If you have new Contacts that need to be created in Virtuous CRM+, we have a tool to make this process efficient! Whether you’re creating Contacts in bulk through a file of Contact data or through a batch of Gifts with new donors, the Import Tool manages large uploads of your data.
Table of Contents
Bulk Create Prerequisite
Before getting started with importing, you must Enable Ability to Create New Contacts With No Match On Import in Organization Settings to bulk create Contacts. Enabling this feature allows you to create many Contacts at once in the Import Tool when there are no possible matches found. However, if there is any matching piece of data, a new Contact will not be create–it will instead be flagged for review to manually make a match or opt to create new. If this feature is disabled, new Contacts can only be created one at a time in the Import Tool.
To enable this feature, navigate to Settings from the main navigation. Then, select Organization Settings.
Find and select the checkbox for Enable Ability to Create New Contacts With No Match On Import.
For more information on enabling this organization setting, click here to learn more.
Working With A Contact Import
To begin with the data import, download the Contact Import Template available in the Gift and Contact Import Tool. Find this template on the left-hand side of the main Gift and Contact Import screen.
This file has all the headers corresponding to CRM+ Contact data fields to make importing as smooth as possible. Enter the appropriate information in the appropriate columns in the template. Your Contact Import file will look like this:
Note: This example file has columns I through U hidden and columns X through AF for ease of reference.
Household Contacts
If your new Contacts are Households, the CSV file only requires three fields to be completed:
- Contact Type (Household or Custom Contact Types with the base type as Household)
- First Name (applies to the Primary Individual)
- Last Name (applies to the Primary Individual)
When including a Secondary Individual, the Secondary First Name and Secondary Last Name fields begin on column AG in the template.
Contact Name is not a required field. Virtuous CRM+ will automatically populate the Contact Name field based on the Contact Name Settings established in your Settings. To learn more about the formatting options, review this Support Article that covers the setting features in full detail.
Email Address is the primary unique identifier in Virtuous CRM+. If available, it is always best to enter an Email Address to minimize duplicates.
Organization or Foundation Contacts
If your new Contacts are Organizations or Foundations, the CSV file only requires four fields to be completed:
- Contact Type (Organization, Foundation, or Custom Contact Types with the base type as Organization or Foundation)
- Contact Name
- First Name (typically the main point of contact at the organization)
- Last Name (typically the main point of contact at the organization)
While First Name and Last Name may not always be available for Organization or Foundation records, we recommend establishing a Default First Name and a Default Last Name, like "Friend" as the First Name and "Of Organization Name" as the Last Name. This default entry can be standardized in your Custom Contact Name Settings to have it ignored when identifying potential duplicates.
Upload The File
Once your file is ready to import, it's time to upload the file. In the Gift and Contact Import Tool, select the blue plus button in the top-right corner of the page. In the pop-out window, toggle the drop-down box Import Type field to Contact Import. Select the Import File box and select the appropriate file to be uploaded from your computer. Select Save Import and the file will begin processing.
Input Required
Depending on how your final file is formatted, Virtuous CRM+ may throw a few flags up for review to ensure clean usable data is being imported. If your import reflects the Status as Input Required, select the hyperlinked phrase. This will take you to a page where any fields needing attention will be highlighted.
Note: To avoid additional input needed, do not modify any of the headers in the Virtuous CRM+ provided template
If you notice there has been a formatting error while preparing your file, you can always delete the import altogether and re-upload the revised file. Simply click the trash can icon to the right of the specific import to be deleted.
Match Needed, Update Needed, Ready for Import
When the Contact Import file has been processed in the Gift and Contact Import tool, Virtuous CRM+ will look at all of the data provided and attempt to match each field with the correct Contact record. These Contacts will then be sorted into three different categories: Match Needed, Update Needed, or Ready for Import, which you’ll see listed at the bottom of the screen once you’ve begun your new Import.
Select each of the tabs to correct any errors, match or create Contacts, or make your updates.
If your organization has turned on Enable Ability to Create New Contacts With No Match On Import in your Organization Settings, a banner will appear at the top of the Match Needed tab with the option to Create New Contacts in bulk.
Select this action and confirm Create Contacts to begin creating the records of all unmatched Contacts.
While the bulk creation is processing, you are still able to review Contacts sorted into the other tabs of your Import.
If you have chosen to not enable the bulk create Organization Setting, you’ll be required to click into each record to create the new Contact, or use the quick key command to instantly create the new Contact and select them as a match.
If an existing Contact is matched with a Contact being imported with new data for the record, there may be updates needed to the existing Contact. In the Update Needed tab, all records with potential updates will be presented for review. And once the records have been tended to they will move to the Ready for Import tab. For more information on the Match Needed, Update Needed, and Ready for Import tabs within the Import Tool, click here.
Then, you can select the Import button in the top-right corner to begin the final import.
Once the file import has been completed you will receive an in-app notification as well as an email notification.
Bulk Create Through Gift Import
If you are importing a batch of Gifts with new donors, you’ll also need to create new Contact records to match the Gifts. When the Gifts come to the Import Tool through a CSV file or through a giving integration, any Gift without a Contact record will be flagged in the Match Needed tab. Just as with a Contact Import, you’ll need to enable bulk creation in Organization Settings. Then, in the Import Tool, a banner will appear prompting you to Bulk Create these new Contact records. All new Contact records must be created before you can complete the Gift Import. Click here to learn more about the Gift entry process.