Data Importer - Maintaining Your Data

📇 Constituent Records

1. Not Automatically Deleted
   • Removing a constituent from your data file does not delete them in GiveCampus.
2. Deleted Missing Attributes for Mapped Fields
   • If you import attributes like Preferred First Name and later leave those columns blank, GiveCampus will erase that data from the records.
3. How to Delete Entire Constituent Records
   • Upload a file specifically to delete those constituents under Data Import > Data Management.

---

📁 Non-Constituent Records (Addresses, Affiliations)

1. Full File Overwrites
   When you upload a constituent data file, any missing or blank fields in your file will overwrite and delete existing data in those fields within the constituent records. This is intentional and by design.
   • Removed from file → Deleted from GC
   • Updated in file → Updated in GC
   • New in file → Created in GC
2. Important: Always include all current data you want to maintain in each file to avoid accidental deletion.

---

💵 Gift History

1. By default, gift files are imported as "changes only" meaning you only need to import new gifts or updates to existing gifts. Gifts missing from the imported file will not be deleted.
2. Deleting gifts: You have the option to import a full file where gifts not included in subsequent imports will be deleted.

---

Examples

• If you include only the email addresses of your constituents and not the other contact information, the constituent will be maintained, but only email addresses will be maintained in constituent records. The other contact information will be deleted.
• Let’s say you previously had a phone number for a constituent, but you discovered it’s no longer valid and removed it from your source data. If the phone field is blank in your next upload, the system will remove that number from the record—preventing future texts to a bad number.
• If you update one column but leave another blank, we'll consider the blank data as deleted.

Original import:

Subsequent import:

---

FAQ's

Q: Are there any safety measures in place to ensure mass data isn't accidentally deleted?

 

Q: Can I send the same data type in multiple separate import configurations?

A: No, you should have one import configuration per data type. For example, you should only have one constituent configuration. Instead of creating new configurations each time you want to make changes, we recommend making updates to your existing configurations.

Q: Do I need to re-upload my entire constituent export when updating a few fields, or can I upload only changed rows?

A: We recommend uploading a complete constituent file each time. Although the importer can process a file that contains only updated rows, any blank mapped columns will clear the corresponding field on the record.

Full-file upload benefits

• The Data Importer treats the uploaded file as the complete source for every mapped field. Blank values will overwrite existing data, so it’s safest to include every field you want to retain.

What happens with a partial upload

• Only the records included in the file are updated or created. Records not present are not modified.
• If a mapped field is blank for any record in a partial upload, that field will be cleared on the corresponding GiveCampus record.
• Omitting a constituent from the file does not delete the record. Deletion requires using the dedicated workflow under Data Import > Data Management.

Recommended workflow for updating fields

1. Export the complete current constituent dataset from your CRM, including every mapped field.
2. Make your updates in the full export, ensuring all fields are populated with the desired data.
3. Re-import the entire file using your existing constituent import configuration.

Gift history imports

• Gift history files are imported as "changes only." You only need to include new or updated gifts unless your configuration is set to delete missing gifts.

Key reminders

• Partial upload: non-included records remain unchanged, but blank mapped fields in included rows will clear existing data.
• Always confirm your import configuration to know which columns are mapped, and test with a sample file before performing a full import.

Admin navigation

• To upload constituent files or manage import configurations, go to School Dashboard > Data Import.

 

Q: What happens in terms of de-duplication between imported and online gifts?

A: The system dedupes between imported gift records (from the Data Importer) and gift records from GiveCampus’ online giving based data on gift date, amount, and constituent⁠ to ensure gifts aren't counted multiple times.

 

Q: Can I export of list of constituents in the system?

A: Since each upload should be a full set of constituent data, the constituents in GiveCampus should match an export from your CRM.

FAQ — Which email address does GC Outreach use when a constituent has multiple imported email addresses?

• Each constituent record can store up to three email addresses: Preferred Email, Business Email, and Other Email. GC Outreach selects the delivery address using the following priority:

  1. Preferred Email
  2. Business Email (if Preferred Email is blank)
  3. Other Email (if both Preferred Email and Business Email are blank)

• Only one email address per constituent is used for each send. If a Preferred Email is on file, GC Outreach does not send to Business or Other Email for that send.

FAQ — How are the non-primary email fields (Business Email, Other Email) used?

• All three email addresses are included in GiveCampus’s constituent search index. This means a record can be found using any of the stored addresses, even though outreach targets the Preferred Email.

FAQ — How can I send outreach to a constituent's Business Email instead of their Preferred Email?

You have two options:

1. Upload a recipients list CSV that includes an email_address column, and supply the Business Email for the desired recipients. This CSV will override the default Preferred Email.

2. Update the constituent record so the Business Email replaces the Preferred Email. This can be done by mapping the Business Email column to the Preferred Email field in your full constituent import, then re-importing the file.

FAQ — Do I need to identify changed records before re-uploading an annual constituent file?

• No. Upload the full constituent file; the importer treats it as the authoritative source for every mapped field. Blank values clear the corresponding record fields, non-blank values overwrite, and new rows create new constituents.

• Best practice: export your complete current constituent dataset, update the full export (including all three email address columns), and re-import the entire file to avoid unintentional blanking.

FAQ — Where do I upload my refreshed constituent file and do I need a new configuration?

• Upload your file in Data Import > Import Files.
• Reuse your existing constituent import configuration for each refresh; a new configuration is not required.

Gotchas and tips

• Outreach always uses a single email per constituent, selected using the Preferred → Business → Other priority. For one-off campaigns needing a non-preferred address, upload a recipients list CSV with the desired address in the email_address column.

• When changing which email serves as the primary delivery address, update the Preferred Email field during your full import rather than using a partial upload, which may clear other mapped fields.

• Maintaining Business Email and Other Email values is beneficial for search and matching, even though outreach sends target only the Preferred Email.

• To review or update the column mappings, go to Data Import > Import Configurations.

If you need an export out of GiveCampus, please contact the GiveCampus support team.

 

 

 

 

 

A: Yes, deletion only occurs if the new file is at least 50% the size (in bytes) of the largest file previously processed for that data type. For example, if your largest file was 10 MB and the subsequent file is 1 MB, records missing from the new file won’t be deleted because it fails the size check.