A consultant began an implementation project with a nonprofit that is new to Salesforce.

Governance in a Salesforce project is the framework of rules and processes that ensure the system remains healthy, secure, and aligned with the mission. While leadership may view it as "bureaucracy," a consu1ltant must frame it as risk2 management.

Three Core Pillars of Governance Value:

Security (E): Without governance, users might be granted broad permissions "to move fast," leading to data breaches or the exposure of sensitive donor/client information. Governance ensures a "Principle of Least Privilege" is maintained through a structured review of Permission Sets and Sharing Rules.

Compliance (C): Nonprofits are subject to strict regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, or IRS audit requirements). Governance provides the documentation and audit trail needed to prove that the organization is handling data according to legal standards.

Cost Savings (B): This is often the most persuasive argument for leadership. Poor governance leads to "Technical Debt"—duplicate apps, messy data, and conflicting automations that require expensive consultant hours to fix later. By establishing a Change Control Board (CCB), the organization avoids wasting money on redundant tools or poorly designed features.

While Delivery Speed (D) and Interoperability (A) are benefits of a well-run project, they are often the result of good governance rather than the primary strategic reasons to implement it. Security, Compliance, and Cost Savings are the fundamental justifications for a nonprofit's long-term sustainability on the platform.