Use the import tool to upload a spreadsheet of data to Bloomerang CRM. Before you import, review the requirements and best practices in this article.
For information about how to run an import, view Import Data into Bloomerang CRM.
What kind of data can I import?
You can import this data:
Constituents — Import any data on the Profile page. Use it to create or update constituent records.
Groups — Import a list of constituents to one or more groups. You can import to new groups, or to existing groups that you manage. You cannot import to groups that Bloomerang CRM manages automatically, which include groups known as Bloomerang Donor Groups and membership level groups. For a list of groups, see View Groups.
Donations — Create new donation records. You may also include constituent profile data.
Interactions — Create new interactions. You may also include constituent profile data.
Notes — Create new notes. You may also include constituent profile data.
For a list of fields you can import, read Import Fields.
If you use Journey Automation:
If you automate birthday greetings, and your import includes constituent birthdays, imported constituents qualify to enter a Happy Birthday automation on their next birthdate.
If you automate donation acknowledgements, and you import a donation made within the last 30 days, that donation can qualify a constituent to enter a donation automation.
Warning: You cannot currently create or update pledges, pledge payments, recurring donations, and tasks using an import. These must be entered manually. Households cannot be created with an import, but you can use household account numbers to update the household name fields, or import to the head of household.
What type of file can I use for import?
Your data must be in a comma-separated values (.CSV) file. If the data is in an Excel file, use Excel's Save As option and save it as a .CSV file.
What size file can I import?
Your import file can be up to 10,000 rows long and a maximum of 2MB in size.
What are the required fields?
The required fields depend on what you are importing.
Constituents:
Individuals: First name, last name
Organizations: Organization name
Households: Account Number
Groups: First name, last name, and group name or names
Donations: Constituent required fields, plus date, amount, and fund
Interactions: Constituent required fields, plus date, subject, purpose, and channel. To import to the built-in Volunteer Activity and Volunteer Hours fields, the Purpose field must be Volunteer Activity.
Notes: Constituent required fields, plus date, and note
Tip: If you want to add data to existing constituents, also include information to match constituents. We recommend the Bloomerang account number. See Update Constituents via Import.
How do I match constituents?
Constituents or organizations match when the account numbers match, or when the name matches and one of the following matches:
Email address
Standardized street address
Last seven digits of phone number
See Search for more details.
How should my import file be set up?
Set up your file like this:
Separate individual and organization data into different spreadsheets. You need to import this data separately.
Include a header row. Each column should have a heading that clearly labels what data it contains.
When updating household name fields, include the household account number.
Use column headings that closely relate to the field names in Bloomerang CRM. This makes your import easier later. For example, name a heading "First Name" instead of "f_name."
Split name and address data into their individual components. If the data is in its own field in Bloomerang CRM, it needs its own column in your import file.
Name data: For instance, title, first name, middle name, last name, and suffix should be separate. Don't import "John Doe" in a Name column.
Address data: For instance, address, city, state, and ZIP code information should be separate.
Create columns for each address, email, and phone type. For instance, your column headers might be Home Address, Work Address, Home Email, Work Email, Work Phone, Mobile Phone, and so on.
Note: If there are multiple columns of a type, the last column in the spreadsheet will be marked primary in Bloomerang CRM.
Change any phone number columns to be Text type, especially if you are importing international phone numbers. Double-check that Excel does not change the number when you save the file in CSV format.
Create one column for groups. To add a constituent to multiple groups, insert the pipe character between group names.
Example: Major Donors | Annual Donors | IU Alumni
Tip: The pipe character is a vertical line: |. On most keyboards, select Shift+\ to enter a pipe character.
Remove all blank lines from your file.
You can import data into custom fields. If you are importing into a pick-multiple custom field, enter all applicable values in the same cell, separated by a pipe: |.
Tip: Before importing your whole file, create a file with one or two rows of data. Use that file to test your import.
Download Templates
Download these templates to get started: https://bloomerang.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/bloomerang-import-templates-1.zip
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