Overview
Gift opportunities can be imported into Slate to create or update opportunity records in bulk. You can also import related Opportunity Notes and connect gifts, pledges, or planned gifts to opportunities during import.
Use this process when you need to:
- Migrate opportunities from another legacy advancement system
- Create or update opportunities in bulk
- Add historical notes or activity to opportunities
- Connect imported gifts, pledges, or planned gifts to the opportunities they relate to
Before You Begin
Before importing, make sure you have:
- Existing constituent records. Each opportunity must be connected to an existing person or organization record in Slate.
- A way to identify the constituent. Your file should include a Slate ID or another unique value that can be used to find the correct record.
- A way to identify existing opportunities, if updating. Use the opportunity’s Slate GUID, identity number, or external ID.
- Existing related records. Funds, campaigns, appeals, and assigned staff users must already exist in Slate before they can be referenced in the import.
- Clean lookup values. Statuses, types, fund types, and other configured values must match the options already configured in Slate.
Importing Opportunities
When mapping the file, use the Opportunity import destination group. These fields create or update the opportunity record.
These opportunity fields include:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Opportunity – Summary | Name or title of the opportunity. Required when creating a new opportunity. |
| Opportunity – Description | Description of the opportunity. |
| Opportunity – Date | Opportunity date. |
| Opportunity – Ask Date | Date the ask was made. |
| Opportunity – Asked Amount | Amount requested. |
| Opportunity – Anticipated Amount | Expected amount. |
| Opportunity – Probability | Probability value. |
| Opportunity – Status | Configured opportunity status. |
| Opportunity – Type | Configured opportunity type. |
| Opportunity – Fund Type | Configured fund type. |
| Opportunity – Fund | Fund connected to the opportunity. |
| Opportunity – Campaign | Campaign connected to the opportunity. |
| Opportunity – User | Assigned staff user, matched by username. |
| Opportunity – External ID | Identifier from another system. |
| Opportunity – Slate GUID | Used to match an existing opportunity. |
| Opportunity – Identity | Used to match an existing opportunity. |
Custom fields scoped to opportunities may also appear as available import destinations.
Creating vs. Updating Opportunities
Slate uses the mapped opportunity identifiers to determine whether to update an existing opportunity or create a new one.
When an opportunity row is imported, Slate looks for an existing match using:
- Opportunity – Slate GUID
- Opportunity – Identity
- Opportunity – External ID
If a match is found, the existing opportunity is updated.
If no match is found and Opportunity – Summary is provided, Slate creates a new opportunity.
If no match is found and no summary is provided, the row is skipped.
To avoid duplicates, always include a matching identifier when updating existing opportunities.
Basic Import Steps
- Create a new upload or open the source format.
- Select the appropriate import source file.
- Map the constituent identifier so Slate can find the correct person or organization.
- Map the fields in the Opportunity destination group.
- If updating existing opportunities, map at least one opportunity identifier.
- Run the import
First run the import in your Test Environment. Once confirming the data imported as expected, run the import in your Production Environment.
Connecting Gifts to Opportunities
Gifts, pledges, and planned gifts can be connected to opportunities during import. This is done from the gift, pledge, or planned gift import destination by mapping the opportunity identifier.
Available fields include:
| Import Area | Field | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Gift | Gift – Opportunity Identity | Matches the gift to an opportunity by identity number. |
| Gift | Gift – Opportunity External ID | Matches the gift to an opportunity by external ID. |
| Pledge | Pledge – Opportunity Identity | Matches the pledge to an opportunity by identity number. |
| Pledge | Pledge – Opportunity External ID | Matches the pledge to an opportunity by external ID. |
| Planned Gift | Planned Gift – Opportunity Identity | Matches the planned gift to an opportunity by identity number. |
| Planned Gift | Planned Gift – Opportunity External ID | Matches the planned gift to an opportunity by external ID. |
The opportunity should already exist before importing the gift, pledge, or planned gift. If Slate cannot find a matching opportunity, the gift is imported without an opportunity connection.
If a gift was imported without an opportunity connection, it can be updated later by importing the gift again with the appropriate gift matching identifier and opportunity identifier.
Importing Opportunity Notes
In the Slate interface, notes attached to an opportunity appear as Opportunity Notes.
When importing these notes, the import destination is called Opportunity Log.
Use the Opportunity Log destination group to import notes or activity connected to an opportunity.
Common fields include:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Opportunity Log – Subject | Subject or title of the note. |
| Opportunity Log – Notes | Body of the note. |
| Opportunity Log – Date | Date of the note. If not provided, Slate uses the current date and time. |
| Opportunity Log – User | Staff user associated with the note, matched by username. |
Custom fields scoped to Opportunity Log may also appear as available import destinations.
Each Opportunity Note must be connected to an opportunity. To attach notes to existing opportunities, include an opportunity identifier in each row, such as:
- Opportunity – Slate GUID
- Opportunity – Identity
- Opportunity – External ID
Recommended Import Order
For the cleanest results, import related data in this order:
-
Constituents and organizations
These records must exist before opportunities can be imported. -
Reference records
Confirm that funds, campaigns, appeals, users, statuses, and types already exist. -
Gift opportunities
Import or update the opportunity records. -
Gifts, pledges, or planned gifts
Import these records and map them to the appropriate opportunity, if applicable. -
Opportunity Notes
Import notes using the Opportunity Log import destination and include the opportunity identifier. -
Review the results
Confirm that opportunities, gifts, and notes appear on the correct records.
Reviewing the Import
After importing, review a sample of records to confirm that:
- The opportunity appears on the correct constituent record.
- The summary, status, type, fund, campaign, user, dates, and amounts are correct.
- Gifts, pledges, or planned gifts are connected to the correct opportunity.
- Opportunity Notes appear on the correct opportunity.
- Duplicate opportunities were not created.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Opportunity imported to the wrong record | Confirm that the constituent identifier is mapped correctly and resolves to the intended person or organization. |
| Duplicate opportunities were created | Confirm that an opportunity identifier was included when updating existing records. |
| Gift did not connect to an opportunity | Confirm that the opportunity identity or external ID matches an existing opportunity on the correct record. |
| Opportunity Notes did not attach | Confirm that each row includes an opportunity identifier and that the identifier resolves to an existing opportunity. |
| Fund, campaign, or user was not found | Confirm that the related record already exists and that the imported value matches Slate exactly. |
| Status or type failed validation | Confirm that the value matches a configured option in Slate. |
| Dates or amounts imported incorrectly | Use consistent date formats and plain numeric amount values without currency symbols or commas. |
Example
A university is migrating major gift opportunities from a previous advancement system.
First, they import opportunities using each donor’s Slate ID, the opportunity summary, status, type, asked amount, and an external ID from the previous system.
Next, they import historical gifts. Each gift row includes the donor, gift details, and the opportunity external ID. The gift import maps that value to Gift – Opportunity External ID, connecting each gift to the correct opportunity.
Finally, they import historical notes. Each note row includes the opportunity external ID, subject, note text, date, and user. The notes are imported using the Opportunity Log destination group and appear in Slate as Opportunity Notes.