Always Go Up: Upgrade Month

When hiking the myriad trails around Bellingham every weekend, I have a wanderer’s mentality. I often don’t plan a specific route beyond basic safety, but follow the path that seems most interesting when it appears. Thank heavens for GPS!

I do have one rule though: When given the option, always go up. That way, you find fewer people, new plants and waterfalls, snow for trail-side sculpture (snowbats!), and the best views for miles.

It’s a rule that has rarely served me wrong on the trail, and it seems apropos during NPSP Upgrade Month, when upgrading is getting a boost from the NPSP community.

By bringing your team up that technical hill to the latest version of the Nonprofit Starter Pack, you have a lot to gain:

• Streamlined Household Accounts. No longer are family members connected via the custom (and fiddly) Household record. Reporting on and “rolling up” shared information, like donation stats, is much easier in NPSP 3. (Though take note, you can upgrade without switching to Household accounts and still get great rewards.)
• Powerful address management. NPSP 3 tracks changes, work and vacation addresses, and even syncs with address verification services.
• Push upgrades. NPSP 3 is upgraded bi-weekly with new features and fixes, no admin action required.
• Fabulous new features. NPSP 3 is constantly evolving and improving. In just the last year, there have been updates that help development teams and administrators be more effective.

To make upgrading your organization a walk in the woods, there are lots of resources available this month. Visit the Upgrading group on the Hub to ask your thorniest questions of community experts. Join a Salesforce.org online seminar on how/why/when to upgrade on Thursday January 21st. Or come ask me your questions during one of two Upgrading Office Hours (I’ll be there Tuesday, January 26th at noon PST).

With just a bit more planning than I use on my weekend walks, an upgrade doesn’t have to be a slog. Percolator has already upgraded many of our clients to NPSP v3 in the last year, so we’re happy to guide your project down the right path. Happy upgrading!