To import contributions into ParishSOFT’s Offering module, your data must be formatted precisely. This guide outlines how to structure your spreadsheet—including required headers, contribution details, and optional fields to ensure a smooth, error-free import.
To jump directly to the step-by-step video tutorial, click here.
Creating an Import File
- The import file can have any name, but it must be saved in CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format.
- In Windows, it must have a .csv (comma separated value) extension.
- The file must contain contribution records only—no pledge records are accepted.
To view an example of an import file, see Import File Example.
After you create the file save it to your hard drive. Make note of where you save the file because you will need to locate it when you do the import.
Header Information
The first row of the import file contains the header. The header is required and must contain the following information:
To get a list of your Fund ID's (for the Contribution Data) and your Organization ID (for the header), see How to export a list of your funds. See this image for a sample of the output you can expect. Once you have the IDs, you will need to enter them in your online giving software, or contact your online giving software vendor for assistance.
Contribution Data
Contribution data immediately follows the header row. Each contribution record occupies a single row. The following tables detail the required and optional data in a contribution record.
Required Contribution Data
The data required in each contribution record is identified in the following table. If a given record is missing any of this data, the system cannot import it.
Note: The amount should not include a comma.
Click here to scroll down to the Optional Data information.
To get a list of your Fund ID's and your Organization ID (for the header), see How to export a list of your funds. See the following image for a sample of the output you can expect.
Optional Contribution Data
A contribution record can contain the data defined in the following table, but this data is not required. Note: do not add any of the words listed as optional in all caps.
Import File Example
The following illustration shows you an example of an import file containing contribution data from non-ParishSOFT systems. Note that the first row contains header information. The remaining rows in the file contain contribution data in the imported records: If your computer will not generate this image, please scroll down to the bottom of this article and click the attachment link. If the image does not display, scroll to the bottom of the article and click on the attachment which will show the image.
- Generic_Import_Template.csv16 Bytes
- Generic_Import_Example.xlsx10 KB
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