How do I prepare my spreadsheet to import into my database?

How do I prepare my spreadsheet to import into my database?

First off, it is important to understand that for each import, you can perform Bulk Actions on volunteers listed in the spreadsheet.
If you want to assign your volunteer list to different opportunities, tags or shifts during the import process, you must perform separate imports. Each import should contain the list of volunteers who will be assigned to the same list of opportunities, shifts or tags.
We recommend using our template to upload your list of volunteers so that we identify potential errors before uploading the file!

Option 1: Use template (*Recommended)

1. Download the template (see attachments to this FAQ)

2. Add profile information about your volunteers. The first name, last name and email are required. All other fields are optional.

3. To help you identify any issues on the file before uploading it, the template provides conditional formatting for both the email and date of birth columns. Therefore, if any of those two field are inputted in an incorrect format, it will highlight the cell in red! Please note that for conditional formatting to show, you must use the correct paste option when copying and pasting information on the file. How do I properly use conditional formatting during the import process?

4. There is a maximum of 500 records (rows) per import


Option 2: Build a custom file 
  1. The first row is a header and will not be counted
  2. There is a maximum of 500 records (rows) per import
  3. You must use the same order and format of columns as shown below:
    1. Email *mandatory (must use 'something@domain.com' format) 
    2. First Name* *mandatory 
    3. Last Name *mandatory 
    4. Phone Number 
    5. Date of Birth (Must use 'yyyy-mm-dd' format) 
    6. Gender (Must be digits such as 0=Male, 1=Female, 2=Other, 3=Rather not say)

Ready to import your file? Read How do I upload my spreadsheet into my database?
Need help with the import process? Contact us and we'll help you format your document for the upload!