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Whether you’re thinking about how to better engage with your constituents, improving your case management process, or just looking to upgrade your system after bouncing back from the pandemic, moving your donor database from Raiser’s Edge to Salesforce might be the move for you. Maybe you want to help your organization grow by improving your staff retention, developing your team’s skills by introducing them to a platform that allows for hybrid work, and fostering better relationships with management. We could go on and on about why Salesforce is a solution that can fit any of your needs but we’ll just keep it short and sweet.
Here are five reasons why Salesforce is our Donor CRM of choice and why we believe it is the best fit nonprofit organizations big or small.
- Partner with the global leader in nonprofit technology
With over 50,000 nonprofit clients, Salesforce has a proven track record as the leader in nonprofit technology. In fact, Salesforce has been a SaaS provider from the start whereas Blackbaud, founded in 1981 is a traditional software companies that has had to work hard to even attempt to adapt to this reality. Partner with a provider that has extensive experience in cloud solutions. Why go with someone who’s late to the party? - Stay on top of innovative trends and technologySalesforce’s robust product roadmap means that with every release, they are delivering more innovation into your hands at an accelerated rate. With a release every winter, spring, and summer, you will always have new features to improve your organization. In addition to seasonal releases, NPSP (Nonprofit Success Pack) is dedicated to releasing updates every two weeks. Since Salesforce operates by integrating best in class ideas from all verticals and use-cases across the vast sectors that it serves, everybody that uses the platform benefits from the updates.
- Integrate scalable solutions across different departments flawlessly
Integrated scalable solutions across the different departments of your organization means that Salesforce can scale with your growth and success. Salesforce can manage business operations across your entire organization – including but not limited to grants, program management, and case management. These solutions include apps, partners, and reports – all for desktop and mobile. Joining the ecosystem ensures true cohesion between your CRM and organization-wide data capture points. What we’ve seen from clients who have used point solutions, like Blackbaud, is that true integration across solutions is impossible, or in the best case, very clunky. - View your donors’ engagement across your entire organization
The ability to see your donors’ engagement should never be understated. With Salesforce, see what programs they are in, who they are connected to in other departments, and gain insight into your constituent base. With a stronger constituent life cycle, you’re able to build better relationships over a long time and adjust your approach as it fits. - Stay safe and protected against cyberattacks
Your SaaS solution needs to provide you and your constituents with the bare minimum: privacy, security, and trust. As cyberattacks grow more common, passwords are no longer able to provide the safeguard that it used to. Sensitive donor and constituents’ information leaking, like it has with other services, can be a disaster. That’s why multi-factor authentication (MFA) is so important. To prevent and mitigate against data breaches, as of February 1, 2022, Salesforce now requires all clients to use MFA when accessing Salesforce products.
Still unsure if switching from Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge to Salesforce is the right move for you? Reach out to us here at Belmar and we’ll answer any questions that you might have. For further reading and information, check out our webinar and key takeaways from our conversation with two organizations that have made the move over to Salesforce.
FAQ
Why should nonprofits consider moving from Raiser’s Edge to Salesforce?
Many nonprofits switch from Raiser’s Edge to Salesforce because Salesforce offers greater scalability, automation, and transparency across fundraising, programs, case management, and communications. With continuous releases, NPSP updates every two weeks, and thousands of nonprofit-ready apps, Salesforce allows organizations to innovate faster while reducing reliance on legacy tools.
Is Salesforce more secure than Raiser’s Edge for donor data?
Salesforce provides enterprise-grade security and requires multi-factor authentication (MFA) which adds an additional layer of protection for donor records, payment data, and personal information. Combined with governance tools, audit trails, and secure data hosting, nonprofits can strengthen cybersecurity and reduce the risks associated with outdated or on-premise systems.
How does Salesforce improve donor engagement compared to Raiser’s Edge?
Salesforce unifies donor, volunteer, and program activity into one CRM. This gives nonprofits a 360-degree view of each supporter — showing which campaigns they respond to, which programs they join, and how they engage across the entire organization. The result: more personalized communications, higher retention, and smarter stewardship strategies.
Will Salesforce integrate with our existing nonprofit systems and workflows?
Yes. Salesforce is built for scalability and flexibility, with integrations for finance, marketing, grants, case management, and payment processing. Nonprofits can replace disconnected point solutions with a centralized ecosystem that automates data flow — eliminating manual entry, duplicate records, and inconsistent reporting.
How long does it take to migrate donor data from Raiser’s Edge to Salesforce?
Timelines vary based on data volume, data quality, and custom reporting needs. With an experienced Salesforce nonprofit consultant, migrations typically include data preparation, cleansing, mapping, test runs, and validation to ensure nothing is lost. Many organizations complete migrations in phases to reduce downtime and improve user adoption.