Best way to add 150+ Tribute records via Import?

Melissa Kornaus

I've only been using RENXT for about 6 months, learning as much as I can, and this is my first post, so I apologize if this is the wrong type of question for this forum!


I'm currently preparing to import my org's entire database (10,000 constituents/25,000 gifts) into an existing RE database. I have basic import templates for constituent and gift records that I've used for small segments of records (200 const/2,000 gifts), and will be able to use these for the majority of my remaining data. However, we have some data that I think may require more fields/headers or separate import templates altogether, which is where I'm a little stuck.


For example, with Tributes. I took the Tributes training course, but that was about creating Tributes one at a time... We have approximately 150-200 Tributes who have had gifts given in honor/memory of them (representing more than 1000 gifts). A small percentage of these are/were existing constituents, so do I just need to make sure to say TRUE under the IsHonMem column for those constituent records and that's it? What about the others?


Or should I segment all my Tributes into their own import file, then format the info using something like these Headers/Fields:
ImportID

KeyInd

FirstName

MidName

LastName

IsHonMem

Deceased

DecDate

TRGiftGiven

TRNotes

TRType


And then which headers do you need to add the information about the Acknowledgee, like their address and relationship to the Tribute?


Hopefully that makes sense! Thanks!

Faith Murray

Melissa, whenever I'm in doubt about an Import, I create a "dummy record" in RE and then use that to create an Import template. In your case, I would go into your own record in RE (of course you have one! ? ) and make yourself a tribute. Then go into another record and create a fake tribute gift in your honor. Create a query on these two constituent records, and link the query to a new tribute import. Click the button marked "Create Import File" on the General tab, and then select all available fields in the "Fields" tab.


This will give you all the info and default settings you need to import the real records. After which you can delete the fake ones, of course!