Dreamforce 2025: Agents, Impact, and the Power of Connection
Every year, Dreamforce brings together the innovators, change-makers, and community builders shaping what’s next in the Salesforce Ecosystem — and this year was no exception. For the Idealist Consulting team, Dreamforce 2025 wasn’t just about new technology (though there was plenty of that); it was about the people, the conversations, and the renewed sense of possibility that comes from seeing our clients and partners face-to-face.
And, of course, it was about celebrating that community in true Idealist fashion at The Engagement Party — but more on that later.
The Year of the Agent
If there was one word that defined Dreamforce 2025, it was Agentforce. Salesforce’s agentic AI platform took center stage, and it was clear the company is going all-in on making AI not just accessible, but actionable.
As Idealist Consulting Client Success Manager, Sara Leary put it, “It’s all about Agentforce.” And she’s right — from the main keynote to every corner of the Campground, the message was consistent: the future of Salesforce is powered by intelligent agents.
But our team noticed something deeper beneath the hype: a clear shift toward enablement. Lead Project Management Specialist Saul Belisle observed, “This year felt different — there was a strong focus on getting your systems and data clean and organized before adding agents.”
Last year, Agentforce was the headline — Salesforce’s bold entry into the AI Agent space. This year, that vision matured. The messaging centered less on futuristic potential and more on practical readiness, with tangible customer stories and nonprofit examples showing how organizations are beginning to apply AI in mission-driven ways.
In essence, Salesforce is leaning into enablement alongside excitement — helping organizations build the foundations of clear processes, structured data, and strong governance that make AI adoption both possible and powerful.
What It Means for Nonprofits
For nonprofits, Dreamforce 2025 offered both reassurance and excitement. On the reassurance side, Salesforce reaffirmed its commitment to the sector while introducing a major shift in direction — rebranding Nonprofit Cloud as Agentforce Nonprofit and extending the Agentforce naming and AI-first framework across all industries. The change reflects a unified company vision, with upcoming features for Volunteer Management, Grantmaking, Program Management, and Fundraising highlighting continued investment in the nonprofit space.
What stood out this year was how much Agentforce Nonprofit has matured. Nearly three years into its evolution, it’s no longer the “new” product on the block — it’s becoming the core of Salesforce’s nonprofit offering. The platform now feels ready for organizations to adopt at scale, with features and functionality that go beyond what the legacy Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) could deliver.
And the innovation isn’t slowing down. Salesforce is introducing default agents designed for nonprofit-specific use cases, giving organizations powerful AI capabilities right out of the box. These tools promise to help nonprofits spend less time digging through data and more time deepening relationships and delivering impact.
Still, Idealist Solution Engineer Nate Rusch reminded us that this evolution will take time. “Salesforce is all-in on AI,” he noted, “but many customers are only using it in very limited scenarios.”
With the release of Agentforce Builder, admins will soon have more control — creating more deterministic agents that operate with structured, predictable logic. But the learning curve is real, and success will depend on planning, training, and change management.
Spotlight: World Food Program USA’s AI Journey
One of the most inspiring nonprofit sessions we attended came from World Food Program USA (WFP USA). Speakers Claudio and Alfred, joined by Alex Parker from Salesforce, walked the audience through WFP USA’s evolving AI journey — from developing a vision and building the case for AI, to resourcing, aligning stakeholders, and driving adoption across the organization.
Their session focused on three core objectives:
- Building a business-ready AI vision that drives both impact and efficiency.
- Improving data quality and unifying siloed information to create a trusted foundation.
- Balancing resources and adoption to make AI sustainable in the long term.
While the content was geared toward beginners, WFP USA stood out as a true trailblazer — one of the early adopters of Agentforce in the nonprofit space. When they began, there were no defined user stories or established blueprints. Today, they’re running proof-of-concept agents as they prepare to transition fully to Agentforce Nonprofit, demonstrating what’s possible when vision meets persistence.
Building Readiness, Not Just Excitement
There was no shortage of buzz at Dreamforce, but the recurring message — echoed in sessions and conversations — was clear: AI readiness is everything.
As Saul put it, “Agents are everywhere… but they only work if your data and permissions are in order.” From our perspective, that means the best next step for many nonprofits isn’t building an agent right away, it’s getting the basics right. Reviewing data quality, cleaning up duplicate records, aligning processes between teams, and ensuring governance around who can see and do what.
And, on a lighter note, Saul was thrilled to see that Dark Mode will be coming out soon! It might not change functionality, but it’s a welcome quality-of-life improvement for anyone who lives in dashboards all day.
Because in this new agentic era, your data isn’t just powering reports — it’s driving the actions and decisions your agents will take on your behalf. The quality, structure, and accessibility of that data determine how confidently those agents can act for your mission.
A Night to Remember: The Engagement Party
After a packed week of keynotes, demos, and deep dives, the Idealist Consulting team hosted one of our favorite Dreamforce traditions: The Engagement Party.
This year’s theme, “Celebrating Those Who Dare to Care,” captured the spirit of the event perfectly. We kicked off with the Mission Mixer — a pre-party gathering for the nonprofit and higher ed community to connect and swap stories — before opening the doors for a night of music, dancing, and celebration.
The party wasn’t just a good time (though it absolutely was). It was also a fundraiser for NetHope, supporting their vital work bringing technology to nonprofits tackling global crises. Seeing so many of our partners, clients, and friends come together — to laugh, to dance, to make a difference — reminded us why this community matters so much.
Looking Ahead
Dreamforce 2025 made one thing clear: the future of nonprofit technology isn’t just about smarter tools — it’s about more connected ones. AI is transforming how we work, but it will never replace why we work.
And on a lighter note, Saul was thrilled to see that Dark Mode is finally coming to Salesforce — a small but meaningful upgrade for those of us who live in dashboards all day.
This year’s announcements reminded us that technology alone isn’t the story — people are. The relationships we build, the data we steward, and the missions we serve remain at the heart of it all.
Want to keep the inspiration going? Follow Idealist Consulting on LinkedIn for more insights, stories, and updates from our team throughout the year.
