How do I import data into my account?

Use the import wizard to bring donor records, recipients, sponsorship relationships, historical transactions, photos, and documents into Gratona. Prepare a small sample first so you can check your mappings before importing a full file.

Before you start

Choose who will prepare the files, run the imports, and check the results. Confirm that the target program and its donor and recipient forms are configured and that your account has import-management access.

Keep your original data and copies of every import file. Clean duplicates, check email addresses and identifiers, and use consistent dates and numeric amounts.

For CSV imports, use a UTF-8 CSV with a header row and a file no larger than 10 MB. Required fields depend on the selected form and import type. After selecting a program, use the wizard's template and sample downloads to prepare the appropriate columns. Your own column names can be mapped in the wizard.

Recommended import order

Import recipients and donors before the sponsorship relationships or transactions that refer to them. A typical migration runs in this order: recipients, donors, sponsorship relationships, then transactions. Make sure the identifier values used by later files match the records already imported.

Open the import wizard

In the sidebar, open Data & Imports and select Imports. You can also open Programs, use the three-dot menu on a program card, and select Import; that program will be pre-selected.

Select the target program and the appropriate Import Type:

Recipient — create or update recipient records.

Donor — create or update donor records, including people and organizations.

Commitment Relationship — import relationships between existing donors and recipients, including sponsorship details.

Transactions — import financial transaction history.

Profile Photos — match photo filenames to existing donors or recipients.

Files and Documents — match uploaded documents to existing donors or recipients using a mapping CSV.

The wizard also offers Attendance & enrollment and Interactions, Notes, and Tasks for those separate workflows.

Import recipients

Choose Recipient, select the program, and upload your CSV. Select Next to continue to field mapping.

Map the CSV columns you want to import to the recipient fields shown. Complete required mappings and the Recipient Settings, including the number of sponsors or funding level and sponsorship amount where required by the program.

If you are updating existing records, enable Update existing recipient data with values from this file and choose both the CSV identifier column and the recipient field it matches. Use identifiers that uniquely identify the intended existing recipients.

Select Continue to validate the file, then review the Data Health summary, row errors, and warnings. Fix blocking errors before selecting Import Recipients.

Import donors

Choose Donor, select the program whose donor form should be used, and upload the CSV. Select Next and map the fields you want to import.

For new donors, map all required fields. Ordinary donor rows need a username or an email address: map Username, or enable the option to use mapped email addresses as usernames. Email is required unless the selected donor form allows donors without email addresses, and a password is generated when one is not supplied. Rows classified as DAF sponsor or IRA custodian through the Organization subtype mapping need an organization name instead and require no email address, username, or password. See Import individuals, organizations, DAF sponsors, and IRA custodians from CSV for the full institution workflow.

To update existing donors, enable Update existing donor data with values from this file and select the CSV identifier column and corresponding donor field. Donor ID means the numeric system ID, not an unrelated source-system identifier. If matching on a custom identifier instead, select that custom donor field.

Review optional household, notification, relationship, and payment gateway settings before continuing. Only map fields you intend to change.

Select Continue, review validation results, resolve blocking errors, and select Import Donors.

Import sponsorship relationships

Choose Commitment Relationship and select the program. The donor and recipient records must already exist.

Upload your CSV and use the mapping step to select the fields that identify each donor and recipient. Map the relationship amount, date, and other required settings shown by the wizard. Use the program's intended sponsorship amounts and schedule details rather than assuming all relationships use the same billing frequency.

Validate and review the file before submitting the import. Check the imported relationships and recipient sponsorship availability after processing completes.

Import transactions

Choose Transactions, select the program, and upload the file. Match each row to the intended donor and, where applicable, recipient. Map the transaction amount, date, payment method, payment type, and any additional transaction fields you need. Review the available defaults and validation results rather than relying on the sample file's values.

This workflow imports transaction records. Check the mapped records and amounts carefully before submitting the batch.

Track and check your imports

After you submit a donor, recipient, relationship, or transaction import, Gratona opens the batch progress page. A batch-created message means processing has been queued; wait for the final result before treating the import as complete.

You can revisit batches from Past Imports in the import wizard. Compare the successful and failed counts with your source file and inspect a few imported records. Resolve errors before continuing with a larger batch. A batch can show Completed with failed rows, so check the final status together with both row counts. If a batch fails, open Batch Details to read the batch-level error message shown near the top of the drawer; it is separate from row-level errors.

Start with 5–10 representative records. Include the different field values and record types you expect to use, verify the results, and then import the full file. Keep your CSV files and batch details so that you can investigate any issue.

Import photos and documents

For bulk photos, choose Profile Photos, select Donors or Recipients as the resource, and select the field used to match filenames to records. Name each photo after the corresponding field value, upload the photos, run validation, and proceed with the import. See How do I import recipient photos? for the full recipient workflow.

For documents, choose Files and Documents and upload a mapping CSV first. Map the identifier, filename, and permission columns, choose the matching record field, and upload the documents. Stage the files with Upload Files, run Begin Validation, review the results, and select Proceed with Import. See How do I bulk upload files? for the full workflow and supported permission values.

Get help

If the mappings, validation messages, or imported results are unclear, contact Gratona support with the import type, batch details, and a description of the issue. Keep your original source files until you have verified the migration.