Mapping Data - Options in profile to connect contacts,memberships,contributions

[tkdavey]

Hi there,
It would be nice to see an option in the profile creation part that allows for the mapping of contact data to user created membership fields, and contributions of memberships.

I've been experiencing issues, along with I assume a whole lot of other people, around the importing of contributions only mapping to contact records and not mapping to membership records.
It would be helpful to have an option in the profile creation which would enable contributions to be mapped to both contacts and memberships.

I've seen a 'fix' in this thread - http://forum.civicrm.org/index.php/topic,19322.msg132154.html#msg132154 - and although fantastic, would need to be conducted after every contribution import which isn't ideal. It would be good if this was a part of the civiCRM core.

Thanks.

[JonGold]

This is a little confusing to me.  Are you referring to creating a profile?  Or an import mapping?

[tkdavey]

This is a little confusing to me.  Are you referring to creating a profile?  Or an import mapping?

At the moment, from what I've managed to find in the forums and from experience using the system, whenever contributions are imported to the system in bulk the contributions are mapped to the Contact record of the individual. However if the individual has a membership record there is currently no native way within the system to map imported contributions to the membership record.

So just to explain - we have an admin created profile which collects new membership registrations using the contribution page online form. When a new registrant signs up and completes the payment option, 3 'records' are created, one for Contacts, one for Memberships, and one for Contributions. When members register this way, the Contribution record is linked to both the Contacts and the Memberships record. However, if we were to upload new registrations in bulk (because we have hard-copy printed membership sign-up forms as well), this process from what we can see needs to take place in three different steps, first importing new Contacts, second importing new Memberships, and third importing Contributions (we haven't yet found a way to import new Contacts/Memberships/Contributions in one single phase/step).
What we're then experiencing is that the system is not mapping the uploaded Contributions to the Memberships, only to the Contacts. So when we look in the Memberships dashboard, although we've uploaded Contributions, these contributions don't show in the Membership record. There's simply a blank row. But if we search the Contact for that Membership, the Contribution shows under the Contact record. (Hope I haven't lost you by now)

Now we understand that some organisations/groups won't want to have this as an automatic feature when they're uploading Contacts/Memberships/Contributions in bulk, but we thought it would be good to have the option to select this level of mapping all three categories/areas. (and now I guess, to have the option of doing this in one single step/process)

Hope that helps.

[JonGold]

Aha - got it!

You're right that core CiviCRM doesn't have that functionality, though everything you need is available at the API level - notably, the MembershipPayment API, which was built for exactly this purpose.

You could write a script to handle this in about a dozen lines, if you're a scripting sort of person.  If not, and it's important to you, you could probably hire someone to write this for not too much.  Since it interacts with the API, it would also tolerate upgrading CiviCRM without fuss.

[JonGold]

That's not to say that I don't agree with your basic premise - that is, the entire import functionality of CiviCRM could stand a rewrite.  Of course, because API-level imports exist, it takes a lot of the pressure off of folks to build it - especially since the folks who could build it aren't feeling the pressure of having an older import system.  I think it'll take some crowdfunding to make this happen, for better or worse.

[tkdavey]

Thank you for the reply JonGold, much appreciated 

I'm a bit of a coding person, but not an expert, so I'll look into it and see how I go.

Thanks again

[JonGold]

hi tkdavey,

You can either write a script that calls the API via REST/JSON/etc., or, if you're lazy like me, you'll use the CSV import tool:
https://civicrm.org/blogs/xavier/api_batch_tools

[funkyblue]

This is something I have noticed too. I somethings think people forget Civi is used as Membership system with contributions used as a secondary feature. I would also like to see all three items 'linked' we had a very similar problem and were forced to manually go through and match some data.

Is there a central list people could post feature requests and upvote?

[Donald Lobo]

The improvements board (i.e. this board) is the right central board to post feature requests and improvements.

In general, folks who want to see a feature happen need to collaborate and figure out how to make it happen (i.e. either contribute code and/or sponsor a developer)


lobo

[funkyblue]

Thanks

Would the team consider something like an actual upvote forum?
Something like this:

http://oxid.uservoice.com/forums/31940-feature-requests

It could be a better way to see what issues people want and a better way to flesh out improvements.

Just my 2 cents.

Warm Regards
Scott

[JonGold]

FWIW - if any of the folks on this conversation are interested in funding an extension for importing contacts, memberships and contributions in a single step, we should talk further.  I could potentially take on that work, or at least help guide the discussion so someone else can.