Corporate contact as separate record from Individual record

Judy Jansen · April 2015

Have any of you created a (second) contact record for an individual who personally gives to your organization, but who also has a separate relationship with you as a foundation contact? Up to now, we have just kept this contact information in the relationship fields for the foundation. We have a staff suggestion that we create a completely separate record for this person (with the same first and last name as their head of household record) so that business actions can be tracked separately. What is your recommendation for best practice in this situation? I don't like creating duplicates, but I can see the point of keeping appeals and actions separate.

JoAnn Strommen · April 2015

I wouldn't create a separate identical individual record. My 2 cents. If contact (action) is made as a contact for the business I would record actions on business record and vise-versa. In my opinion having two will lead to a mess - what's recorded where, by whom, starting a bad precident.

My opinion....

Patti Hommes, bCRE-PRO · April 2015

In my case we have corporate/foundation contacts who are individual donors as well, so they need to have separate records. I found this thread very helpful in the case where you do have 2 records:

Avoid duplicates when Individual constituent is also an Organization contact in Raiser's Edge 7 Forums Export/Mail/Reports

Posted on April 23, 2015 at 10:57 AM

Gina Gerhard · April 2015

Patti - Just to clarify, the thread that you've referenced does not have to do with having 2 records. It has to do with a single record that shows up on a mailing list twice - because they meet the criteria both as an individual and as a contact at an organization.

This is what databases are good at (or should be!) - handling a SINGLE record that has multiple relationships. You have a constituent who you have an individual relationship with that also is a contact at an organization.

This should NOT be a problem in your database and you should NEVER have to create 2 records for this.
You just have to know how to utilize the tools at hand (which Blackbaud provides in their Mail area with the contact processing mentioned in the post). This will give you the ability to make the choice about dropping out one of the 'duplicate' occurences depending on how you decide.

Patti Hommes, bCRE-PRO · April 2015

Hi Gina,

I just re-read the first post in Avoid duplicates when Individual constituent is also an Organization contact in Raiser's Edge 7 Forums Export/Mail/Reports and it does reference 2 records - the individual's and the organization's. If both are donors then both should have a constituent record. In my case, the Individual is a parent and frequent donor. His company sponsors school events and supports the Capital Campaign.

Gina Gerhard · April 2015

Well, whoops Patti you're right!! But what you shouldn't have to do is to create two records for the same person as an individual and as a contact at the organization. Did I just confuse the entire issue?? (sorry ....)

Judy Jansen · April 2015

No, Gina, I think this was a good micro-discussion within the other discussion. Your replies are encouraging me, that I am on the right track, and I should stick to what I felt was right in the first place. If anyone else has further ideas about this, I'm still listening...

Thanks,

Judy

Barbara Van Handel · April 2015

I agree the Corporate contact relationship is a separate record from the individual record. In our case we get donations from corporations, foundations, organizations where the person may be a primary or secondary contact. However when they personally donate or our solicitors make a personal appeal for them to give as an individual that is totally separate from their company/organzation relationship. We definitely keep separate records. Also at the end of the year when they want to know what they gave for their taxes it is correct.

Madeleine Holdsworth · April 2015

If an org contact makes a gift as an individual, we create an individual record for that person and create the relationship to the org. The individual's donation is just that, an individual donation, and thus that person should/needs their own constituent record. How else would you be able to track or report on that individual gift if there is no record?

JoAnn Strommen · April 2015

I don't many/any would disagree with having the org record with business relationship and a separate record for the individual. The original post was seeking advice on creating a second individual record to track business actions on. Second record for Bill Smith to separate out personal contacts vs. contacts made due to relationship to org. That's how I read the post anyway.

Barbara Van Handel · April 2015

I would not create another individual record to track Bill Smith's contacts due to relationship to org. That would be a contact or action for the business and recorded in the business record.

William Henderson · April 2015

If the person gives personally, a record should be created for them. Their personal gift has nothing to do with the business. If they are already a contact for the organization, they should be under relationships. If the contact gives a gift on their own seperate from the business you can create a record for them from the relationship in the org.

Corporate contact as separate record from Individual record

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Avoid duplicates when Individual constituent is also an Organization contact in Raiser's Edge 7 Forums Export/Mail/Reports

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