We spoke with Bonny Morris, the Director of Annual Giving and Database Manager at Proctor Academy about their experience managing the flow of data from Raiser’s Edge (RE) NXT to EverTrue. Bonny is responsible for ensuring their team works with the best, most up-to-date data in EverTrue and NXT.

Scheduling Imports

Bonny delivers updated data to EverTrue on a monthly basis, without missing a beat. Below are some of the approaches implemented to accomplish consistent data delivery:

• Use a recurring calendar notification to remind yourself when it’s time to pull a CSV to upload to EverTrue.
• In addition to establishing monthly imports, set up a giving data import every two weeks. Since giving data changes most frequently, we recommend refreshing this data at a higher frequency than other pieces. The constituent file may be split into different components, which allows you to import some pieces of the file more frequently than others.

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Generating CSV Files

Our goal is to help you streamline this process so it takes no more than 45 minutes each time you run the file. This includes any manipulation (if needed) of your file and mapping of the data in Console. Please note the inactive time of extracting the file from RE and the file-processing time from EverTrue will vary based on the size of your file. Though we cannot control these times, you will be free to work on other things during these inactive periods.

To ensure efficient file generation, be sure to keep in mind these key points:

• NXT is an overlay to the underlying RE database, so you can bypass the NXT interface when crafting your file. To do so, select the Open Database View in the upper right-hand menu after logging into NXT.
• Bonny suggests keeping EverTrue’s Constituent Data Guide open as you craft your file. Raiser’s Edge has a lot of great, pre-built fields that EverTrue asks for. If there are fields in our guide that your database does not already have, talk with your Implementation Partner or EverTrue Support (genius@evertrue.com) to determine what’s best for your institution.

When pulling a file from Raiser's Edge NXT to EverTrue, please note the following considerations:

• RE stores only 2-digit years. EverTrue added the ability to import 2-digit years based on feedback from RE users, so there is no longer a need to manually manipulate the field.
• Your RE instance may not have a separate field for primary indicators in Addresses, Phones, and Emails. EverTrue requires a primary indicator when using our Online Giving product. Having this indicator improves searches and filtering for EverTrue end users, even if you are not using Online Giving.
• Using RE custom attributes on the constituent level is great for things such as EverTrue Roles. If your institution uses EverTrue Roles, consider making that an attribute for easy extract
• Based on the way RE stores Actions & Notes, you may find that some data points we request for ingestion aren't present. Not all fields EverTrue asks for are required unless you are implementing EverTrue's Frontline module (this module pairs back to our Portfolio Assignments file)
  • If your institution is implementing this module, please consult with EverTrue Support using genius@evertrue.com to talk through the next steps. 
• RE allows spouses to be secondary objects without their own unique record and ID, meaning you may not easily be able to extract spouse information from your database. This makes it difficult to ingest spousal data into EverTrue, since we require every constituent to have their own record with a unique ID. It will affect the number of records you are sending to us, and the depth of relationship information available in EverTrue.
  • We recommend starting internal conversations about elevating spousal records if possible while understanding this represents a big undertaking. In the modern advancement world, personalization is key and you may miss out on delivering the best possible stewardship and outreach experience if spouses do not have their own records. 
• In EverTrue’s Data Guide, we suggest names for each column header that are helpful when mapping your file into EverTrue's Console. During the creation of your file, RE will let you rename your fields (pre-export) so that those headers are in place for every extract.
• Set up a dynamic query of constituents that you are interested in ingesting into EverTrue. We suggest including all living and active records.
  • Your export file can then reference that preset query so you can quickly pull a full file export for EverTrue. To make things easier, stick with pulling full files each time instead of attempting to pull incremental files. This will simplify the import process and maintain data integrity within the EverTrue environment. 

Sampling an Export Control Report

If you would like to see more from Bonny, take a look at the guide they put together showcasing all of the fields they pull from RE NXT to EverTrue!

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For any other questions reach out to EverTrue Support at genius@evertrue.com.