For suggesting new features in NPSP, the recommended resource is:
Power of Us Hub: This is a community platform specifically for Salesforce.org customers. It includes forums, idea exchanges, and collaboration spaces where nonprofit users can suggest and discuss new features for NPSP.
The Power of Us Hub is the central place for engaging with the Salesforce nonprofit community and influencing future product development.
Power of Us Hub
Salesforce Trailhead: Engaging with the Salesforce Nonprofit Community

To test new Nonprofit Cloud features coming out in the upcoming Salesforce release, follow these steps:
Identify the Sandbox Preview Period:
Salesforce announces preview periods before major releases. Check the Salesforce release calendar for the dates.
Refresh a Preview Instance Sandbox:
During the sandbox preview period, refresh one of your sandboxes. Ensure that you refresh an existing sandbox that is on a preview instance, or create a new sandbox if needed.
Verify the Sandbox Instance:
Make sure your sandbox is on a preview instance. Salesforce typically migrates sandboxes to preview instances for testing new features.
Test New Features:
Once the sandbox is refreshed, you can start testing the new Nonprofit Cloud features that will be included in the upcoming release.
Use the Release Notes and documentation provided by Salesforce to guide your testing.
This process allows you to evaluate new features before they are available in your production environment, ensuring a smooth transition and allowing time to address any potential issues.
Salesforce Sandbox Preview Guide: Sandbox Preview Instructions.

To restrict access to fields related to background checks on the Contact object so that only the volunteer manager and executive director can access them, the consultant should:
Create a Permission Set:
A permission set is a collection of settings and permissions that gives users access to various tools and functions.
Creating a permission set that includes access to the specific fields related to background checks allows for precise control over who can view and edit these fields.
Grant Field-Level Security:
Within the permission set, set field-level security to ensure only the specified users can view and edit the background check fields.
This ensures that sensitive information is only accessible to authorized personnel.
Assign the Permission Set:
Assign the permission set to the volunteer manager and executive director.
This approach provides flexibility and security, ensuring that only the designated users have the necessary access without altering the overall role hierarchy or creating unnecessary sharing rules.
Salesforce documentation on Permission Sets: Permission Sets
These solutions ensure efficient and secure handling of data and permissions within the Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.

For a nonprofit using direct mail extensively and needing to automate the search for duplicate contact records, the consultant should recommend implementing Duplicate Jobs. Here's why:
Duplicate Jobs:
Duplicate Jobs allow organizations to run deduplication processes on a schedule, ensuring that the data remains clean and free from duplicates.
This feature can be configured to find and merge duplicate contacts based on predefined matching rules.
It helps maintain data quality by regularly identifying and managing duplicate records, which is essential for effective direct mail campaigns.
Salesforce Duplicate Management Documentation
Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack Duplicate Management Guide

To ensure full compliance with Salesforce best practices for data security, the consultant should use Salesforce Health Check. Here's why:
Salesforce Health Check:
This tool provides a comprehensive security assessment of your Salesforce org by measuring its settings against the Salesforce recommended baseline.
It evaluates critical security settings such as password policies, session settings, and other security configurations.
Health Check provides a score and recommendations to improve the overall security posture of the org, making it a crucial tool for maintaining data security compliance.
Salesforce Health Check Documentation
Salesforce Security Best Practices Guide