The Nonprofit Flow Governance Checklist
Sticky notes is typically how my checklists are first created.
Flows can save your nonprofit hours or break everything in one click.
If you’ve ever seen a donor acknowledgment email send twice (or not at all), you already know how fragile automation can be.
This checklist walks you through what reliable flow governance looks like so you can keep Salesforce automations stable, auditable, and friendly to whoever inherits them next.
Why Flow Governance Matters
Nonprofits run lean. Admins wear multiple hats, and turnover is common.
That means your automations must survive changing hands and busy seasons.
According to Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud Implementation Best Practices module, governance ensures innovation without chaos.
Put simply: if your flows aren’t documented or tested, you’re one sandbox update away from a long weekend.
The 12-Point Nonprofit Flow Governance Checklist
| # | Item | Why It Matters | Quick Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flow diagram or documentation | Future admins need context to troubleshoot. | Capture the purpose, trigger, key decision paths, and related objects. |
| 2 | Sandbox testing first | Production fixes get messy. | Always build and test in a sandbox. Salesforce Help stresses it. |
| 3 | No hard-coded IDs | IDs differ across environments. | Store values in Custom Metadata Types instead. |
| 4 | Use subflows | One giant flow breaks easily. | Split logic into smaller subflows (updates, emails, etc.). |
| 5 | No DML in loops | Governor limits exist for a reason. | Collect records, then update once outside the loop. |
| 6 | Null checks first | Prevents unexpected failures. | Add decision elements to test inputs. |
| 7 | Clean up old versions | Too many versions confuse teams. | Keep five active versions or fewer. |
| 8 | Regression testing | Protects existing automations. | Run test data through every new flow. |
| 9 | Error handling | Avoids “something went wrong” panic. | Add fault paths with clear user messages. |
| 10 | Governor limit awareness | Flows share limits with Apex. | Keep an eye on debug logs during tests. |
| 11 | Naming conventions | Consistency saves time. | Use a prefix like NPF_Object_Action_Type. |
| 12 | Deployment plan | Surprises belong in fundraising, not production. | Include release notes and rollback steps. |
A Quick Case Study
One mid-sized nonprofit came to me after Giving Tuesday chaos.
Two flows triggered the same donor thank-you email.
We mapped every automation, consolidated logic, and applied checklist items 1-7.
Result: zero duplicate automations and faster troubleshooting the next quarter.
According to Admin Salesforce.com’s Flow Best Practices Guide, naming, documentation, and error handling reduce flow-related support tickets by over 30 percent.
Pro Tips for Small Teams
Start with one or two critical flows before auditing everything.
Schedule quarterly “Flow Review Fridays.”
Use Trailhead’s Build Flows with Flow Builder to train new admins.
Keep a shared folder or Confluence page with diagrams and owner notes.
Quick Self-Audit
Ask yourself:
Can you list every active flow and what triggers it?
Do 90 percent of them follow your naming standard?
Does each critical flow have an error path and an owner?
When was the last time you tested in a sandbox?
If any answer feels fuzzy, start your governance cleanup this week.
Download the Template
Grab the Salesforce Flow Governance Checklist for Nonprofits to standardize documentation, audits, and release processes for your team.
By Jeremy Carmona, Salesforce Consultant (13x Certified) & Nonprofit CRM Specialist
Jeremy Carmona is the founder of Clear Concise Consulting, helping nonprofits streamline Salesforce and build sustainable data governance systems.