The Raiser's Edge Data Cleanup Series: Mass-Delete Bad Addresses

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post on categorizing duplicate addresses based on my previous non-profit experience using The Raiser’s Edge. The post explained how to locate any duplicate or faulty addresses using Excel functions in exported data and re-importing them with specific address types (such as Duplicate). When completed, you have a clear indication of valid vs. invalid addresses.

Good news! We have a free utility to delete any duplicate addresses you no longer need to track.

Fortunately, Blackbaud Support offers a handy utility, the Alternate Address plug-in, which deletes all addresses using a particular address type. Make sure you carefully follow the installation instructions, or chat with Support if you need any help. Once installed, you can easily remove any unwanted address types.

To access the plug-in and install instructions, read Knowledgebase solution How to download and run the Alternate Address Deleter plug-in. You’ll need to download the plug-in to the desired workstation, follow the installation instructions, and log in as an administrator for the plug-in to work.

As always, before running a global process - especially a global delete - ensure you have a recent, tested backup of your database, no other users are logged into the system, and you know exactly what you’re doing. Also make sure you’ve had your coffee that morning.

Once installed, the process couldn’t be simpler. Go to the Plug-Ins module near the bottom of the Navigation Bar from The Raiser’s Edge main menu. Click the Alternate Address Deleter link. Select the Address Type you want to delete using the drop-down menu, and click Begin.
Note: The plug-in will delete every single address of this type. You should be absolutely positive that you no longer want these addresses.

One more suggestion: Archive the addresses before deleting. In my original blog post, I recommended not immediately deleting all of the invalid or duplicate addresses. I suggested waiting 3-6 months from the point of the initial cleanup, so that you and your coworkers are absolutely certain that no valid information exists under these addresses. I would also consider using Export before using this plug-in so you have an archival document of all addresses and related phone/email information. You never know when one of those thousands of addresses has that one bit of info you might need in the future.

Now, all of those duplicate addresses have been purged from your system, leaving only your clean and correct constituent addresses. I hope this utility will help keep your database nice and clean, saving you time and money on your next mailing.

Have an idea for a future blog post? Facing a difficult data cleanup problem and seeking advice? Leave a comment below, and it just might make it into a future blog post.