Where to start
In order to import donors, contributions, email opt-ins, and volunteers from an existing NGP database into a nation, begin by exporting the database. The export may come with a Microsoft Access database file (*.mdb) and 18 Microsoft Excel workbook files (*.xlsx). If Access is available, joining several of the Excel workbooks together can allow for fewer total imports, but this guide assumes 1) use of only Excel and NationBuilder to perform the migration and 2) an empty NationBuilder database.
Before importing any of these files, make sure to review preparing for your first import. A common pitfall is the presence of hard returns, as they can cause unexpected record splits. As a reminder, it is a good idea to test a small snippet of each file (10-15 records) to ensure proper mappings and field standardization. Once a successful test snippet is imported, reuse the field mappings on the full import.
Data included in a standard NGP database export
Here is a rundown of the Excel workbooks included in a standard NGP database export that can be standardized for import into NationBuilder and a summary of their contents.
NGP export file name: Summary of contents
ExportCodes: NGP main codes (customizable people descriptors).
ExportContrib: Contributions (donor, date, amount, method, election cycle, etc.).
ExportMain: Main contact record file (name, address, phone, email, occupation, etc.).
ExportVolunteer: Volunteer codes (customizable volunteer role descriptors).
Once these Excel workbooks have been cleaned, make sure to save them as CSV files. To avoid creating duplicate records across imports, use NGP's "ContactID" field as a unique identifier mapped to "ngp_id." The following guide will provide suggested standard field mappings for each file, but if there are other columns desired for import, email [email protected].
To begin, import ExportMain (under People > Import > Voter file) so that all references to people in the other files will properly dedupe. If not importing voter districts, a one time import can be used instead.
NGP field name: NationBuilder field name (SIGNUP subnav unless otherwise stated) - Instructions
ContactID: ngp_id
Prefix: prefix
Firstname: first_name
Middle: middle_name
Lastname: last_name
Suffix: suffix
Gender: sex - M/F/O
Address1/2/3: address1/2/3 (ADDRESS)
City: city (ADDRESS)
State: state (ADDRESS)
Zip: zip (ADDRESS)
Carrier_rt: carrier_route (MAILING_ADDRESS)
HomePhone: phone_number
WorkPhone: work_phone_number
FaxPhone: fax_number
Phone3/4/5: mobile_number - Select only one column to map to this field.
Email/2: email - Can map same field twice.
Employer: employer
Occupation: occupation
County: county (ADDRESS)
Precinct: Precinct name (PRECINCT)
Congress: federal_district
Statesenate: state_upper_district
Statehouse: state_lower_district
Party: party - 1 character Party abbreviation - full list of political parties.
Enterdate: created_at
Notes: background - Will override previous background.
Work Address1/2: address1/2 (WORK_ADDRESS)
Work City: city (WORK_ADDRESS)
Work State: state (WORK_ADDRESS)
Work Zip: zip (WORK_ADDRESS)
WebSite: website
Assistant: assistant_name_or_email - Must be valid member of nation.
Birthdate: dob - MM/DD/YYYY
CanEmail: email_opt_in - ***Y/N: important for email deliverability***
Make sure that the ExportMain import completes before moving forward. Next, import ExportContrib (under Finances > More > Import Donations) to attach donations to the newly created signup records. Do not import the NGP "ID" field.
NGP field name: NationBuilder field name (DONATION subnav unless otherwise stated) - Instructions
ContactID: ngp_id (SIGNUP)
Type: fec_type_name/fec_type_id - ***Do not use fec_type_ngp_code, translate using this guide***
Date: created_at - MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM
Amount: amount - Dollars
Method: id/name (PAYMENT_TYPE) - ***Do not use ngp_code (PAYMENT_TYPE), translate using this guide***
Period: name (ELECTION_PERIOD) - ***Do not use ngp_code (ELECTION_PERIOD), translate using this guide***
Cycle: election_cycle
Source: tracking_code_slug
Tran_ID: note
Check: check_number
ExternalFile: background (SIGNUP) - Will override previous background
NGP main codes and volunteer types are both used to classify people and can thus be imported as tags into NationBuilder.
For the ExportCodes file:
NGP field name: NationBuilder field name (SIGNUP subnav unless otherwise stated)
ContactID: ngp_id
CODE: tag_list
For the ExportVolunteers file, append a column in Excel to designate volunteers. Title the header "is_volunteer" and add a "Y" to each record that should be marked as a volunteer in NationBuilder. Read more about volunteer roles here.
NGP field name: NationBuilder field name (SIGNUP subnav unless otherwise stated) - Instructions
ContactID: ngp_id
Type: tag_list
Notes: background - Will override previous background
___: is_volunteer - ***Created pre-import***