[Ali]

We're using Kintera Sphere for our new website. There's going to be many imports (constituent, gift, relationship) to get data from Sphere into RE. I'm not scared of imports, but BB suggested I needed the Advanced Import custom module because "that's what other clients who have went with Kintera are using." The Kintera folks said that they have created a plug-in that sends the data back and forth.

Anyone else out there using Sphere? What do you do to import the data into RE beyond just the standard import?

[Melissa Siobhan]

Ask Kintera what they mean by plug in that imports back and forth. I doubt highly it is an automatic button you push that makes it magially appear in RE. It probably creates a file that you need to send through the import file. If the file contains both constituent and gift data you will need advanced import. If it send out multiple files (gifts and constituents separate) then you may be able to do it with just regular import.

Ask them for a reference of someone using Kintera and RE and speak to the person there who performs the import (using the Kintera plug-in). Then you may get a picture of what you need.

[DavidZ]

If Kintera says that it is a plug-in then it could well be a button that you just press! I have designed plug-ins that integrate different applications and it is possible that Kintera have simply created a plugin that pushes and pulls certain data points to and from the website.

David

[peasap]

We have been using Kintera Sphere for over 3 years now and I have to say that NOTHING is as easy as a touch of the button. There is supposedly a link between the Sphere and Raisers Edge that makes the process somewhat easier but you will still most likely have multiple imports just for one batch.

Our National HQ developed an import tool in conjunction with Blackbaud to import donors AND gifts all at the same time. Raisers Edge will check the import for existing records, if one exists then only the gift will be added, if no records exist then one will be created. All gifts are placed in a batch to be manipulated prior to posting. I also use this tool to import Kintera Sphere gifts.