Our most frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding imports are listed below. If you have a question that isn't answered here, please contact our Customer Care Team.

What format should I use for the information to be imported?

Please submit your import information as a spreadsheet (MS Excel or CSV file).

Note: If you send us a shared document (for example, using Google Docs), we will convert the document to a separate CSV file. If you make changes to the shared document after submitting it, be aware that, unless you inform us of those changes, they may not be included in the import.

Does Galaxy Digital provide spreadsheet templates for importing data?

Indeed we do! Contact us with your request, and we will send you the template(s) you need.

What can be imported?

The following types of information can be imported into your Connect site:

  • Agencies
  • Users
  • User Groups
  • Needs
  • Need Responses
  • Volunteer Hours Submitted

We do not currently import events.

What is the information can be imported for each type of data? 

Below are listings of the types of data that can be imported for agencies, users, needs, and user groups. Please contact us for further information on need responses and volunteer hours.

Agency Imports

The following information can be included in an import of your organization's agencies. Each item listed should be a separate column in your spreadsheet.

  • Agency Manager First Name (required)
  • Agency Manager Last Name (required)
  • Agency Manager Email (required)
  • Agency Name (required)
  • Street Address 1
  • Street Address 2
  • City
  • State
  • ZIP Code
  • Contact Name
  • Contact Title Name
  • Contact Email
  • Phone Number
  • Phone Extension
  • Fax Number
  • Additional Notification Recipients
  • Additional Location Information (can include landmarks, parking instructions, multiple location addresses, etc.)
  • Who We Are (mission, vision, history, etc.)
  • What We Do (programs and services)
  • Hours of Operation
  • Custom Link
  • Website URL
  • Facebook URL
  • Twitter URL
  • Video URL
  • Causes
  • Source ID (separate from ID that will be assigned upon import)
  • Comments (will be imported as administrative comments; for internal use only)
  • Tags (can be particularly valuable if you have agencies that do not easily fit into our default categories, or causes.)
  • Employer Identification Number (EIN)

If you have columns for data not included here, consider some of the alternatives for including it.

User Imports

The following information can be included in an import of your platform's users.  Each item listed should be a separate column in your spreadsheet.

  • First Name (required)
  • Last Name (required)
  • Email Address (required)
  • Street Address 1
  • Street Address 2
  • City
  • State (should be two-letter state abbreviation)
  • County
  • ZIP Code
  • Country (should be two-letter country code)
  • Phone Number
  • Phone Extension
  • Mobile Phone Number
  • Company Name
  • User Groups (comma-separated IDs)
  • Job Title
  • Birthday (Use YYYY-MM-DD format)
  • Gender (Male, Female, Prefer Not to Say, Other)
  • Interests
  • ID (separate from ID number that will be assigned upon import)
  • Tag(s) (separate multiple tags by commas)
  • Indication of whether the person wishes to be contacted in case of a disaster

Tip: While you can import user groups, we recommend importing the user groups without users, and then assigning the user groups as part of the user import.

Need (Volunteer Opportunity) Imports

The following information can be included in an import of your organization's volunteer opportunities.  Each item listed should be a separate column in your spreadsheet. Note that only Ongoing, Runs Until, and Happens On needs can be imported; Recurring Shift and Custom Shift needs cannot.

  • Agency (required)
  • Title (required)
  • Description
  • Address
  • Address 2
  • City
  • State
  • ZIP Code
  • Date (Use YYYY-MM-DD format)
  • Date Type (Use On for Happens On; Until for Runs Until; and Ongoing for Ongoing)

    Note: If the Need Date is blank, the need will automatically be given an Ongoing type. If the date is provided but the Need Date Type is blank, the need will be made a Happens On type.

  • Registration Closed Date
  • Community Impact Area
  • Number of Volunteers Needed
  • Hours
  • Mininum Age Requirement
  • Additional Contact Email(s)
  • Comments
  • Tags (comma-separated)
  • Interests
  • Initiatives (use initiative ID; separate by commas)
  • Allow Team Registration (Use 1 for Yes, 2 for No)

Note: Needs for advanced events can also be imported. Contact us if you wish to import needs into an existing advanced event on your site. 

User Groups

The following information can be included in an import of user groups. Some of the items below apply for SLM user groups only; these items are in bold text. (SLM is a paid add on to the site built primarily for schools. Click here to learn more.) Each item listed should be a separate column in your spreadsheet.

  • User Group Title
  • Description
  • Allowed Domains
  • Users (comma-separated)
  • User Group Type (GC for standard; SLM for service learning; if left blank, the system assumes GC)
  • Approved Hours Only (1 for yes; 0 for no)
  • Goal
  • Block
  • Agencies (comma-separated)
  • Leaders (comma-separated)
  • End Date

For more information about user group data, click here.

Responses

The following information can be included in an import of need responses. Some of the items below apply for SLM user groups only; these items are in bold text. (SLM is a paid add on to the site built primarily for schools. Click here to learn more.) Each item listed should be a separate column in your spreadsheet.

  • User Email
  • User Address
  • Program or Agency Name
  • Need Title
  • Response Date
  • Response Note
  • Initiative ID
  • Shift ID

For more information about user group data, click here.

Hours

The following information can be included in an import of volunteer hours. Note that a response ID must be included; this means that responses must exist in the software before the hours can be imported. Some of the items below apply for SLM user groups only; these items are in bold text. (SLM is a paid add on to the site built primarily for schools. Click here to learn more.) Each item listed should be a separate column in your spreadsheet.

  • User Email
  • Need Title
  • Program or Agency Name
  • User Group(s)
  • Date Served
  • Hours Served
  • Miles Traveled
  • Description
  • Response ID

Individual hours can also be imported; for more information, consult our Customer Care team.

How do I activate imported agencies and users?

When agencies or users are imported, they are given a status of "Imported." Imported agencies (and any imported needs belonging to them) will not be visible on your imported site until the agencies are activated. Imported users cannot access the site until their accounts have been activated.

Activating Imported Agencies

The agency-activation process includes sending a notification to the applicable agency managers.

To activate imported agencies:

  1. From your Manager Panel, go to Volunteerism > Agencies. A list of agencies is displayed.
  2. Select Imported from the Status dropdown.
    Only your imported agencies are now displayed. In addition, a message with a Send Notification Now button is now available.
  3. Select the agency or agencies to activate by marking each applicable checkbox. To select all agencies, mark the box in the column heading.
  4. Click the Send Notification Now button near the top of the screen. Two actions are triggered:
  • The selected agencies are made active on the site.
  • Each agency manager receives an email that (1) informs them that they've been designated as an agency manager, and (2) tells them how to log into both the site and the Agency Management Area.

    Note: The template for this message is titled "Agency Imported Message." Click here to learn how to edit the text of this and other notification templates.

Your agencies are now activated. If you imported any needs for these agencies, those needs will now be visible on your Manager Panel and on your public Connect site.

Activating Imported Users 

The user-activation process includes sending a notification to each imported user.

To activate imported users:

  1. From your Manager Panel, go to Volunteerism > Users. A list of users is displayed.
  2. Click on User Filter to open the user filter, and then run a filter on User Data > User Status > is > imported.
  3. Click Submit to view only those users with a imported status.
  4. From the Select an Action dropdown, select Activate Imported Users.
  5. Click the Activate Imported Users button to confirm your selection. Two actions are triggered at this point:
  • The users' accounts are activated.
  • Each user receives an email that (1) welcomes them to your site and (2) provides a temporary password so that they can log into the site.

    Note: The template for this message is titled "User Imported Message". Click here to learn how to edit the text of this and other notification templates.

How do I notify agency managers that their agencies have been activated?

Agency managers are contacted as part of the activation process described here.

Why can't I see my imported needs?

Imported needs are not visible on the site until their sponsoring agencies have been made active. In other words, as long as an agency has a status of "imported," its needs will not be visible.

Once the agency has been made active or pending, you can view the needs.

Tip: Want to get a sneak-peek of the needs? From your Manager Panel, go to the agency's profile and change the agency's status from Imported to Pending. Next, click Assume beneath agency manager's name. You'll be taken to the front of the site, where you can access your agency management area and view the needs as the agency manager.

Are user accounts created for agency managers when they are added as part of an agency import?

As stated previously, an agency manager's name and email address are required for a successful agency import. The system automatically creates user accounts for all agency managers imported with the agency information. When an agency is activated through the process described here, the agency manager gets an email telling them how to log into the site and access their agency page.

What happens if an agency manager is also listed in my spreadsheet of users to be imported? Will this result in duplicate accounts?

During a user import, if the system recognizes a user's email address, it will automatically update the user's account. As a result, you don't need to worry about duplicates being created.

How long does the import process take?

The short answer is, it varies. A simple user or agency import can be completed relatively quickly. Larger imports that include needs, need responses, hours submitted, and user groups can take longer. If there are data issues that need to be addressed (such as missing information, inconsistent information, spelling errors, etc.), an import can take several days or longer.

How can I ensure that my import goes as smoothly as possible?

There are several ways to ensure that your import goes as smoothly as possible.

  • Check for consistency. If you are importing historical information (such as past need responses or hours submitted), be sure that the agencies and users in the historical records match those in the agency, need, and user records you're sending us for import. If you are importing users with a user group import, the user IDs must match the IDs in the system.
  • Consider data that don't "fit" the import. Be aware of what data can be imported, and adjust your spreadsheets accordingly. If some information on your spreadsheet is not vital, just delete that column from your spreadsheet. If you do want to include the information in the import, consider putting it into the "Tags" column or the "Comments" column. If you want to combine the information in two columns, combine the columns--or let us know so we can do this for you.