Number of Attributes (Custom Fields)

Deborah Drucker 2 · March 2021

I'm curious as to how many Attributes or Custom Fields other organizations have. Do you feel like there should be a limit on the number?

Miki Martin · March 2021

Hi, Deborah! I have noticed our database is full of Custom Fields. I don't know if eTap didn't have as many options as RE now does or what (my school switched from eTap not long before I started last year), but seeing all that we have makes me want to break into hives. RE, from what I've learned in the last year, has so many additional fields available to track various things (like occupation and employer). I haven't added or even used our Custom Fields other than checking information. I think a lot of ours were actually Events, which has its own section, of course.

As for a limit, I think it really depends on the organization and their practices. I would try to limit them and set them up with strict parameters so as not to overwhelm the system. Having set possibilities would make it easier to query, I'd think. I'm speaking without actually using them, though.

Dariel Dixon 2 · March 2021

What an interesting question! I don't know if there should be a limit on them, especially if they are there so that other tables stay cleaner (esp. Constituent Codes). However, I do believe, as with most things in RE, that there is a tipping point for attributes. At some point, a person can have so many codes that they are included in everything, or excluded from everything. But as far as if I believe there should be a limit, I think it's only when it becomes unmanageable. Also, I think it's worth looking at if some of them have outlived their purpose. I've got a couple of those codes that are not applicable anymore. Getting rid of them is low priority.

I think there need to be some planning before you create the attribute as far as how it will be used and for how long.

But as far as the number of attributes, I have around 20 something constituent attributes. Gift and action custom fields have a couple less, but still probably more than 10.

JoAnn Strommen · March 2021

What he said! Dariel Dixon‍ ?

Have no limit but would advise to keep as reasonable as possible. I'm at an org that's used RE since DOS days and there are many constituents with so many attributes they do not all appear in one screen. Have asked what some reference and no one knows anymore. Many should not be there but as said clean up of attributes ends up as a low priority.

Faith Murray · March 2021

I agree with the others - no set limit in terms of number, but definitely a limit in terms of usage type. I inherited a database originally that used Attributes to track mailing codes (switched to Solicit codes); alumni status (switched to constituencies), etc. Every so often you run into a user who wants to use them for tracking actions or demographic data. My policy is and always has been: if it can make a home elsewhere on the constituent record with equal data content, it does not belong in Attributes. That being said, even with that there are a number of possible fields that cannot be captured elsewhere, so all in all I think we have more than 40 Attributes tracking everything from past Award recipients, to Data quality tracking (to monitor data age append accuracy, deceased information sources, etc.), to specific Society statuses.

Karintha Marshall · March 2021

Hi Deborah Drucker‍,

No set number for how many can be created for our org either.

When we were migrated to Raiser's Edge from our previous membership/fundraising management system, many of the data pieces were migrated to Raiser's Edge as attributes. As a result, we have about 300 constituent custom attributes and the data's largely unusable without a lot of cleaning/processing after extraction. Maybe 40 - 60 of them were still being actively used.

I've done a couple of things to try and curb the reliance on attributes:

I started explaining to department heads and senior staff how this practice works against their desire for accurate automated reporting. This has motivated them to work with their operations staff on improving data entry and management day to day. It's slow progress, but they are excited when they're able to use dashboards anytime they like and know they're getting accurate insights.
I explained Raiser's Edge record structure with an analogy to senior staff. This went over very well and helped senior staff encourage departments to reach out to an RE power user when they want to store new data instead of just creating another attribute, to see if an existing field can be used in place of an attribute.

Progress has been slow, but the number's going down - we've gotten down to about 20 custom attributes in regular use now.

Austen Brown · March 2021

Hi Deborah Drucker‍ - I agree with Faith Murray‍ and what the others have said. No limit, but rules/regulations are dependent on the organization. One additional thing to think about is how constituent attributes/custom fields appear within NXT; you may want to think through your naming convention/hierarchy as users are only able to view five of these at a time in web view.

Deborah Drucker 2 · March 2021

Great suggestion! Thank you.

Tiffany Schroyer 2 · March 2021

I do not think you need a limit, but each section should be review yearly.

Number of Attributes (Custom Fields)

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