Merge Tributes combines two duplicate tribute records into a single record. Once merged, tributes cannot be unmerged.
When to Merge Tributes
Merge tribute records when:
- A donor created a tribute through the Giving Hub that duplicates an existing record.
- A staff member created a new tribute on a donation without searching for an existing one first.
Merge a Duplicate Tribute
Only two tributes can be merged at a time. If you have multiple duplicate tributes, repeat the process until you merge records down to the final tribute you want to keep. It is recommended that you test this process in your Sandbox site first.
Once merged, all associated notify tributes and donations from both tribute records are included in the final merged tribute record. If attachments and notes exist on both tribute records, only the attachments and notes associated with the final tribute record are retained. On related donation records, the Tribute field will be updated to show the final merged tribute.
To merge a duplicate tribute:
- Navigate to the Tributes page.
- Click List in the left-side menu.
- Review the list of tributes to identify duplicates.
- Click the ID of a tribute record you do not wish to keep.
- Click Merge in the left-side menu.
- Search for another tribute or click Show List, and select the other tribute you would like to merge.
- Merge - The tribute you want to merge and no longer keep as a separate tribute record.
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With Tribute - The final merged Tribute record. Only the With Tribute's notes and attachments will be kept.
- Review the merge details, and then click Process.
- The Merge tribute on the left will be deleted, the With tribute on the right will be kept.
- Once you click Process, this step cannot be undone.
Common Causes of Duplicate Tributes
Duplicate Tribute Record Created When Entering a Donation
New tribute records can be created directly from a donation record by filling out information in the New Tribute section. When a tribute record is created directly from a donation, the system will match it to an existing tribute if the tribute name is entered exactly the same as an existing record. In that case, no new tribute record is created.
However, if the tribute name is entered slightly differently, for example, due to spelling variations or the use of nicknames, the system will create a new tribute record. This can result in an unintentional duplicate. If gift entry staff do not manually check for an existing tribute before entering new information on a donation record, duplicate tributes are likely to be created.
It is recommended to establish an internal process for entering tributes to avoid potential duplicates.
For this example, additional information has been added to the tribute name and notify contact name to help illustrate the duplicate records.
Tributes Area List
Once the donation is processed, the new tribute record appears in the Tributes area next to the existing tribute for Jameson Wright.
Non-Profile Notify Contact Added
The new tribute now has a non-profile notify contact for Joan Weber.
Duplicate Tribute from Giving Hub Donation Name Mismatch
When a donor creates a new tribute from a Giving Hub donation, they may not know to search for an existing tribute first or enter the exact name of the tribute as it appears for the existing tribute.
In this example, a donor has created a new tribute from the Giving Hub. They entered the name of Jameson Wright as Jim Wright, because that is how they knew him.
Tributes Area List
In the tributes area, this has created a new tribute record with a different name, Jim Wright. There are now three tribute records for the same person that can be consolidated with merging.
Non-Profile Notify Contact Added
The new tribute from the Giving Hub also has a non-profile notify contact for Joan Weber because the donor entered Joan's information on the donation form.
For more information about non-profile notify contacts see Tribute Notify Contacts.
After Tributes are Merged
Once all tributes are merged together, all the notify contacts from the three separate tributes combine into the final tribute record.
Donations Listed
The donations from all three tributes now show on the final tribute record.
Non-Profile Notify Contacts
Two additional Joan Weber contacts have now been added that are duplicates. Further clean up is needed to review the non-profile contact information against Joan Weber's profile and update it if needed. Edit the tribute, combine the information onto one notify contact and then delete the extra duplicate contacts.
Duplicate Tributes Display in Giving Hub Search
All tributes that are publicly available to search will appear in the Giving Hub. This includes any duplicate tributes and may cause confusion about which tribute to select. It is recommended to regularly check the Tributes area for new tribute records and manage duplicates.