Self-importing data is a quick, effective way to add information about your contacts and their donation history in bulk. However, it requires knowledge of Excel and additional preparation so the process runs smoothly.

The article below will help you import your records into 'Donor Management' using the self-import tool.

We recommend you review this helpful guide to prepare your data for self-import before starting this process.

From your 'Donor Management' Dashboard, click the 'Contacts' or 'Giving' tab on the left navigation panel.
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From whichever page you are directed to, click the 'Import' link in the upper right of the page.

Click on the 'Begin Your Import' button in the banner near the top of the page.

When the page reloads, you will find several options to proceed with your import. Select 'Import your spreadsheet'.

Click the 'Next' button in the upper right corner of the page.

Note: If you are only importing data from Constant Contact, PayPal, or MailChimp, you can select one of the corresponding options and import the exported files from those platforms. However, if you encounter any issues throughout that process or have data files that combine information from multiple sources, we strongly recommend trying the 'Import your spreadsheet' option instead.

You will next need to determine which type of contacts you're importing into Donor Management - individual donors and contacts, or organization contacts.

For more information on which import fields are needed for each type of contact, please click here.

Click the 'Next' button in the upper right to move on to the next step.

You may skip this step if you have already reviewed your data - in fact, we recommend reviewing and cleaning up your data before beginning this process! However, if you have not already, in this step you can review your data again and download a helpful spreadsheet that will help you in the upcoming steps.

Click the 'Next' button in the upper right corner of the page to move forward.

In this next step, click the 'Browse' button to select the file you want to upload.

Note: Your file must be in .csv, .xls, or .xlsx format.

You will also be asked if you want to apply mapping from a previous import.

If you choose to apply previously used mapping, skip the next step.

Once your file has been uploaded, you will be prompted to map your fields. Click here for a more detailed guide on how to complete this step.

Some columns will be automatically mapped by 'Donor Management' - but, we recommend double-checking that everything looks accurate!

Carefully review your data once more.

You can always backtrack to a previous step to make changes before moving forward.

When you are ready to start your import, click 'Next'.

When the page refreshes, you can view the progress of your import in the queue. You will also receive a confirmation e-mail when the import has finished processing - so, you do not need to keep that page open.

You should receive three e-mail notifications - one confirming your import is processing, one confirming your import is queued, and one confirming your import is complete.

Most import files will take less than an hour - but the larger the import file, the longer the processing time. If your import is still processing after a few hours and you have not received an e-mail, contact our Support team for further assistance.

If errors are discovered during the import, you will receive an e-mail notification with more detailed information. Rows of data containing errors are not included in an import process, so you may need to make some adjustments and re-import those particular records.

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