How to Import Donations via CSV

Import donations in bulk using CSV files. This is ideal for migrating historical data or importing from external fundraising platforms.

Upload your CSV file to start the import process

What you'll need

• Admin or Treasurer role

• CSV file with donation data

• Column headers matching Pulsar fields

Preparing Your File

Required Columns

• Amount - Donation amount (numbers only)

• Date - Date of donation (MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD)

• First Name - Donor's first name

• Last Name - Donor's last name

Recommended Columns

• Email - For matching and communication

• Address - Street, City, State, ZIP

• Occupation - Donor's occupation

• Employer - Donor's employer

• Payment Method - Check, card, cash

Download Template

Download our donation import template to ensure proper formatting.

Importing Donations

Open Import

Go to Fundraising → Donations and click Import.

Upload File

Drag and drop your CSV or click to browse. Pulsar will preview your data.

Map Columns

Match your CSV columns to Pulsar fields. Pulsar will auto-detect common column names.

Map your CSV columns to the corresponding Pulsar fields

Configure Matching

Choose how to handle donor matching:

• Match by email - Link to existing contacts by email

• Match by name - Link by first + last name

• Create new - Always create new contacts

Review and Import

Review the preview, then click Start Import.

After Import

Review Results

Check the import report for:

• Successfully imported donations

• Skipped or failed rows

• New contacts created

Fix Issues

If rows failed, download the error report, fix the issues, and re-import just those rows.

Duplicate Prevention

Pulsar checks for duplicate donations (same donor, amount, and date). Duplicates are flagged for review.

Review your import results and fix any issues

Next Steps

• How to Record Donations

• How to Export Donation Data

• Understanding Donor Management