the source of this idea, we humbly tip our hat to Marina Shuman at the Banfield Foundation where they use this approach in appeals that support their efforts to serve pets and the people who love them by ensuring access to veterinary care
{loadposition blog-ad-general}Step One: Create the Next Recurring Ask Amount formula field Contact object
Just as we did with the Next Ask Amount for one-time donation appeals, we'll create a formula field on the Contact.
To create this field in Salesforce Classic:
- Go to Setup
- In the left column, click Customize
- Click Contacts
- Click Fields
- In the Contact Custom Fields & Relationships section, click New
- For each step in the process, use the values in the Contact Object Custom Field charts below to create the field
To create this field in Salesforce Lightning:
- Go to Setup
- Enter "Object" in the Quick Find box in left column
- Select Object Manager under the Objects and Fields menu
- Scroll down the list and click Contacts
- Click Fields
- In the Contact Custom Fields & Relationships section, click New
- In the Fields & Relationship section, click New
- For each step in the process, use the values in the Contact Object Custom Field charts below to create the field
As the finishing touch for the Contact object, edit your Contact Page Layout to add the Next Recurring Ask Amount field. You may wish to place it under the Next Ask Amount field, if you created it following our how-to recipe. Or, if you followed our tips for extending the Nonprofit Success Pack to convert one-time donors to sustaining supporters donors, you could put it in the Recurring Donation Information section.
Contact Object Custom Fields
| Elements | Field Details |
|---|---|
| Field Label: API Name: Data Type: Formula: |
Next Recurring Ask Amount Next_Recurring_Ask_Amount Formula (Currency) CEILING ( npo02__OppAmountLastYear__c / 10 ) |
Step Two: Celebrate!
You're all done!
Next Steps
Watch our 45-minute recorded webinar for strategies on how to improve your ask, details on extending the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack, and tips on making your personalized ask using Pardot or Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Making the Right Fundraising Ask: When, How and How Much.
Related Resources
- WEBINAR RECORDING: Making the Right Fundraising Ask: When, How, and How Much
- SALESFORCE HOW TO BLOG: Personalize fundraising appeals by creating Next Ask Amount in Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack
- SALESFORCE HOW TO BLOG: 12 Formulas for Calculating Next Ask Amount in the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack
- BLOG: Using Four Pillars for Powerful Fundraising Appeals
- BLOG: Making the Right Fundraising Ask: Smart Strategy for Successful Appeals
- BUYER'S GUIDE: 2017 Marketing Automation Comparison Report, Idealist Consulting
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