---
schema_version: "1"
id: f5c06690d6ea8f490d4a724dafdcf4f2211e80caff055eb9e779ec059f7ae6de
title: Legacy Account Models
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/sfdo/264-0-0/npsp_legacy_account_models.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.npsp_legacy_account_models.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: bd4a7785661c4f5e06ec1909f8e2c845ded49733f94fd168ab7a944c32076a1c
description: "An account model describes the relationship between Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities. The Household Account Model is the default account model for Nonprofit Success Pack, and the one we strongly recommend. This article contains information about two legacy account models: The 1-to-1 Account Model, and the Individual Account Model."
products:
  - Nonprofit
release: "264"
---
# Legacy Account Models

An account model describes the relationship between Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities. The Household Account Model is the default account model for Nonprofit Success Pack, and the one we strongly recommend. This article contains information about two legacy account models: The 1-to-1 Account Model, and the Individual Account Model.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-nonprofit_success_pack-264-0-0-production-enus/bd2879e2-2bdc-4012-aa32-dc0c697c4538/images/icon_note.png)

Note For more information about the recommended Household Account Model, see [What is the Household Account Model.](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.npsp_what_is_an_account_model.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "The Household Account model is the default account model for Nonprofit Success Pack, and the account model we strongly recommend.")

For more information about changing your account model, see [Change My Account Model](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.npsp_change_my_account_model.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "The default account model for Nonprofit Success Pack is the Household Account model, which is the account model we strongly recommend. Only experienced Salesforce Administrators should consider changing an organization's account model.").

- **[1-to-1 Account Model](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.npsp_legacy_account_models.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    The 1-to-1 account model works by creating an Account object for each Contact you create (that is, "One Contact, one Account"). The Account is automatically created when you create a Contact, and the name of the new Account is identical to the name of the new Contact.
- **[Individual ("Bucket") Account Model](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sfdo.npsp_legacy_account_models.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    In the Individual account model, all Contacts are associated with a single Account, as if all of your Contacts have been dumped into one "bucket." The name of this gigantic Account is "Individual." In other words, you have one great big Account that holds all of your Contacts.

## 1-to-1 Account Model

The 1-to-1 account model works by creating an Account object for each Contact you create (that is, "One Contact, one Account"). The Account is automatically created when you create a Contact, and the name of the new Account is identical to the name of the new Contact.

The Account object itself, however, acts "invisibly" behind the scenes, and exists for the sole purpose of conforming to the standard Salesforce Account model (which requires all Contacts to be associated with an Account).

In the Contact Details section of your Contact record, it looks like this:

![Contact Details](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-nonprofit_success_pack-264-0-0-production-enus/bd2879e2-2bdc-4012-aa32-dc0c697c4538/nonprofit_success_pack/images/account_model_contactdetails1-1.png)

In the 1-to-1 account model, you must create Households by joining contacts together through a separate custom Household object (provided with NPSP.) Opportunities (donations) look like they are simply associated with Households and Contacts, but they are also "traveling through" the 1-to-1 Account.

![Opportunities are associated with Households and Contacts, but also "travel through" to the 1-to-1 account](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-nonprofit_success_pack-264-0-0-production-enus/bd2879e2-2bdc-4012-aa32-dc0c697c4538/nonprofit_success_pack/images/legacy_account_models_v01.png)

The 1-to-1 account model is a legacy account model, and is no longer recommended.

## Individual ("Bucket") Account Model

In the Individual account model, all Contacts are associated with a single Account, as if all of your Contacts have been dumped into one "bucket." The name of this gigantic Account is "Individual." In other words, you have one great big Account that holds all of your Contacts.

In the Contact Details section of your Contact record, it looks like this:

![Contact Details](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-nonprofit_success_pack-264-0-0-production-enus/bd2879e2-2bdc-4012-aa32-dc0c697c4538/nonprofit_success_pack/images/account_model_contactdetailsindiv.png)

As with the 1-to-1 account model, you create Households in the Individual account model by joining Contacts together through a separate Household object.

![Bucket account model illustration](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sfdo-nonprofit_success_pack-264-0-0-production-enus/bd2879e2-2bdc-4012-aa32-dc0c697c4538/nonprofit_success_pack/images/legacy_account_models_v02.png)

This model was developed to conform to the standard Salesforce Account model, which requires all Contacts to be associated with an Account. The Individual account model is a legacy account model, and is no longer recommended.