Import Transactions and Historical Records

Many types of transactions can be imported into CommunitySuite in bulk. Imports are a quick and efficient way of entering large quantities of data, thus alleviating manual entry. They can be used for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, the following:

• Import historical transactions from a former system.
• Import transaction data that was not captured in CommunitySuite.
  • Example: Event fees collected at an event.

Import Types

The following types of transactions can be imported.

• Donations
  • Current and historical donations can be imported. Historical will not impact the general ledger.
• Grants
  • Current and historical grants can be imported. Historical will not impact the general ledger.
• Invoices
  • Current grants can be imported, but historical entries cannot. 
• Journal entries
  • Current journal entries can be imported, but historical entries cannot.
• Scholarships
  • Current and historical grants scholarships can be imported. Historical will not impact the general ledger.
• Vouchers
  • Current vouchers and statement vouchers can be imported.

Import Transactions

The process for importing all types of transactions is the same though on-screen instructions and settings will vary. The example below uses a donations import and calls out different information in other import types.

1. Navigate to the Donations page.
   • If importing another transaction type, navigate to that page.
2. Click Import Donations in the left-side menu. 
   • For other transactions, look for the related Import option.
   • If importing journal entries, select Journal Entry in the left-side menu, and then select Import.
3. Read the on-screen File Format Notes for the record type you are importing. 
   • These vary by transaction type and provide important information including which fields are required and how to format the data.
4. Review the example in the CSV File Format And Examples section. 
   • Notice drop-down menus in some fields. When this is present, it indicates that the value used in the template needs to match a value in the system.
     • Example: If a donation is imported to 1034, Fund for the Grand Canyon, then add 1034 in the  funit_id on the template.
       
       
5. Click [Download Template] in CSV File Format And Examples. 
   
   
   
6. Populate the template in accordance with the file format notes.
   • Some common questions and errors are addressed in the next section.
   • If there is custom field data to import with donations, grants, or scholarships, review the Import New Records with Custom Fields section in Import and Bulk Edit Custom Fields.
7. Save your file as a .csv.
8. Click Choose File in the Upload Donations section and select the saved .csv file.
   • The header of this section will vary by transaction type, but it will always be at the top of the page and will start with Upload.
     
     
     
9. Select the appropriate options in the Upload section, and then click Process.
   • Other import pages will have different options or no options.
     
     

A background job will be created. You can refresh the page to see the status. If you are importing a large file, you can do other work in the system while the job processes. If you have errors, click the JobID to see the detail.

Common Questions and Issues

Formatting the File

Q: Can I alter the import template?

A: Some things can be altered, and others cannot. A list of what cannot be done is below.

• Add columns that are not on the import template with exception of custom fields.
  • Custom fields can only be added to donation, grant, and scholarship imports.
• Rename headers.
  • This includes changing capitalization, adding/removing space(s), and using a header from another template.
• Reorder columns.
  • This will cause some imports to fail.
• Delete unused columns.
  • This will cause some imports to fail.

Import Errors

Here are a few things to check that address most import issues.

• The file needs to be saved as a .csv file. An Excel file cannot be imported.
  
  
  
• The ID's and values in the import file must match an ID or menu value in the system.
  • Example: If importing donations with a funit ID of 1234, you will get an error if that fund number does not exist in your site.
• Check column headers. They must match the import template.

Resources

Donation Import Videos

Grants Import Video

Scholarship Import Video