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Nonprofit Cloud Field Notes: Grantmaking

Updated: 5 days ago

Next up in our mini-series into Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is Grantmaking.


Do you do some form of grantmaking?


Do you also have a heavily configured Salesforce org (cough, cough… customized) with NPSP and Outbound Funds? This article is for you.


We’re not just walking through features. We’ll dig into how to actually use them: structuring application workflows, knowing when native tools make sense, and understanding the tradeoffs we’ve seen between older solutions like Outbound Funds and Grants Management vs. the new Nonprofit Cloud Grantmaking.


We’ll break down the essentials: what it is, why it matters for funders, and how to start designing it for your organization’s grantmaking process.



OVERVIEW


For context, Salesforce’s previously recommended nonprofit solutions were two managed packages:

  • NPSP (Nonprofit Success Pack) for general nonprofit use

  • Outbound Funds for grantmaking


Both still work but are no longer the current or recommended solutions for nonprofits and grantmaking organizations. So, what is? Nonprofit Cloud & Grantmaking


Nonprofit Cloud is the new recommended Salesforce solution for nonprofits. And Grantmaking for grantmaking.


Both are fully native solutions so there’s no need to install a package like you do with NPSP or Outbound Funds. However Grantmaking is separate and does need to be enabled by Salesforce as there are additional licensing fees.


Look, for many people, there’s no rush to migrate and start using Nonprofit Cloud. You can stay perfectly happy in NPSP for now. But if you’re new to Salesforce or looking to transform your operations, this might be worth your attention.


If this is you, we recommend playing around in a trial org (link here!) and reading below to see what the transformation could look like.



ODNOS POV


The new native Grantmaking in Nonprofit Cloud is much more robust than previous solutions, but it’s not free.


If you’re running a large, complex program with high application volume and detailed review workflows, the value is there.


If you’re not? The cost might not be worth it.



If you’re weighing your options, here’s a few things to consider:

  • Avoid jumping straight into native Grantmaking if you don’t need it yet. You don’t want to overspend on functionality you’ll never fully use.

  • Think carefully before installing Outbound Funds into your new Nonprofit Cloud instance. Mixing the old data model with the new can cause technical debt you’ll regret later.

  • Consider just using a single custom object to manage grants for now. The key: build just enough to meet your needs today. Understand the native grantmaking data model and don’t overbuild. When you’re ready to start using the Grantmaking functionality, you’ll be set up to switch it on without a messy rebuild.

  • If your application process is straightforward, you could stand up a simple applicant portal. Just keep in mind the costs for build, maintenance, and licensing. For shorter-term needs, tools like Jotform or Google Forms (with Salesforce integrations) might be more efficient. The tradeoff is balancing cost and upkeep against functionality.


Key Areas of Change


  1. Individual Application

    1. Replaces the old Funding Request from Outbound Funds and acts as the hub of the application lifecycle.

    2. It’s tied to a Funding Opportunity, supports multiple reviews with a single decision, and lets you track participants, assign specific sections to different grantee team members, and define who's responsible for what, all in one place.

  2. Budgeting

    1. Budgets now include categories, periods, and allocations, and you can track planned vs. actuals. It’s flexible, structured, and makes budget tracking feel less painful.

    2. Even better? You can share predefined budget templates with applicants, so they report their budget details using the same categories and allocation structure your team expects. No more chasing down mismatched line items or trying to translate their spreadsheet into your system.

  3. Funding Awards

    1. If the application is the hub of intake, the Funding Award is the hub of fulfillment. Awards connect to:

      1. Programs

      2. Budgets

      3. Amendments & Disbursements

      4. Award Requirements

      5. Outcome Management (Impact!)



Grantmaking Experience Cloud Template & Form Framework


We couldn’t ‘review’ Grantmaking and not give a quick perspective on the Grantseeker Experience Cloud Template and the Form Framework.


The template itself is pretty basic. It’s mostly native object pages, but the form framework components were not quite as revolutionary as we’d hoped.


We were excited to see if the Form Framework (backend + front end components) would make it easier for an organization’s admin to create and manage different application sections. On paper, it’s easy: a native, admin-friendly way to avoid complexity and tech debt.


And in theory, it works. You can build bite-sized sections of an application, like organization overview, financials, demographic information, etc. You’re essentially just adding different screen flows (you can also use Omnichannel) and connecting them via a handful of backend objects.


Where it gets tricky? The native site components in Experience Cloud aren’t plug-and-play. Getting them to run smoothly takes time and troubleshooting.


Bottom line: It’s promising, but not plug-and-play. Despite being native, you’ll still need to invest effort in structure and configuration to make it work.


Data Model Comparison


As you can see from this comparison between the new Grantmaking data model and the Outbound Funds / Grants Management data model, the new model is significantly more robust.


Grantmaking Object / Function

 Grants Management / Outbound Funds Object or Function

Application Decision: Tracks a final decision for the Application (Approved, Declined, etc.)


Application Review: A review against an individual application

Review: A Review tracks a reviewer's status and feedback about a Funding Request.

Budget: Estimate of future revenue / expenses during a specified time period.

Budget: A Budget is the amount of funds you plan to award for a particular objective during a specific time frame.

Budget Allocation: Shows where resources in a budget are being applied.

Budget Allocation: A Budget Allocation represents funds earmarked for award or that were awarded from the parent Budget.

Budget Category: Represents the purpose of the budget line item.


Budget Period: Defines a distinct time interval in which the estimate applies.


Budget Participant: Represents information about a user or group of participants who have access to a budget.


Budget Category Value: Captures budget values for category and time period.


Funding Award: Award given to an individual / organization to facilitate a goal related to the funder’s mission.


Funding Award Amendment: Modification to the scope or finances of a previously approved award.


Funding Award Participant: Represents information about a user or group of participants who have access to a funding award.


Funding Award Requirement: Deliverable or milestone for a funding award or disbursement.

Requirement: Requirements are deliverables or milestones that are needed for the Funding Request to either be approved or closed.

Funding Disbursement: Payment that has been made or scheduled to be made to a funding recipient.

Disbursement: Disbursements are payments, or outgoing funds, that have been made or scheduled to be made to the funding recipient.

Funding Opportunity: Pool of money available for distribution for a specific purpose.

Funding Program: A Funding Program represents a thematic or strategic program that an organization is championing and providing funding for. A parent and numerous children Funding Programs can exist in a hierarchy.

Funding Opportunity Participant: Represents information about a user or group of participants who have access to a funding opportunity.


Individual Application: Application submitted by an individual or organization.

Funding Request: A Funding Request is an application for funding. This typically represents applications created and submitted for funding consideration by outside organizations or individuals, but can also be used for internal funding requests. A Funding Request can be linked to an Account, Contact, or User as the applicant.

Individual Application Participant: Represents information about a user or group of participants who have access to a individual application.

Funding Request Role: The Funding Request Role tracks Contacts related to a Funding Request. This allows you to add multiple Contacts to a single Funding Request.

Individual Application Task: Task related to an Individual Application.


Individual Application Task Participant: Represents information about a user or group of participants who have read or write access to an individual application task.


Preliminary Application: Saved applications and pre-screening forms.


Application Timeline: Represents the milestone dates in the application process.


Application Stage Definition: Stage of an application.



GAU Expenditure: The GAU Expenditure object connects the Disbursement object to the General Accounting Unit object to show which General Accounting Unit the funds should be disbursed from.


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