Importing data into a new system can seem challenging. These tips should help in making the process go smoothly with importing your data to DonorDock.
Important Information for a Successful Import:
- Do not change the column headers (formatting, spacing, naming convention), as this will cause issues with your import
- The import file type must be CSV in order to import it into the DonorDock system
- The import is limited to 10,000 rows per import job. Multiple imports of data are allowed
- Review the allowed values for each field in the table below. Any field can be left blank and will be ignored during the import.
How are contacts matched to avoid duplicates?
There are several matching algorithms used to try and match up imported contacts and gifts. These algorithms run in this order, and if a match is found, it does not continue on searching through the list.
1. If a DonorId is provided in the import, and is a unique identifier for the donor, any future imports referencing that DonorID will be matched.
2. If an Account Number is provided in the import, the import will attempt to match the contact with an existing contact with the referenced account number.
3. If a contact is found with the same first name, last name and email address it will consider this a match.
4. If a contact is found with the same first name, last name and address line 1 it will consider this a match.
5. If a contact is found with the same first name, last name and mobile phone number it will consider this a match.
6. If a contact is found with the exact same organization or household name it will consider this a match.
Import File Format
| Field Name | Description | Allowed Values | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| DonorId | A unique ID for the donor. If importing from an external system, this can be the external ID. If re-importing contacts from DonorDock with bulk edits, this can be the DonorDock DonorId. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| ContactStatus | Indicates status of a contact - active or archived. | Active: Active Archived: Inactive, Archived | Optional (Defaults value is active) |
| AccountNumber | The account number for a contact. If the account number exists in DonorDock this can be used to import updates to existing contact records. Account number can be used for integration to accounting systems, or as a friendly ID. Account Numbers can be set to be automatically assigned in your organization settings. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| ContactType | The type of the contact (Individual, Organization). | Individual - individual, 0, contact Organization - organization, 1, business | Optional (Default value is individual) |
| Title | The honorific or job title of the donor you are importing. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| CompanyName | The name of a business or organization that you are importing. If this value is filled, the imported donor will be marked as an organization, not an individual contact. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Addressee | The addressee is the format of the name in the address block on the letter. This would likely be used in mail merge applications. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Salutation | The format of the name you want to use in greetings of your correspondence. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| FirstName | An individual donor's first name. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| MiddleName | An individual donor's middle name. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| LastName | An individual donor's last name. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Suffix | Follows the name and provides additional information about the person. Examples would be Jr., Sr., PHD | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| The email address of the donor. | Valid email | Optional | |
| Address1 | The first line of the donor's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Address2 | The second line of the donor's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Address3 | The third line of the donor's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| City | The city of the donor's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| StateOrProvince | The state or province of the donor's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| PostalCode | The postal code of the donor's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| County | The county name of the contact's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Country | The country of the donor's address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Address1_2 | The first line of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Address2_2 | The second line of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Address3_2 | The third line of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| City_2 | The city of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| StateOrProvince_2 | The state or province of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| PostalCode_2 | The postal code of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| County_2 | The county name of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Country_2 | The country of the contact's second address. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| MainPhone | The home or primary phone for the contact. | Valid phone number | Optional |
| BusinessPhone | The primary business phone for the contact. | Valid phone number | Optional |
| MobilePhone | The mobile phone number for the contact. | Valid phone number | Optional |
| SpouseFirst | The first name of the contact's spouse. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| SpouseLast | The last name of the contact's spouse. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| SpouseMobilePhone | The mobile phone number for the contact's spouse. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| SpouseEmail | The email address for the contact's spouse. | Valid email | Optional |
| SpouseBusinessPhone | The business phone for the contact's spouse. | Valid phone number | Optional |
| DoNotSolicit | A field that indicates that a donor does not want to be solicited. | X 1 True Y | Optional. Default is false |
| BadAddress | A field that indicates that the contact's address is incorrect. | X 1 True Y | Optional. Default is false |
| Deceased | A field that indicates that a donor is deceased. | X 1 True Y | Optional. Default is false |
| Unsubscribed | A field that indicates that the donor has unsubscribed. This will remove them from receiving marketing lists. | X 1 True Y | Optional. Default is false |
| Fax | The fax number for the donor. | Valid phone number | Optional |
| Website | The website URL for the donor. | Valid URL | Optional |
| Description | A general description of the contact. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Affiliation | Any affiliation the contact may have. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Badges | A comma-separated list of badges for this contact. | Comma-separated list | Optional |
| MarketingLists | A comma-separated list of marketing lists for this contact. | Comma-separated list | Optional |
| Household | The household the contact belongs to. If a matching household is found, the contact will be added to the existing household. If no match is found, a new household will be created. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Employer | The employer the contact works for. If a matching employer is found, the contact will be added to the existing employer. If no match is found, a new employer will be created. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Owner | The email address of the DonorDock user you would like to assign this contact to. | Email | Optional |
| GiftId | A unique ID for the gift. Can be an ID from an external system. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Campaign | The name of the campaign that the gift is associated to. The import uses an exact name match to find an existing campaign. If not match is found, a new campaign is created. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Fund | The name of the fund that the gift is allocated to. The import uses an exact name match to find an existing fund. If no match is found, a new fund is created. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| Appeal | The name of the appeal that the gift is associated to. The import uses an exact name match to find an existing appeal. If not match is found, a new appeal is created. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| GiftType | The type of gift that is being imported. | Donation EventTicket, Event, Event Ticket Membership | Optional |
| PaymentType | The type of payment that is being imported. | Check Cash CreditCard, Credit Card, CC InKind, In Kind Stock Event Ticket, EventTicket, Event Membership Other | |
| SoftCreditAmount | The dollar amount of the soft credit. | Valid decimal value that is greater than or equal to 0 or blank | Optional |
| GiftAmount | The dollar amount received for the gift. | Valid decimal value that is greater than or equal to 0 or blank | Optional |
| PledgedAmount | The dollar amount pledged. | Valid decimal value that is greater than or equals to 0 or blank | Optional |
| NoDeductibleAmount | The non-deductible portion of the gift. | Valid decimal value that is greater than 0 or blank | Optional |
| CheckDate | The date of the check. | Valid date value or blank. Date format should be mm/dd/yyyy | Optional |
| Date | The date the gift was received. | Valid date value or blank. Date format should be mm/dd/yyyy | Optional |
| DepositDate | The date the gift was deposited. | Valid date value or blank. Date format should be mm/dd/yyyy | Optional |
| PaymentId | A payment identifier, such as a check number or credit card transaction id. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| TributeDescription | A description if the gift was a tribute. If this item contains data, the gift will be marked as a tribute. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| TreatAnonymous | Should the gift be treated as anonymous. | True, False | Optional. Default is false |
| Exception | A field that let you explain any unique circumstance or exception for a donor. This can also be used to provide your team instructions on how to engage a donor. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| TrackingCode | Any tracking code for this gift. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| PaymentNote | Any notes for this payment or gift. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| MembershipType | The membership type name of this is a membership. The import uses an exact name match to find an existing membership type. If no match is found, a new membership type is created. | Alphanumeric | Optional |
| MembershipStart | The start date of the membership. | Valid date value or blank. Date format should be mm/dd/yyyy | Optional |
| MembershipEnd | The end date of the membership. | Valid date value or blank. Date format should be mm/dd/yyyy | Optional |
How to import a file
- Download the import file template from the DonorDock imports page.
- Fill your data into the template, making sure to note the valid values and matching functionality found above. Save the file to a known location on your computer.
- Click the Upload Files button and navigate to the template file that you saved.
- The file will show pending during the import process. There is no need to stay on this page during the import.
- Once complete, the system will show how many of each record type was imported, along with any errors. If any errors occurred during your import, contact DonorDock support to assist.
A video on importing data