Merging multiple RE databases - How do you wrangle write offs that need coding updates.

Elaine Tucker

I'm just beginning a huge project in combining multiple RE databases into one; each database will retain their “location” indicators; this means that we are overhauling all campaigns, funds, appeals and constituent codes to be consistent across the system.

I've started with the smallest RE7 database (no NXT), here is the scenario:
All 57,00 gifts are marked as posted, only a very small handful have campaigns or gift constituent codes. I can easily use the un-post plugin, do a global change to update the campaign / constituent coding to follow “location” standard. and then globally mark the gifts as posted.

My main issue is there are 790 pledges with write offs - what is the best way/cleanest way to update the gifts so they follow the coding requirements for the system-wide requirements regarding Campaigns, Funds and constituent codes? I know you can't open gift records directly from a query of write off gifts… looking to the community for ANY helpful tips, tricks, or work arounds.

Joe Moretti

@Elaine Tucker I think you are okay with just chaning the pledge and any payments on the pledge. With the write-off it should not matter since that gift type is not seen in a person's gift history, it only lives in the installements of the pledge.

Alex Wong

While technically write off gift is actually a gift record in the database table of RE, it is a “sub standard" gift record, where many of standard gift details does not applies.

A write off gift does not have campaign/fund/appeal/package specification, nor does it have gift code

Elaine Tucker

@Alex Wong - thank you, this was very helpful.

Elaine Tucker

@Joe Moretti, thank you, I thought there may be an issue with updating the campaign etc on the pledge since there was a write off, but it appears NOT to be the case.