Belmar Bytes

In Episode 43 of the Belmar Bytes, Scott and Matt Hui explore the importance of human connection in an increasingly digital and automated world. From handwritten notes and genuine online engagement to creating meaningful customer experiences, they discuss how small, intentional gestures can help businesses stand out, build trust, and strengthen relationships. They also share how technology and automation can create more time for the personal connections that matter most.

Scott and Matt are back with a recap of Dreamforce 2026 in San Francisco, covering what stood out and what it could mean for nonprofit teams.

In this episode:

• Dreamforce highlights: Keynotes from leaders like Jensen Huang, Dario Amodei, and Sam Altman, and live demos of real customers using AI in production.

• Claude Force: Salesforce and Anthropic's new partnership, and why the hosts see it as collaboration rather than competition.

• Data privacy and governance: Why zero data retention and strong safeguards matter when connecting AI to your organization's data.

• Surfaces: How Salesforce data can be reached through Slack and mobile, like a fundraising executive getting a donor briefing before a meeting.

• Doing more with less: Salesforce's new Core, Advanced, and Max bundles and more flexible licensing.

Have questions? Get in touch with us at belmarcloud.com, and we’ll help point you in the right direction.

Nonprofit teams are often asked to do more with limited time, and Salesforce automation can help reduce the administrative burden without sacrificing meaningful donor relationships.

In this episode of Belmar Bites, Scott and Tom Kadota explore how nonprofits can use Salesforce Flow to automate routine tasks, improve donor stewardship, and create more consistent follow-up processes. Through a practical fundraising example, they demonstrate how Salesforce can automatically send gift acknowledgements, update donation records, and assign personal follow-up tasks when a major gift is received.

You’ll also learn how to identify the right balance between automation and human interaction, where automation can support your team’s day-to-day workflows, and how thoughtful processes can help staff spend less time on manual work and more time building stronger donor relationships.

This episode is ideal for nonprofit administrators, fundraisers, and Salesforce users looking for practical ways to improve efficiency, strengthen stewardship, and get more value from their CRM.

Your nonprofit collects valuable data every day, but are you using it to make better decisions? In this episode of Belmar Bytes, Scott and Tom explore how Salesforce reports and dashboards help nonprofit leaders transform raw data into meaningful insights. Learn how to build executive dashboards, customize reports with dynamic filters, track fundraising performance, and monitor key metrics in real time. Whether you're preparing for Giving Tuesday or simply looking to get more value from Salesforce, this episode will help you make smarter, data-driven decisions.

In this episode of Belmar Bytes, Scott Billows and Tom Kadota explore how nonprofits can use Salesforce to turn donor data into stronger, more personalized relationships. They discuss how dynamic reports can help fundraising teams identify lapsed donors, segment supporters more effectively, and replace outdated spreadsheets with real-time insights. The conversation also highlights the importance of maintaining a complete history of donor communications, gifts, meetings, and engagement so teams can preserve valuable context—even through staff turnover. Scott and Tom share practical advice for identifying gaps in your data, working more effectively with your Salesforce administrator, and preparing your CRM to support stronger stewardship and future campaigns such as Giving Tuesday.

Clean data is the foundation of a successful Salesforce strategy. In this week's Belmar Bytes podcast, Scott Billows and Tom Kadota discuss why data hygiene matters, how issues like duplicate records and inconsistent data entry can impact reporting, fundraising, and constituent engagement, and the practical steps organizations can take to maintain accurate, reliable data over time. From standardizing fields and preventing duplicates to leveraging Salesforce's built-in data management tools, this episode offers actionable insights to help nonprofits improve data quality, build trust in their CRM, and get more value from their Salesforce investment.

In this episode, we sit down with Kristina Lugo, President and CEO of the nonprofit organization Avenidas. Kristina shares the compelling history of Avenidas and its mission to provide comprehensive and diverse aging services. We dive deep into the organization's strategic roadmap, specifically focusing on how they are leveraging technology to enhance the lives of seniors and optimize service delivery. Whether you're interested in the nonprofit sector, healthcare innovation, or the future of eldercare, this conversation offers valuable insights into leading a mission-driven organization in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Learn more about Avenidas: www.avenidas.org

Interested in supporting Avenidas' mission?

• Donate
• Volunteer
• Learn more about their programs

For questions or to connect with Kristina Lugo, email [email protected].

Are your case managers drowning in spreadsheets and administrative documentation?

In Episode 36, Scott Billows, Alice Summers, and Tom Kadota introduce the CareReady package, developed by Belmar for Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud. Purpose-built for organizations operating under CalAIM, this accelerator automates referral roster ingestions, eliminates duplicate data entry, and standardizes workflows across multiple healthcare payers, all without rigid custom code.

Learn how to move your team past the starting line and back to what matters most, taking care of people.

In this episode, Scott Billows sits down with Devan Moodley, CEO and co-founder of Pllenty, a Salesforce ISV revolutionizing how nonprofits handle complex payment workflows.

A "reformed banker" with deep roots in capital markets and corporate finance, Devan shares how he transitioned from the corporate world to solve a massive pain point: the disconnect between high-cost payment services and the lack of actual advisory support. Since its inception in 2016, Plenty has filled a critical gap in the Salesforce ecosystem by providing enterprise-level security, scale, and pricing control.

Key topics discussed in this episode include:

• Solving the "Payment Pain": Why nonprofits struggle with fragmented data, record-batching, and manual reconciliation.

• Salesforce as the Source of Truth: The power of integrating the full payment lifecycle directly into your CRM to save staff hours and increase ROI.

• The Importance of Support: Why having a partner who answers the phone is often more valuable than the technology itself.

• The Future of AI in Payments: How pattern recognition and predictive analytics are poised to change donor engagement and process flows.

• Navigating Scale: A look at how organizations can transition from 100 to 1,000+ employees by leveraging best-in-class tools.

Whether you are a nonprofit leader looking to streamline your donations or seeking better payment rails, Devan offers a masterclass in why specialized partnerships are the key to long-term success.

n this episode of Belmar Bytes, host Scott Billows sits down with Wendi Campbell, President and CEO of Junior Achievement BC (JABC), to discuss the critical role of financial literacy and entrepreneurship in today’s world. With a history spanning 70 years in British Columbia, JABC was the first international charter of Junior Achievement outside of the United States and now reaches over 90,000 students annually across the province.

Wendi shares her journey from a three-decade career in financial services to leading a non-profit dedicated to equipping youth with "life skills" like budgeting, investing, and career readiness. The conversation explores how JABC is combating financial misinformation on social media and addressing the decline of entrepreneurship in Canada through hands-on, experiential learning.

Key highlights from this episode include:

• The Three Pillars: How JABC delivers essential education in financial health, work readiness, and entrepreneurship for students in grades 3 through 12.

• The Company Program: A deep dive into JABC’s flagship 12–16 week program where students ideate, fund, and launch their own businesses under the mentorship of business leaders.

• TechWorks: Insights into the annual high school symposium that sparks interest in technology careers through hands-on workshops.

• Operational Excellence: How JABC utilizes Salesforce as a "single source of truth" to drive efficiency and collaboration across their development and program teams.

• The Multiplier Effect: The long-term impact of JABC programs, including data showing that graduates are 50% more likely to start a business.

Whether you are an educator looking to bring these programs into your classroom at no extra cost or a business professional interested in volunteering, this episode offers a compelling look at how we can better equip the next generation for success.