Census Merge Steps

For some of the steps below you will work with your Project Manager and other steps you’ll complete on your own.  These steps are very important for a smooth parish merger. Our Project Manager will be in touch and available for questions you may have along the way.

1. Review the Parish Merge Frequently Asked Questions document using the link below:
   • • Parish Merger FAQ’s
2. Update the merging parish databases.  Verify that all sacraments as of the merge effective date have been recorded.   Post any outstanding contribution data.
3. Run end-of-year contribution statements as of the effective date of the merge.  Pull any reports needed for historical purposes.  ParishSOFT recommends you run at least the following reports:
   • • Family Directory Reports
     • Parish Statistics
     • Kenedy Statistics
     • Offering & Pledges
     • EOY Statements
     • Contribution Summary for any years you tracked contributions
     • Pledge List for any years you tracked pledges
     • Ministry Scheduler
     • Minister List
     • Religious Education
     • Class Lists
     • Class Attendance Records
4. On your scheduled day, ParishSOFT will pull a backup of the merging parishes’ databases and begin the Merge to Staging Process via your Merger Checklist. This step will take approximately 3 to 5 business days. You may continue working on your data.
5. When the Merge to Staging Process is complete, you will receive an email with your login information for your review site. Your data will be placed in a read-only format for review.  During this review process you will compare the data from the merging parishes’ databases to the newly merged parish database.  ParishSOFT recommends that you review at least the following:
   • • Family Directory
       • Select a few family records from both merging parishes and verify that those records are correctly reflected in the merged parish database.
       • Review your registered and unregistered counts.

Note: If the merging parishes share family records, your total record counts will be less, as those shared families will now be a single-family record in the merged database.

• • • • If you request that new family workgroups be created from the merging parishes, you will want to review these to make sure that the families in the workgroups accurately reflect the families from those parishes.
      • Your total family count for these workgroups should equal the total family count in the pre-merged parish databases.

Note: If you added any new families after ParishSOFT started the Merge to Staging Process these records will not be in the Review Site.

• • • • If we prefixed or re-numbered your offering envelope numbers, please review the envelope numbers that were changed as outlined in your Merger Checklist.
    • Offerings
      • If your merge work included contributions and pledges as of the effective date of the merge, compare the Contributions: Posting Report for all funds to verify that all contributions/funds as of the effective date of the merge are correct.

Note: Remember if you posted any contributions after the Merge to Staging Process started, these will not be reflected in the stage site data.  Be sure to adjust your date range for the report accordingly.

• • • • For pledges with outstanding balances associated with an active fund, we will create new pledges with the balances using the effective merge date as the pledge start date.

Note: Contribution history prior to the effective date or any pledge data is not merged.  Pledges may be re-added once you are live in your merged data.

• • • Ministry Scheduler
      • If your merge created a new parish, the Ministry Scheduler information from the merging parishes cannot be merged.
      • If your merge did not create a new parish and the parish receiving the merged records has existing Ministry Scheduler information, please compare those records to the pre-merged database. Verify that the Ministry Scheduler information contains all the same Groups, Ministries, Roles & Events.  Spot check a few Minister records as well.
    • Religious Education
      • If your merge created a new parish, the Religious Education information from the merging parishes cannot be merged.
      • If your merge did not create a new parish and the parish receiving the merged records has existing Religious Education, please compare those records to the pre-merged database. Verify that the Religious Education information contains all the same Terms, Sessions & Classes.  Spot check a few student records.   Should you have any questions or find discrepancies in your merged data please contact your Project Manager. Once you are satisfied with the results of your merged data you will respond to the login email with your official acceptance of the data, and we will schedule the production run for your merge.

Note:  If your Diocese uses any Diocesan products, such as Diocesan Development Manager they will also review the data and will need to provide ParishSOFT with their official acceptance as well. 

6. Prior to your scheduled merge into production date you will notify all staff members to stop working in the merging parishes databases by close of business the night before.  ParishSOFT will perform your Merge into Production and email you with login information when it is complete.  You will also be provided a login with read only access to the Contribution History for the merging parishes for two years following the merge.  Your Merge into Production will take approximately 3 business days.
7. Begin Using your merged database!

Note: You will need to review and add any new staff records you require for the merged database.

Updated February 03, 2025 21:10