You can easily import data from CAF into Beacon using our pre-built import library templates.
Importing subscriptions from CAF
In Beacon, payments reflect transactions and subscriptions reflect the fact that someone is paying you regularly. This article has more information about this difference.
The CAF regular giving report will be imported into subscriptions in Beacon.
Download your regular givers report from CAF as a CSV file.
Create a new import template, and choose the CAF - subscriptions template. Click Create.
The template settings have already been pre-set. Feel free to review them and make the appropriate changes - and then save the template.
Tip: you'll probably want to add a new "Source" option for "CAF", and set this in the template's fixed data.Go to Import data > Run import. Upload your CSV from CAF, and start the import. Once the import is finished, you'll see this:
Importing donations from CAF
Download your donations data from CAF as a CSV file.
If you haven't already set up the two import template(s) for CAF, have a read of this article, and then go to Import templates > Manage templates.
Create a new template, and choose the CAF - payments template (we'll get to the subscriptions in a moment). Click Create.
All of the template settings have already been pre-set. Feel free to review them and make the appropriate changes - and then save the template.
Tip: you'll probably want to add a new "Source" option for "CAF", and set this in the template's fixed data.Go to Import data > Run import. Upload your CSV from CAF, and start the import. Once the import is finished, you'll see this:
Linking subscriptions and payments together
Important! The CAF donations CSV file doesn't provide any info to distinguish between single and recurring donations. This can cause a small quirk that's easy to fix.
The pre-made CAF donations import template in Beacon uses the Direct Debit Reference column to link payment records to subscriptions. In most cases, this is correct.
However, CAF make it possible to make one-off donations via Direct Debit, which will cause Beacon's importer to (incorrectly) create subscription records in Beacon.
Here's how you fix them after import:
Open the list of subscriptions record type
Look for the subscriptions that seem mostly blank:
You can easily find them with this filter:
Select all, and then bulk archive and delete them.