GiveSmart Donor CRM Import File Specifications
(Updated 7/20/22)
Overall Description
GiveSmart Donor CRM allows users to import both contact/donor records (Names,
Addresses, Phone numbers, Email addresses, and Custom fields) as well as one or many
gift transactions related to each donor (Gift Amount, Gift Date, Solicitation Method, General
Ledger, Campaign, Notes, and Custom fields).
To access the import functions, just click on your “Launchpad” in your system.
Also, GiveSmart Donor CRM offers data conversion services, making sure your data is
imported safely and securely. Data transfer FAQ can be found here.
There are two Excel file templates you can use:
● Donor/Contact Excel Template
○ This Contact template includes two sample records for an individual and one
for an organization (Jon Biedermann and GiveSmart Donor CRM with Jon
Biedermann as the contact). Our suggestion is to still include them, but then
delete them when you have successfully imported the file, but that is up to
you.
■ NOTE: The Template includes sample custom field examples so that
you know how to configure custom fields for each of the 5 data types
(Text, Date, Number, Money, Checkbox (Yes/No), & Dropdown List).
Make sure to delete these custom fields (Columns AD - AI) before
importing.
○ While they are in Excel, you will need to export them as CSV (Comma
Separated Values) files in Excel (using Save As) when you are done using
the templates.
○ On the second tab at the bottom of the Contact file, there are further
instructions on what to look out for and how to save to CSV.
● Gift/Transaction Excel Template
○ The gift file contains 6 sample gifts.
○ IMPORTANT: You must use the same Donor_ID you assigned in the first
import to all gifts in the gift import file for each gift. Do NOT use the
Contact_ID’s assigned by GiveSmart Donor CRM, make sure you use the
Donor_ID’s that you assigned to each contact record when you uploaded the
original contact file.
○ You can delete these 6 sample gifts- they are there to provide a guide of how
to make sure the data is formatted correctly.
Contacts
Contacts contain the names, id’s, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and custom
fields for your constituent records. It is necessary to upload the contacts file first, with the
associated DONOR_ID, before uploading other information related to the DONOR_ID- for
example Transactions, Activities, etc.
Fields:
● DONOR_ID
○ Can be text or numeric - you assign these yourself
○ example value: 345
○ required
○ Note: If you are importing Gifts, you will need to use this same DONOR_ID
for each gift in the gift file.
● FIRST_NAME
○ example value: Jon
● LAST_NAME
○ example value: Smith, or GiveSmart Donor CRM if an organization name
(See CONTACT_TYPE below for how to track an Organizational record)
○ required
● CREATED_AT
○ example value: 11/19/2010 0:00:00
○ format: m/d/Y H:M:S
● TITLE
○ example value: “Mr. & Mrs.”
○ not required
● CONTACT_TYPE
○ This field tells GiveSmart Donor CRM if the record is an Individual Record or
Organization Record.
○ options: I, O
○ not required
○ default: I
○ If the record is an organization, then set the Contact_type to “O”, and set
Address1 to the complete name of the contact person at the organization.
You can use their professional title in Address2, and the rest of the street
address in Address3 and/or Address4. This way, mailing labels and
envelopes print correctly (in GiveSmart Donor CRM, this is called an “Address
Block”, and the system automatically formats the address information to print
correctly for physical mailings.)
○ Use the LAST_NAME field to store the full Organization Name. You can also
use the FIRST_NAME field to hold the Prefix of an Organization (I.E., words
like “The”, “Association of”, and other Prefixes, but it is not required).
● SUFFIX
○ example value: Smith
○ not required
● BIRTHDAY
○ example value: 11/19/2018
○ not required
● FACEBOOK_PROFILE
○ not required
● INSTAGRAM_PROFILE
○ not required
● TWITTER_PROFILE
○ not required
● LINKEDIN_PROFILE
○ not required
● ANONYMOUS
○ options: Y or N
○ example value: N
○ not required
● DO_NOT_CONTACT
○ options: Y or N
○ example value: N
○ not required
● NOTES
○ A virtually unlimited field to track notes. Please note that if you have carriage
returns in your import file, the import file fields MUST be delimited with
quotation marks “” for each field in the import file.
○ not required
● CONTACT_METHODS_DICT.HOME_PHONE
○ example value: (865) 573-0426
○ not required
● CONTACT_METHODS_DICT.CELL_PHONE
○ example value: (865) 573-0426
○ not required
● CONTACT_METHODS_DICT.WORK_PHONE
○ example value: (865) 573-0426
○ not required
● CONTACT_METHODS_DICT.EMAIL
○ example value: [email protected]
○ not required
Addresses - NOTE: Address 1 is required. If no Address, put in “NO ADDRESS” for
Address1, and “ “ for other required fields.
● ADDRESSES.0.ADDRESS1
● ADDRESSES.0.ADDRESS2
● ADDRESSES.0.ADDRESS3
● ADDRESSES.0.ADDRESS4
● ADDRESSES.0.CITY
● ADDRESSES.0.STATE_PROVINCE
● ADDRESSES.0.POSTAL_CODE
● ADDRESSES.0.COUNTRY
If you have more than one address per donor, then you can include additional Address fields
for the second, third, fourth, etc. complete address.
(Note: None of the additional address fields below are required).
● ADDRESSES.1.ADDRESS1
● ADDRESSES.1.ADDRESS2
● ADDRESSES.1.ADDRESS3
● ADDRESSES.1.ADDRESS4
● ADDRESSES.1.CITY
● ADDRESSES.1.STATE_PROVINCE
● ADDRESSES.1.POSTAL_CODE
● ADDRESSES.1.COUNTRY
● ADDRESSES.2.ADDRESS1
● ADDRESSES.2.ADDRESS2
● ADDRESSES.2.ADDRESS3
● ADDRESSES.2.ADDRESS4
● ADDRESSES.2.CITY
● ADDRESSES.2.STATE_PROVINCE
● ADDRESSES.2.POSTAL_CODE
● ADDRESSES.2.COUNTRY
● ADDRESSES.3.ADDRESS1
● ADDRESSES.3.ADDRESS2
● ADDRESSES.3.ADDRESS3
● ADDRESSES.3.ADDRESS4
● ADDRESSES.3.CITY
● ADDRESSES.3.STATE_PROVINCE
● ADDRESSES.3.POSTAL_CODE
● ADDRESSES.3.COUNTRY
For any additional addresses, just include an additional block of fields starting with
“ADDRESSES.X” where X is 4, then 5,6, 7, etc.
● CONTACT_TAGS
○ example value: Tag 1, Tag 2, Tag 3
tags separated by a comma and a space
○ Each Tag will be created in the Tags field automatically if it does not already
exist.
○ Make sure that donors with a common Tag have the Tag name spelled
*exactly* the same. I.E., If one contact record is tagged with “Board Member”
and another contact record is tagged with “Board Mmber”, the system will
treat these as two distinct and separate Tags.
○ not required
CUSTOM FIELDS (For both the Contact table and Transaction/Gift
Table):
CUSTOM__YOURFIELDNAME__TYPE
(Note the Double Hyphen before and after YOURFIELDNAME which the system uses to
recognize custom fields)
e.g:
● name: birthday, type: date
○ CUSTOM__BIRTHDAY__date
● name: maiden name, type: text
○ CUSTOM__MAIDEN_NAME__text
● name: Volunteer, type: checkbox
○ CUSTOM__Volunteer__checkbox
● name: Volunteer_Type, dropdown
○ CUSTOM__Volunteer_Type__dropdown
Available data types:
- text
- date
example value: 11/19/2010
format: m/d/Y
Note: Do NOT include the time as part of the date, i.e. “11/19/2010 10:15:00
PM” will NOT import and will fail.
- number
- money
- checkbox (options: Y, N)
- dropdown
- example value for contact record #1: “Part Time”
- example value for contact record #2: “Full Time”
- Note: Every distinct value will create an option in the dropdown list, so make
sure that the dropdown values for the same thing are spelled EXACTLY the
same.
Import Transactions
In order to import gift transactions successfully, you must first import the Contact file (above)
and then repeat the same DONOR_ID in the contact file for each gift in the Transaction File
below.
Fields
● DONOR_ID (donor id previously imported in the CONTACTS file above)
○ example value: 242
○ If Contact not found - the system will assign the gift to the
“anonymous/unknown” donor
○ Make sure that the DONOR_ID is exactly the same format as the DONOR_ID
originally imported for contacts. I.E., a DONOR_ID of 242 = 242 in both files
will match up correctly, but 242.0 in the Contact file DOES NOT = 242 in the
Gifts File.
● GIFT_DATE
○ example value: 11/19/2018 0:00:00 or 11/19/2018
○ not required
● TY_DATE
○ example value: 11/19/2018
○ Typically, since you are importing records, you have likely already thanked
the donors. If so, then set the TY_DATE to the same date as the
GIFT_DATE, and set THANK_YOU_METHOD (below) to “LETTER_ONLY”.
○ If you have not thanked these gifts yet, include this in the file and set this to
blank/no value, and make sure to set the THANK_YOU_METHOD to your
choice (see below)
● THANK_YOU_METHOD
○ options: LETTER_ONLY, EMAIL_ONLY, LETTER_AND_EMAIL
○ This field is necessary to create ThankYou records under sent or pending
○ Since it’s likely you have already thanked these imported donors, set the
value of this field to “LETTER_ONLY”, and set the TY_DATE to the same
date as the gift.
○ If you have NOT thanked these donors and want GiveSmart Donor CRM
to set them as pending thank you’s, then also set the TY_DATE to
blank/empty/no value, but make sure that THANK_YOU_METHOD (this
field) has one of the three options above.
● GIFT_AMOUNT
○ example value: 37.50
○ MUST NOT HAVE CURRENCY SYMBOLS. Numbers with two decimals only
○ not required - if not included in the import file, 0.00 will be assigned.
● SOLICIT_NAME
○ example value: The Headless Hunt
○ required if this Code should be assigned to this transaction
○ make sure that Solicit_Name’s which are the same are spelled exactly the
same. I.E., “Annual Gala” and “Annul Gala” will generate two separate
Solicitation Methods, so make sure values are spelled exactly the same.
● SOLICIT_CODE
○ example value: HH
○ not required - This is used if you want to track a ‘Short Code” for each
Solicitation.
● SOLICIT_CODE_DESCR
○ example value: The Headless Hunt is our annual Fall fundraiser for the
Wizarding Sports Commission.
○ not required
● GL_NAME
○ Tracks the General Ledger of the Gift, such as “Unrestricted” or “Building
Fund”
○ example value : Building Fund
○ required if this name should be assigned to this transaction
● GL_CODE
○ example value: BR
○ not required - This is used if you want to track a ‘Short Code” for each
General Ledger.
● GL_CODE_DESCR
○ example value: Building Fund description
○ not required
● CAMPAIGN_NAME
○ example value: Annual Campaign
○ required if this Code should be assigned to this transaction
● CAMPAIGN_CODE
○ example value: AC
○ not required
● CAMPAIGN_CODE_DESCR
○ example value: The Annual Campaign is a collection of all of our solicitation
methods that help fund our organization on an annual basis.
○ not required
● NOTES
○ example value: This gift was originally imported using the GiveSmart
Donor CRM import tool by {INSERT YOUR NAME HERE}
○ Can also include other information about the gift which doesn’t require an
extra field, such as Check No, Reference, etc.
○ not required
● Additional Custom fields associated with each gift can be added to the
Transaction/Gift Import file- please see custom fields above.
Summary
By following these guidelines, you should be able to import your own Contact and
Transactions/Gifts into GiveSmart Donor CRM.
If you run into a problem, you can send an email to [email protected] and include
your summary error message (automatically emailed to you by the import system after you
attempt any import). Depending on the inquiry, we may be able to help, but we will not be
able to format or manipulate your data for you without a data conversion service.
Finally, if you make a mistake and need to start from scratch, you can either delete the
names by hand, or send an email to support@givesmart.com and we will run a global
deletion for you.
GiveSmart Donor CRM offers data conversion services at reasonable prices, making sure
your data is imported safely and securely. Data transfer FAQ can be found here.
Finally, if you import your own data, you do so at your own risk. GiveSmart Donor CRM
cannot be held liable for future problems caused by your own data, or failure to format
the data correctly. Again- we can do this for you as part of your contract or as a nominal
one-time fee.
Good luck!
The Team at GiveSmart Donor CRM
