OneCause and Raiser's Edge integration

Jane Miller

Hello! We currently use OneCause for all our events and are searching for a way to integrate the OneCause data seamlessly with the Raiser's Edge database, preferably in real time. Does anyone know if this exists?? Thanks in advance for any info!

Austen Brown

@Jane Miller - Welcome to BB Community! I recommend you check out Importacular - it is a third-party tool that aids in importing data into RE. While it is not “real-time”; it makes the import process much eaiser.

Jane Miller

@Austen Brown Thank you for the welcome! Yes, thanks, we've explored Importacular but it doesn't seem very user friendly. The mapping seemed to take longer than just importing the gifts via RE. What was your experience, how have you found working with it?

Carrie Aranda

@Jane Miller - We also use OneCause and the Importacular import tool. Yes, the mapping does take some time to do but once you set up the template, you can reuse it for each event or type of event. We have a template built for each of our events and when we go to import from OneCause, it is simply taking a quick peek at the template to make sure it is good to go and then importing the information. I like the Importacular tool because it imports gifts into a batch when then allows for even further review, editing, etc.

My bigger issue is with OneCause's reports and the fact that I can't build my own. I wish they had an export tool where you could pick and choose which fields and the order of the fields. As of now, we simply choose the report that is closest to what we need and then clean up the data in Excel before importing it into RE. This cleanup can also be easily automated in Excel through the use of a Macro.

We have used OneCause and Importacular for all of our events for a few years now. While it still isn't the easiest thing to learn and navigate, it is pretty easy once it is set up and you have done it a few times. At least with importing gifts into a batch, if something goes wrong, there is the opportunity to fix it. If you need any help or have any questions, just let me know.

Jane Miller

@Carrie Aranda Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Importacular. It gives me hope! The main place I'm running into trouble is having no unique identifier (i.e. Constituent ID) included in the import data from One Cause. How have you been successfully addressing that?

Carrie Aranda

@Jane Miller - On our big events, like our gala (700 - 800 attendees), we register everyone in Raiser's Edge. A few days before the event, we export from RE with the ID numbers and then import all of that information into OneCause. From that point on, we manage any and all changes in OneCause. After the event we export from OneCause with all of the transactions and then use the import tool to bring everything in. The import tool actually allows you to see everything and determine/search for a match before finalizing the import. It will create new constituent during the import if you tell it or it can't find anything close to a match. I'm happy to set up a time to chat or even show you how we use it if that would help. It isn't the easiest thing to figure out but super easy once you have done it a couple of times. You are welcome to contact me directly at carrie.aranda@bgcaz.org and we can set up time if that would help.

Jane Miller

@Carrie Aranda Thank you so much! This is very helpful. I will explore your suggestions and will definitely take you up on your kind offer of direct assistance should it be needed. Thanks again!

Tracy McLuskie

@Austen Brown
We're brand new to OneCause and our event(s) has ticket sales, CC fees, and wait staff tip. Would Importacular help in sorting all these so that I import the total gift amount (from event) into RE and then have the Receipted amount be the Charitable amount?

Austen Brown

@Tracy McLuskie - I recommend reaching out to the folks at Importacular to inquire about this.

Elaine Buescher

@Tracy McLuskie
Hi Tracy, I recently finished importing all of our OneCause data into RE. It is a step-by-step process using good ol' RE imports, and a little tedious, but it can be done.

In OC, in Reports - Exports - there are exports set up to use for creating the import spreadsheet for RE DBV. (Just be sure all of your Constituent IDs are entered in OC before you begin!) You can add a column for the receipt amount. I then did additional imports to add benefits and solicitor information to each category of gifts that were imported.

I referenced Knowledgebase article 37528 - instructions for import directly to gifts. I have a series of queries that are then used to check the imports. I'm happy to share more about my process as needed.

Jennifer Kluh

@Jane Miller
I was just wondering if you ended up using Importacular as your import tool while using onecause and RE? My Foundation has purchased oncause for our events and I am trying to find any info I can to try to set us up for seamless data integration.

Jane Miller

@Jennifer Kluh
Hi! I ended up following Carrie Aranda's advice in a previous reply to this thread and using RE export, OneCause import then the reverse after the event. It took some setting up, but it worked well!

Jennifer Kluh

@Jane Miller
Thank you for this!!! Always an adventure

Marisa PhirangeeGentles

@Elaine Buescher Hi…I am totally new to using and need to get some gifts from BidPal to RE. I am trying to use the importacular plugin… any help you can offer would be much appreciated.

Elaine Buescher

@Marisa PhirangeeGentles, we don't have the Importacular plug-in. I used native RE imports. Looks like @Carrie Aranda is the best source to consult on this topic. Good luck!

Mariana Escobar

@Jane Miller
could you explain please a litlle bit more how you sorted tha out?
We have switched to Onecause for our fundraising event software and I want to make sure we can import those transactions & constituent info into Onecause.
I mean we will need to export from Onecause and import into blackbaud after the gala.

Mariana Escobar

@Elaine Buescher
could you explain please a litlle bit more how you sorted tha out?
We have switched to Onecause for our fundraising event software and I want to make sure we can import those transactions & constituent info into Onecause.
I mean we will need to export from Onecause and import into blackbaud after the gala.

Elaine Buescher

@Mariana Escobar, send me a message, and we can connect off line. I can send you my notes.