Empowering Volunteers, Strengthening Missions: What’s New in Salesforce Summer '25 for Nonprofits
Volunteers are often the backbone of nonprofit work, showing up with time, skills, and heart. Yet too often, the systems to manage and support them haven’t kept pace. Staff are left juggling spreadsheets or disconnected tools, making it harder to track contributions or sustain engagement over time.
The Summer ’25 Salesforce release changes that. With the launch of the new Volunteer Management Data Model in Nonprofit Cloud, organizations now have a purpose-built foundation for managing volunteers - one that lives alongside their fundraising, program, and grantmaking data.
This isn’t just a technical upgrade. It’s a shift toward smarter, more connected relationship-building, helping nonprofits spend less time managing systems and more time advancing their mission.
Let’s explore what’s new and why it matters.
Volunteer Management Just Got a Big Upgrade
The Summer '25 release marks a major milestone with the introduction of the Volunteer Management Data Model - the foundation for a smarter, more human-centered way to engage volunteers.
Whether you’re organizing a one-day cleanup or a year-round mentorship program, the new data model empowers your team to:
- Track volunteer hours, roles, and skills with precision and clarity
- Match the right people to the right opportunities, based on availability, location, and qualifications
- Report on impact with ease, so you can show funders, board members, and your community the value of volunteer contributions
And perhaps most exciting: the Volunteer Management Data Model is designed to scale - and it's included in Nonprofit Cloud at no additional cost, which is a big win, especially for budget-conscious teams. While this Summer '25 release lays the foundation, critical capabilities like automations and recurrence scheduling - essential for fully managing volunteer shifts and workflows - are coming in Winter '26 (October). For that reason, we recommend planning for a winter implementation as the earliest option that will make sense for most organizations.
Why This Matters
In a time when nonprofits face growing needs and leaner resources, this update is about more than just technology - it’s about restoring capacity and connection.
By simplifying how we manage volunteer programs, Salesforce is helping us meet some of the sector’s biggest challenges:
- Recruitment and retention become more manageable when we can match people with roles that fit their skills and schedules.
- Staff burnout decreases when administrative tasks are streamlined.
- Volunteer experiences improve, leading to deeper engagement and longer-term involvement.
This is the kind of shift we love to see: from feeling overextended to feeling equipped and empowered.
Moreover, integrating volunteer management into the same system used for donor engagement is a strategic advantage. Recent data indicates that 79% of people who volunteer with a nonprofit also contribute financially to the organization. By consolidating volunteer and donor data, nonprofits can gain a holistic view of supporter engagement, enabling more personalized and effective outreach.
Instead of juggling multiple platforms, your team can manage both volunteer and donor relationships within a unified system, enhancing efficiency and fostering deeper connections.
What Else Is New in Summer '25?
While Volunteer Management is the star of the show, the release also includes powerful upgrades across fundraising, program delivery, and grantmaking - all designed to help your organization move from reactive to strategic.
Fundraising
- A faster, cleaner Gift Entry Grid for batch processing, with more improvements coming in Winter ‘26
- New Gift Planning objects to better manage complex donor intentions
- Philanthropic research tools to keep major giving efforts grounded in insight, not guesswork
Program & Case Management
- Log benefit disbursements right from the participant record
- Track internal referrals between programs to improve coordination
- Distribute services more easily with bulk ad hoc disbursements
Grantmaking
- Automate recurring funding disbursements and award requirements (critical for alignment with those migrating from foundationConnect)
- Save time with Progress Report Templates that keep grantees focused and aligned
Where to Start
If you're already using Nonprofit Cloud, the Summer '25 release offers real momentum, especially for teams ready to modernize and streamline how they engage volunteers. The new Volunteer Management Data Model is built to grow with your organization, helping you shift from manual tracking to intentional, scalable engagement.
If you’re not yet on Nonprofit Cloud, now may be the right time to explore what’s possible. Our team of Nonprofit Cloud experts is here to help you assess your current setup, understand the potential fit, and move quickly if it’s the right next step. Through our Nonprofit Cloud Quickstart, we can help you get up and running with the new features, without overwhelming your team or disrupting your mission.
Click the button below to connect with us. We’ll start with where you are, and help you map out where technology can take you next.
