Is there a way to import new constituents with gifts?

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Georgette Briggs
Georgette Briggs ✭
Ninth Anniversary Photogenic First Reply
in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®: General Discussion
We just had our annual fundraiser, where we have gained 78 new constituents. It is possible to import all the new consituents with their gifts all in one import? Or do I have to import all the consituents seperately then import their gifts seperately? Any help would really be appreciated! I am pretty new to Raiser's Edge and Managing donations. 
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  • Jen Claudy
    Jen Claudy ✭
    Tenth Anniversary Facilitator 4 Name Dropper Photogenic
    I believe you will need to do a Constituent Import and then a Gift Import.  However, you can include a Constituent Import ID in the first Import and then use that Import ID to easily do the Gift Import.  Save you from needing to figure out and add in the Constituent IDs added by RE when you import the Constituent Records.
  • Robert Franke
    Robert Franke Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Photogenic First Reply
    Hi Georgette, if you have an electronic file with all the data then you can either use the built-in RE import tool (Admin > Import) or you could use a 3rd party tool like ImportOMatic.


    The built-in RE import tool must import the constituents first, then the gifts. So two passes. And you must prepare the data file prior to the import. Can be tricky the first time.  See this BK article for a tutorial -> https://kb.blackbaud.co.uk/articles/Article/52529 


    Or IOM can import both at the same time - but you have to pay extra for this tool.  http://www.blackbaudknowhow.com/blackbaud-hosting/omatic-integrations-with-blackbauds-hosted-products.htm
  • JoAnn Strommen
    JoAnn Strommen ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ancient Membership Facilitator 4 Name Dropper Photogenic
    You would need to import constituents separately and first.  I found import to be one of the trickier parts of RE.    My thinking is that there needs to be a constituent ID/import ID already in RE when you are bringing in the gifts to have them link to correct record.  Importing gifts at the same time is like putting the cart along side the horse.


    As one of the posts said you can create your constituent import ID in the constituent file and use that same ID for the gifts. I would probably create the ID for use with the constituent records and copy the column with the gift info before splitting the data if it's all in one file.  Re-sorting or deleting one record in either file will put the wrong gifts on the wrong records if you don't have that ID.


    Even after a number of years doing imports, I still take 2-3 records from my import file and create a test file.  After importing those records I look them over carefully in RE to be sure all is correct.  It's easy to miss things like having different extension numbers on address info in import and then they don't end up correctly on record.  And this is also one of those cases where you do want to have a back-up of your database should something go really wrong.


    Knowledgebase has info on imports and there is a user guide with lots of info on import also.


    Best wishes on your project...
  • Lauren Schler CFRE bCREPro
    Lauren Schler CFRE bCREPro ✭
    Ninth Anniversary Facilitator 1 Name Dropper Photogenic
    You will need to do the imports separately but if you create
    custom import IDs on the csv file before separating the data to
    create your import files, you can use those IDs to easily import
    your data.








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  • Georgette Briggs
    Georgette Briggs ✭
    Ninth Anniversary Photogenic First Reply
    Thank you everyone! This information was so helpful! I did serperate them into two diffrent spreadsheets with import IDS. 
  • Cathleen Mai
    Cathleen Mai ✭
    Tenth Anniversary Facilitator 2 Name Dropper Photogenic
    Another third party tool would be importacular from Zeidman, which is free for constituents and gift imports. It also loads the gifts into a batch first, so you can review them and then commit the batch.
  • Doaa Bayoumy
    Doaa Bayoumy ✭
    Ninth Anniversary First Reply

    Cathleen Mai:

    Another third party tool would be importacular from Zeidman, which is free for constituents and gift imports. It also loads the gifts into a batch first, so you can review them and then commit the batch.

    Hi Cathleen. we are trialing Importacular now, and was wondering if you can help with something.

    At the very last steps when the Importacular batch is created, can you edit the batch settings and apply a "Template" rather than selecting every extra field to show on your batch?

    Currently this button is dimmed. It works for ordinary batches but not Importacular ones.

    thanks

    Doaa


     

  • Cathleen Mai
    Cathleen Mai ✭
    Tenth Anniversary Facilitator 2 Name Dropper Photogenic
    It seems you indeed cannot apply a "template". Never had an issue, because most of my data was already in the import file and I only had to add one or two columns. Can you export your "template" batch with the missing fields and use that for the headings in your import, then tag them in Importomatic and import them with the file?
  • Doaa Bayoumy
    Doaa Bayoumy ✭
    Ninth Anniversary First Reply
    Many thanks for your advise, I've tried applying what you've suggested already but is unsuccessful, it insists on just using the fields it wants to use. I think I will need to raise this with Raiser's Edge themselves.


    thanks

    Doaa

     
  • Cathleen Mai
    Cathleen Mai ✭
    Tenth Anniversary Facilitator 2 Name Dropper Photogenic
    I would also contact Zeidman, they are usually very helpful.

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