Donor Duplicate Detection

The Duplicate Detection feature helps you identify and manage duplicate donor records in your campaigns. This powerful tool automatically finds donors who appear multiple times in your database and provides you with easy ways to merge them together, ensuring your donor data stays clean and organized

To navigate to the "Duplicates Table" click "Donors" under "CRM" on the main menu and click the "Duplicates tab".

Why use Duplicate Detection?

Common Scenarios

  • Multiple Registrations: A donor registers for the same campaign multiple times

  • Different Contact Methods: Same person uses different email addresses or phone numbers

  • Family Members: Parents and children with similar names get mixed up

  • Data Entry Errors: Typos in names, addresses, or contact information

  • System Migrations: Duplicate records created during data imports

Benefits

  • Cleaner Data: Maintain accurate donor counts and avoid inflated numbers

  • Better Communication: Prevent sending duplicate emails or mailings

  • Accurate Reporting: Get precise donation totals and donor statistics

  • Improved Relationships: Maintain complete donor history in one record

  • Time Savings: Automatically identify duplicates instead of manual searching.

Getting Started

1. Choose Your Campaign

  1. Navigate to the Donors section

  2. Select Duplicates tab

  3. Choose the campaign/form you want to scan from the dropdown.

2. Run a Scan

You have two scan options:

Basic Scan

  • Best for Quick identification of obvious duplicates

  • Speed: Faster processing

  • Accuracy: Good for exact matches

Enhanced Scan

  • Best for: Comprehensive duplicate detection

  • Speed: Takes longer but more thorough

  • Accuracy: Finds subtle duplicates and variations.

3. Review Results

After the scan completes, you'll see:

  • Duplicate Groups: Donors that appear to be the same person

  • Confidence Levels: How certain the system is about each match

  • Match Reasons: Why these donors were identified as duplicates

Managing Duplicates

Viewing duplicate groups

Each duplicate group shows:

  • Primary Information: Username, email, and key details

  • Count: How many duplicate records were found

  • Oldest Record: When the first record was created

  • All Duplicates: Expand to see every record in the group

Selecting Primary Donor

  1. Expand the duplicate group by clicking "Show Duplicates"

  2. Review each donor record in the group

  3. Select the donor you want to keep as the primary record

  4. The selected donor will be marked as "Primary"

Merging Options.

Merge Selected

  • What it does: Combines all duplicate records into the primary donor

  • Data handling: Keeps the best information from each record

  • Relationships: Transfers all donations, commitments, and activities

  • Result: One clean donor record with complete history

Mark as Not Duplicate

  • What it does: Tells the system these are actually different people

  • When to use: When the system incorrectly identified them as duplicates

  • Result: Records remain separate and won't be flagged again.

Advanced Features

Custom Detection Rules

You can customize how the system detects duplicates:

Field Selection

  • Choose which fields to compare (names, emails, addresses, etc.)

  • Set importance levels for different types of information

  • Include or exclude custom fields you've created

Sensitivity Settings

  • High Sensitivity: Finds more potential duplicates (may include false positives)

  • Medium Sensitivity: Balanced approach (recommended)

  • Low Sensitivity: Only finds obvious duplicates (may miss some)

Cultural Settings

  • Western Names: Standard first name, last name format

  • Hispanic Names: Handles paternal and maternal surnames

  • Asian Names: Recognizes family name, given name order

  • International: Supports names from various cultural backgrounds

Incremental Processing

  • Smart Scanning: Only checks new or changed records

  • Faster Results: Reduces processing time for large databases

Merge History

Viewing History

  • Merge History Tab: See all merge operations you've performed

  • Batch Information: View details about each merge batch

  • Success Rates: Track how many merges completed successfully

Undo Functionality

  • Undo Merges: Reverse merge operations if needed

  • Restore Records: Bring back merged donor records

  • Safety Net: Provides confidence to merge without fear of data loss.

Best Practices

Before Merging

  1. Review Carefully: Always check that donors are actually the same person

  2. Verify Information: Make sure addresses, phone numbers, and other details match

  3. Check Relationships: Ensure family connections make sense

  4. Consider Timing: Look at creation dates to understand the sequence

After Merging

  1. Verify Results: Check that the merged record contains all important information

  2. Test Communication: Send a test email to ensure contact information is correct

  3. Update Reports: Refresh any reports that might be affected

  4. Document Changes: Keep notes about significant merges for future reference

Regular Maintenance

  • Monthly Scans: Run duplicate detection monthly to catch new duplicates

  • After Imports: Always scan after importing new donor.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

No Duplicates Found

  • Check Settings: Verify detection rules aren't too strict

  • Review Data: Ensure donor information is consistent

  • Try Enhanced Scan: Use the more thorough scanning option

Too Many False Positives

  • Adjust Sensitivity: Lower the detection sensitivity

  • Review Rules: Check if detection rules are too broad

  • Manual Review: Use "Mark as Not Duplicate" for incorrect matches

Merge Errors

  • Check Permissions: Ensure you have proper access rights

  • Verify Data: Make sure donor records aren't corrupted

  • Contact Support: Reach out if technical issues persist

Getting Help

  • Documentation: Check this guide for detailed instructions

  • Support Team: Contact our support team for technical assistance

  • Training: Request additional training for your team

  • Feedback: Share suggestions for improving the feature.

Conclusion

The Duplicate Detection feature is an essential tool for maintaining clean, accurate donor data. By regularly using this feature, you can:

  • Improve Data Quality: Keep your donor database clean and organized

  • Enhance Communication: Avoid sending duplicate messages

  • Accurate Reporting: Get precise statistics and insights

  • Save Time: Automate the tedious process of finding duplicates

  • Build Better Relationships: Maintain complete donor histories

Remember, clean data leads to better donor relationships and more successful campaigns. Take the time to use this feature regularly, and you'll see the benefits in improved communication, accurate reporting, and better donor engagement.

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