I wanted to share some highlights from the latest Salesforce and Ascend updates that I think nonprofit fundraising teams will really appreciate. Whether you’re deep in gift processing or just trying to make your dashboards behave, there’s a lot to like in the Spring and Summer ’25 releases.

Salesforce core updates: cleaner, faster, smarter

Let’s start with Salesforce. Some of the changes in Salesforce’s summer 2025 release are small but mighty:

• Dashboard refresh: You can now refresh individual dashboard components without reloading the whole thing. Super handy when you’re tracking campaign performance in real time.
• Permission set upgrades: The new UI makes it easier to manage access without relying on profiles. You can now filter, sort, and edit permissions directly from summaries. I’ve already used this and it’s a game-changer.
• Flow enhancements: You can now build flows with progress bars, real-time validation, and even compose emails right in the flow. Plus, you can view different versions of a flow without leaving the builder. That’s a big win for anyone who’s ever had to dig through old versions.

Kindsight ascend: Big wins in gift processing

Now let’s talk Ascend. These updates are especially exciting for teams handling large gift volumes:

• Bulk gift processing: The engine now handles over 1,000 related records in a single batch—no more timeouts. That’s huge for orgs importing data from platforms like GiveCampus or those running big campaigns.
• Real-time warnings: New alerts help prevent accidental deletions during corrections or adjustments.
• Unified Business Engine (UBE): This backend upgrade clones records before applying corrections, which keeps your audit trail clean. A large health nonprofit is already exploring this to stabilize recurring gift adjustments. Just note—it requires manual setup and once it’s on, it’s on.

P.S. Kindsight acquired alumni fundraising product Affinaquest this month, and are working on a toolkit for nonprofit fundraising. We are watching with interest for new capabilities for our clients.

Prospect management & asset tracking

• Editable price fields: Fundraisers can now update asset values (like naming opportunities) directly. No more locked formula fields. Just remember to manually update your page layouts to use the new field.

Nonprofit Cloud: More automation, less manual work

Salesforce is also making strides in Nonprofit Cloud:

• Grant disbursement scheduler: Automates funding disbursements using flow templates. Less manual work, fewer errors.
• Requirements wizard: Helps set up recurring grant requirements with just a couple of flows.
• Gift entry grid: This new grid UI lets you enter up to 100 gifts at once and supports CSV imports. If Salesforce nailed this, it could rival Raiser’s Edge for batch entry. Fingers crossed.
• AI-powered prospect research: There’s a new assistant that summarizes donor insights right from the record. Could save a lot of back-and-forth between fundraisers and researchers.
• Volunteer management overhaul: A new data model supports roles, onboarding plans, and integrates with Experience Cloud. Great for scaling volunteer programs.

That’s the scoop! If you’re working with high-volume gifts, managing grants, or just trying to make your team’s life easier, these updates are worth a look. And if you’re thinking about turning on UBE—just be sure you’re ready to commit.

Let us know if you want help figuring out what these changes mean for your org. We are always happy to dig in.