Lesson 9.1 – Importing Names and Data

Welcome to Module 9! As your organization grows, you may acquire lists of new donors, prospects, or event attendees from outside sources. Instead of manually typing each new constituent into your database one by one, FastFund Raising provides a powerful data import utility.

In this lesson, we will explore how to prepare your constituent data, utilize FastFund’s import templates, and successfully execute a bulk name import.

1. Preparing Your Data

Before you can import names into FastFund Online, your data must be properly formatted to match the system’s database fields.

Key Import Rules:

• File Format: Your import file strictly must be saved in a Comma Delimited (.csv) format.
• Batch Limit: The Constituent Import tool is limited to importing a maximum of 5,000 names at one time.
• Using Templates: To guarantee your columns match FastFund’s fields perfectly, you should always download and use the provided CSV import template.

Downloading the Template:

1. Navigate to Utilities on the Main Menu, and under DATA IMPORTS, select Import Names.
2. Click the blue Constituent link to download the template.
3. The downloaded template contains the exact column headers FastFund expects, such as First Name, Last Name, Organization Name, Addresses, Phone Numbers, Email, and various tracking Codes (like Attributes, Classifications, and Roles).

2. The Import Process

Once your constituent data is organized into the CSV template, you are ready to upload the file.

Steps to Import:

1. Navigate back to Utilities > Import Names.
2. From the Import Type drop-down menu, select Constituents.
3. In the Import File area, click the Browse button to locate the CSV file on your computer, select it, and click Open.
4. Click the blue IMPORT button.

3. Reviewing the Preliminary Summary

Clicking import does not immediately push the data into your live database. Instead, FastFund first scans the document and presents a Preliminary Summary window.

This summary displays the total number of names (CSV rows) found in your file, the number of valid names, and flags any errors or warnings.

• If there are errors: A message will appear detailing which fields or rows contain incompatible data. You must click CANCEL, open your CSV file to correct the specific errors, and re-run the entire import process.
• If the file is validated: If there are zero errors, your file is ready for processing. Click the IMPORT button on the summary window to finalize the upload.

Upon a successful import, FastFund will automatically send an email to the user who initiated the process, containing a list of all the names that were successfully added to the database.