Before you import
Where to import
In Givebutter, contacts are imported from Contacts, Import, and donations from Transactions, Import, Transactions Import. Both accept CSV and Excel files and let you match columns to fields. Bloomerang imports CSV files from its Imports page, with required fields that depend on the import type: first and last name for individuals, organization name for organizations, and date, amount and fund for donations.
Common errors and their fixes
Donations don't link to the right donor
Cause: Gifts are matched to donors as they're imported. Givebutter matches on Contact ID, or first and last name plus an email or phone; Bloomerang on account number, or name plus email, address or the last seven digits of the phone. A gift whose donor isn't found creates a new contact.
Fix: Import contacts first, then donations. Include the email or phone you imported each donor with, or better, the ID from a contact export.
Duplicate donors after importing
Cause: A name spelled differently (Bob and Robert, a missing middle initial) with no matching email or phone looks like a new person, and so does importing a corrected file on top of the first one.
Fix: Match names to what's already in the database, include an ID where you have one, and check for repeats before importing. The duplicate rows guide shows how to find them.
Addresses disappear
Cause: Givebutter keeps an address only if it's complete: with any address column filled in, Address Line 1, City, State, ZIP Code and Country must all be filled in, or the address is deleted.
Fix: Fill in every address column for a contact, or none of them. Bloomerang also wants address, city, state and ZIP in separate columns.
Country names aren't accepted
Cause: Givebutter's Country column takes a 2- or 3-letter code, such as US or USA. United States of America is rejected.
Fix: Replace country names with codes before importing. Find and replace each name once, for the whole column.
ZIP codes and phone numbers changed
Cause: Excel removes the leading zero from ZIP codes such as 02134, and can turn long phone numbers into 4.47E+11, before the file reaches the importer.
Fix: Format ZIP code and phone columns as Text before pasting, and check the CSV after saving. See the leading zeros guide and phone numbers guide.
International phone numbers rejected
Cause: Givebutter reads US numbers with or without dashes and parentheses, but international numbers must start with + and the country code, with no spaces, dashes or parentheses.
Fix: Write international numbers as +446073567777, not +44 (0)607 356 7777.
Contacts with emails won't import
Cause: Whenever a Givebutter contact import includes emails, it needs an Email Subscription Status column saying whether each person is subscribed.
Fix: Add the column with yes or no for every contact with an email. Use yes only for people who agreed to hear from you.
Payment method or amount not accepted
Cause: Givebutter accepts only its own payment methods (cash, check, card, ach, digital_wallet, paypal, venmo, donor_advised_fund, stock, in_kind, property, other), and amounts must be numbers above zero. Refunds can't be imported.
Fix: Map your old labels, such as Cheque or DAF, to Givebutter's values, and write amounts as plain numbers: $1,250.00 as 1250. The currency symbols guide shows how to clean a column.
Gifts credited to a new campaign
Cause: A Givebutter transaction names its campaign by code or by title, not both. A title that doesn't exactly match an existing campaign creates a new external campaign.
Fix: Copy campaign titles from Givebutter, or use the six-character campaign code from the campaign's page.
Fund or dedication rows fail
Cause: A Fund Code must already exist in Givebutter, and a gift with a Dedication Type needs the honoree's name. Check numbers only apply to gifts paid by check.
Fix: Create funds in Givebutter before importing, fill in the honoree for every dedication, and leave check numbers blank for other payment methods.
Bloomerang refuses the file
Cause: Bloomerang imports a CSV of up to 10,000 rows and 2 MB, with a header row, and individuals and organizations in separate files. Pledges, recurring donations and refunds can't be imported at all.
Fix: Save as CSV, split large files, keep individuals and organizations apart, and remove blank lines. Test with one or two rows first.
After importing
Givebutter lists every import under Settings, Imports, with the rows that failed and why, and lets you download just the failed records to fix and import again. Check a few donors and their gifts before anything else: names, addresses and which campaign each gift was credited to.
If an import went wrong, it can be deleted from the same page. Contacts who already have online transactions are kept, so delete and re-import early, before new gifts arrive. Imports don't start Givebutter workflows, so tag imported contacts from the dashboard if a tag should trigger one.
Checklist before you import
Collecting donor details or offline gifts?
Send volunteers and chapters a form instead of a spreadsheet. The Givebutter contacts template checks emails, phone numbers and country codes and keeps ZIP codes as text, and the Givebutter donations template takes only Givebutter's payment methods and amounts above zero.
Try the Givebutter donations templateRelated Guides
Relevant Templates
Import Builder is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Givebutter or Bloomerang. Givebutter and Bloomerang are trademarks of their owners. Import rules as described in each platform's help centre, October 2026.