Soapbox Engage Blog

Happy Monday, PUB Crawlers!

Last Thursday, I had a delightful time facilitating NPSP Day in Washington DC! We had 30 folks join us from the DMV and beyond for a full day of NPSP learning and strategizing. I’m feeling even deeper gratitude for this community after such a generous and productive day. Be on the lookout for a recap from the event! In the meantime, be sure to read our recap from NPSP Day New York if you haven’t already! And there’s still time to join us in Philly next week!

Scroll on down for the latest solutions, ideas, and questions from the Salesforce Trailblazer community.

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Great Posts from the Salesforce Power of Us Hub

1. Wrapping Up the Commons Community Sprint in Chicago!
   Cori O'Brien (Salesforce)

   Last week, the Chicago Community Sprint connected folks in-person for two days of brainstorming and creating impactful solutions around Nonprofit and Education community use of Salesforce. 24 different states (!) and 5 Canadian provinces. 60 folks joined from 24 different states and 5 Canadian provinces! Head to this post to read the full recap and summary of the six community-led projects.

2. Articles to Improve Your Salesforce Knowledge
   Rakesh Gupta (Salesforce MVP)

   Rakesh Gupta is back this week with more great articles to level up on your Salesforce skills! Check them out:

   • A Step-by-Step Guide to Merging and Displaying PDFs in Salesforce
   • A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating and Downloading Multiple Files as a Zip Folder
   • Sending an Outbound Message from a Flow in Salesforce
   • When to Use Before-Save vs After-Save Record-Triggered Flows

3. Be More Solution Architect with Gordon Lee
   Tom Bassett (Vera Solutions)

   In the latest episode of the Be More Podcast, Tom Bassett and Gordon Lee discuss the role of a Solutions Architect in the Salesforce nonprofit sector, emphasizing the importance of trust, collaboration, and soft skills. Tune in!

4. Best Practices for Tracking Multi-Year Gifts
   Rachel Park Brayboy (Arkus, Inc.)

   What are some best practice recommendations for tracking major multi-year gifts? This Trailblazer is wondering if Recurring Donations in NPSP can be used in these cases. There are already some great ideas being shared in the comments of this post. Feel free to add yours to the mix! #Nonprofit Success Pack #NPSP

5. Data Cloud Sandboxes Now Require a License
   Daniela Galmes (Salesforce)

   This announcement about Data Cloud has been updated as of November 22, 2024. In order to use Data Cloud in Sandboxes you must purchase a Data Cloud Sandbox License. If you were previously opted into the Beta program, you must purchase a license if you plan to create a new Data Cloud Sandbox or refresh an existing Data Cloud Sandbox. More details at this post.

6. Personalized Guidance & Interactive Learning with Salesforce Experts
   Daniela Galmes (Salesforce)

   The Customer Success team has shared some new enhancements to Expert Coaching for Premier and Signature Success Plan customers. Head to this post to learn about the newly offered Virtual Interactive Workshops and Enhanced Individual Sessions.

7. Blog: Evolving Your Salesforce Security Model
   Ian Gotts (Elements.cloud)

   Whether it is Agentforce, Data Cloud, or core Platform, digital security has never been more important. The recent changes to Profiles, Permission Sets, and Permission Set Groups enable you to architect a more secure, more easily managed, and more streamlined security model. Read these blog posts to learn more!

Great Events

1. NPSP Day Philadelphia - December 5
   Katie Ciszek (Soapbox Engage)

   The final stop on the NPSP Day 2024 tour will be Philly! NEXT THURSDAY— don't miss this unique opportunity to get hands-on training with the Nonprofit Success Pack, connect with fellow nonprofit professionals, and exchange insights to elevate your use of Salesforce. See you there!

Great Ideas for Nonprofits Using Salesforce

1. Add Affiliations Object to Grantmaking
   Kelly Clardy (Maddie's Fund)

   Grantmaking doesn't support the Affiliations object. But this Trailblazer's organization relies on Affiliation records to see: 1) which contacts have worked at which organizations in the past, and 2) contacts that may be affiliated with more than one organization at the same time (e.g. an employee at one and a board member of another). Making Affiliations native to Grantmaking would save a lot of time spent creating workarounds.