Microsoft Fundraising & Salesforce NPSP – Key Highlights
- Core issue: Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement is being retired.
- Alternative: Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and the Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP).
- Migration scope: Donor, donation, campaign, reporting and historical data.
- Project focus: Assessment, data mapping, configuration, training, validation and transition.
Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement is being retired. See why Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and NPSP are a leading alternative for nonprofit fundraising software and what a migration actually involves.
Microsoft has announced the retirement of Fundraising and Engagement, its nonprofit-specific application built on Dynamics 365, pushing nonprofits to find a replacement before support ends. Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, built around the Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), has emerged as a leading alternative because it's purpose-built for donor management, volunteer coordination, and grant reporting, with a large ecosystem of nonprofit-specific add-ons behind it.
The sections below cover what's changing, how the two platforms compare, and what a migration actually involves.
If your organization currently runs on Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement, the retirement announcement means migration planning needs to start now rather than after support ends. Our Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud implementation service is built specifically around this kind of transition, including data migration from Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement and other legacy systems.
What's Happening with Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement
Fundraising and Engagement was Microsoft's nonprofit-focused application layered on top of Dynamics 365, covering donor management and campaign tracking for charities already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.
With that product being retired, nonprofits using it are left choosing between migrating to a different Dynamics-based setup or moving to a different CRM platform entirely, and many are choosing the latter.
Why Salesforce NPSP Is the Leading Alternative
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, built around the free Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), is purpose-built for nonprofit operations rather than adapted from a general-purpose sales CRM.
NPSP covers donation tracking, volunteer management, program and case management, and reporting designed around how nonprofits actually operate, not how a sales team operates.
For a full breakdown of what NPSP includes, our Nonprofit Cloud services page covers the platform in more depth.
Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement vs Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud
| Factor | Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement | Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud (NPSP) |
|---|---|---|
| Product status | Being retired | Actively developed and supported |
| Built for | Dynamics 365 users needing nonprofit features | Nonprofits specifically, from the ground up |
| Licensing | Standard Dynamics 365 licensing | First 10 users free under Salesforce's nonprofit program |
| App ecosystem | Limited to Microsoft/Dynamics add-ons | Large AppExchange ecosystem of nonprofit-specific tools |
| Community portals | Limited | Built-in community portal options |
| Mobile access | Available | Available, with strong mobile accessibility |
| Migration support needed | N/A (source system) | Data migration, training, and configuration required |
Other Fundraising Software Nonprofits Consider
Salesforce NPSP isn't the only option nonprofits evaluate when replacing a retiring CRM. Platforms like Bloomerang, Neon CRM, and Blackbaud are common alternatives, particularly for smaller organizations with simpler donor management needs.
The tradeoff is usually depth and scalability: these platforms can be quicker to set up, but Salesforce's ecosystem and customization options tend to serve organizations better as they grow, add programs, or need deeper reporting and integrations.
What a Migration Actually Involves
Moving off Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement isn't just a data export and import. A realistic migration includes:
- Mapping existing donor, donation, and campaign data to NPSP's data model.
- Deciding on an implementation tier, from a standard out-of-the-box setup to a fully customized build with workflow automation.
- Staff training so fundraising and program teams can actually use the new system from day one.
- A transition period where historical reporting and donor history need to carry over accurately.
Because timelines matter here, starting with a structured assessment rather than jumping straight into a full build is usually the safer path. Our Salesforce Quick Start service is designed for organizations that need to move quickly without skipping the planning step.
Microsoft to Salesforce NPSP Migration in Practice
A successful transition starts with understanding the existing Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement environment before any data is moved. Donor records, donations, campaigns, relationships, reporting requirements and existing business processes all need to be reviewed before the Salesforce environment is configured.
The migration can then move through data mapping, configuration, validation, staff training and a controlled transition period. This approach helps preserve important donor history while giving fundraising and program teams a clear path into their new Salesforce environment.
Planning the Transition Before Support Ends
For organizations affected by the Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement retirement, migration planning should begin with an assessment of the current environment. This means identifying the records, workflows, integrations and reports that the organization depends on today.
The goal is not simply to recreate the old system inside Salesforce. A migration provides an opportunity to review which processes need to be retained, which can be simplified, and which should be replaced with Salesforce automation or nonprofit-specific functionality.
Common Migration Challenges
- Incomplete data mapping. Donor, donation and campaign fields need to be mapped carefully into the Salesforce data model before migration begins.
- Historical reporting requirements. Previous donor and fundraising history may need to remain available for reporting and operational use after the migration.
- Recreating every legacy process. Not every workflow from the Microsoft environment needs to be copied exactly into Salesforce.
- User adoption. Fundraising, finance and program teams need appropriate training before the new system becomes the primary working environment.
- Testing too late. Migration validation should happen before go-live so data and reporting issues can be identified while changes are still manageable.
How to Approach a Microsoft to Salesforce Migration
- Start with a structured assessment of the existing Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement environment.
- Document donor, donation, campaign, program and reporting data that needs to move.
- Define the Salesforce data model and identify any required configuration or customisation.
- Test migrated records and historical reporting before the final transition.
- Train fundraising and program teams so users understand the new workflows before go-live.
Ready to Plan Your Microsoft Fundraising Migration?
If your organization is affected by the Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement retirement, the sooner migration planning starts, the smoother the transition. Book a free consultation to get a clear migration plan before support ends.