Importer Begin Process Tab

When you are ready to import a spreadsheet into ExceedFurther, open the Begin Process tag and do the following:

Step 1

In Step 1, you locate the file to import and indicate the type of file along with a few parameters about the data.

  1. Indicate the type of data you are importing. For each type, some additional questions are asked:
    1. Gift Only - each line in the spreadsheet contains data about a single gift. Each gift includes an ExceedFurther household or organization ID number that identifies the donor. Select from the following choices:
      1. If matched, attach gift to entity - if the ID number is located in ExceedFurther, attach the gift to the matching household or organization.
      2. If matched, attach gift to primary name - if the ID number is located in ExceedFurther, attach the gift to the primary name in the matching household or organization.
  2. Note: if the ID number is not located in ExceedFurther, the gift is rejected.
    1. Bio Only - each line in the spreadsheet contains data about a person, couple or organization. It may contain address, email, phone, job title, birth date, tags, and any other information about each name.
      1. Importing organizations - check this box if your spreadsheet includes organizations as well as households.
  3. If you are importing organizations, your spreadsheet must include a column indicating that a particular row is an organization. This column should contain a "Y" for organizations and an "N" for households.
    1. Importing households - check this box if your spreadsheet includes households.
      1. If person1 and person2 are being imported, make them a couple - the two names are imported into the same household and a couple name is also created.
      2. If person1 and person2 are being imported, do not make them a couple - the two names are imported into the same household but a couple name is not created.
    2. Bio and Gift - each line in the spreadsheet contains a person, couple or organization with their biographical details, along with a gift and its details.
      1. Gift Options
      2. If matched, attach gift to entity - if a matching name is located in ExceedFurther, attach the gift to the matching household or organization.
      3. If matched, attach gift to primary name - if a matching name is located in ExceedFurther, attach the gift to the primary name in the matching household or organization.
    3. Bio Options
      1. Importing organizations - check this box if your spreadsheet includes organizations as well as households.
      2. If you are importing organizations, your spreadsheet must include a column indicating that a particular row is an organization. This column should contain a "Y" for organizations and an "N" for households.
      3. Importing households - check this box if your spreadsheet includes households.
        1. If person1 and person2 are being imported, make them a couple - the two names are imported into the same household and a couple name is also created.
        2. If person1 and person2 are being imported, do not make them a couple - the two names are imported into the same household but a couple name is not created.
    4. Bio and Activity - each line in the spreadsheet contains a person, couple or organization with their biographical details, along with an activity and its details.
      1. Activity Options
        1. If matched, attach activity to entity - if a matching name is located in ExceedFurther, attach the activity to the matching household or organization.
        2. If matched, attach activity to primary name - if a matching name is located in ExceedFurther, attach the activity to the primary name in the matching household or organization.
        3. If matched, attach activity to person - if a matching name is located in ExceedFurther, attach the activity to the matching person in the matching household or organization.
    5. Bio Options
      1. Importing organizations - check this box if your spreadsheet includes organizations as well as households.
      2. If you are importing organizations, your spreadsheet must include a column indicating that a particular row is an organization. This column should contain a "Y" for organizations and an "N" for households.
    6. Importing households - check this box if your spreadsheet includes households.
      1. If person1 and person2 are being imported, make them a couple - the two names are imported into the same household and a couple name is also created.
      2. If person1 and person2 are being imported, do not make them a couple - the two names are imported into the same household but a couple name is not created.
    7. Activity Only - each line in the spreadsheet contains data about a single activity. Each activity includes an ExceedFurther household or organization ID number that identifies the person.
      1. Note: if the ID number is not located in ExceedFurther, the activity is rejected.
  4. Locate the file you are importing by clicking on the Browse button and navigating to the folder that contains the file. Select the file and click on Open.
  5. The file name appears on the Begin Process tab. If this is the wrong file, click on Browse again to select a different file.
  6. Select the sheet name within the spreadsheet you have opened.
  7. Indicate the row in the spreadsheet that contains the column headers.
  8. Indicate the row in the spreadsheet where the data begins.
  9. Click on Next.

Step 2 - Map Fields

In step 2, you match each column in your spreadsheet to its corresponding data in ExceedFurther. This step is referred to as "mapping." In addition you can set default values for fields in ExceedFurther that do not appear in your spreadsheet. These default values are added to your data as it is imported.

If the spreadsheet is in the same format (columns are in the same order with the same fields) as a prior spreadsheet you imported in the past, you can select the name of the prior spreadsheet. The mappings from that spreadsheet are filled in for you.

The mapping list includes every possible field in ExceedFurther that is available for the type of data your are importing. Next to each field is a drop down list containing all of the column headers from your spreadsheet.

To map the spreadsheet columns to the ExceedFurther fields, do the following:

  1. For each column in the spreadsheet, select your spreadsheet column from the list of column headers on the left.
  2. For that column, locate and select the ExceedFurther field where you want the data to go.
  3. Once you have highlighted both fields, click on Save.
  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for all of the spreadsheet columns you wish to import.
  5. Add default values for the fields that are not part of the spreadsheet but need values as the new data records are created in ExceedFurther.
    1. For example, if all the names in the spreadsheet have the same Source code, rather than adding a column for Source code in the spreadsheet, you can select a default Source code that will be applied to all names as they are imported.
    2. Note you may need to scroll down past the mapping to see the list of fields where you can set default values.
    3. To add default values, for each Field Name in the list of fields, select a Field Value from the drop down list. If there is a Client Default set for this field in Admin, check the box to override the Client Defaults.
    4. Default values can also come from the Client Defaults tab of the Admin tab. If you have set default values to be used as new records are added, these same defaults may be applied to imported records also.
    5. For each field, the hierarchy for determining the value for that field is as follows:
    6. The field is part of the spreadsheet and has a value. For example, Reason is set to "Newsletter".
    7. The field is blank in the spreadsheet or not in the spreadsheet at all, but you selected a default at this step and checked the "Override Client Defaults" box. For example, you selected "Import" as the default Source code.
    8. The field is blank in the spreadsheet or not in the spreadsheet at all, and you selected a default at this step but did not check the "Override Client Defaults" box. If there is a Client Default, it is used. If not, the Field Value you selected is used. For example, you selected "Import" as the default Source code, but Client Defaults has "Staff" as the Source. If you checked the "Override" box, "Import" is used. If not, "Staff" is used.
    9. The field is blank in the spreadsheet or not in the spreadsheet at all, and you did not enter a default at this step, but there is a default set in Client Defaults in Admin. For example, in Client Defaults, gift type is set to "Gift."
    10. The field is blank in the spreadsheet or not in the spreadsheet at all, and no default is set at this step, and no default is set in Client Defaults in Admin. In this case the field is left blank as the record is imported. For example, the "Is Volunteer" check box is left unchecked.
  6. Once you have mapped all the fields and added defaults, click on Next.

Step 3 - Validate Data

At Step 3, your data is validated against a set of criteria to ensure that it is ready to be imported. If there are errors, a list appears at this step.

  1. If the validation error is due to data in your spreadsheet, return to your spreadsheet to correct the errors. Save the spreadsheet. You will need to return to Step 1 to locate and upload the corrected spreadsheet before continuing. Your settings and mappings are still there when you return to Step 2 and then Step 3.
  2. If the validation error is due to a missing code in ExceedFurther, open the Admin tab to add the missing code and description. Return to Step 3 and click on the Validate button to check to see if the issue is corrected.
  3. Once all of the validation errors have been fixed, a message appears allowing you to proceed with the import. Close the message and click on the Import Transactions button. Note that this does not add the transactions to your permanent ExceedFurther files. Rather it places the data in a temporary spot where you can review it before doing the final import.
  4. A message appears to tell you the transactions were imported. Click on OK to continue to the next step, where you review the data as it will look in ExceedFurther and where you compare the names to existing names to avoid creating duplicate records.