Creating and Editing Contacts
Contacts are the foundation of DonorDock. Creating complete and accurate contact records helps your team track relationships, manage communication, and report on engagement over time. This guide walks through creating new contacts, editing existing records, and linking contacts to households and organizations.
Contacts may be created manually, imported in bulk, or created automatically through online giving, forms, and integrations. This article focuses on creating and editing contacts directly within DonorDock.
Steps at a glance
Create a new contact from the Contacts page
Create a new contact using Quick Add
Edit an existing contact
Link a contact to a household or organization
Assign a relationship manager (Owner)
Full Navigation Steps
Option1: Create a Contact from the Contacts Page
Navigate to Contacts > Contacts
Click + Add Contact in the top right
Choose the contact type:
Individual
Household
Organization
Enter the desired contact details
Click Create and Save
Option 2: Create a Contact Using Quick Add
From any page in DonorDock, click the + icon in the top right
Select Add Contact
Choose Individual, Household, or Organization
Enter the desired fields
Click Create and Save
Quick Add is useful when you need to capture a new contact without leaving what you are currently working on.
Edit an Existing Contact
Navigate to Contacts > Contacts
Search for the contact you want to update
Click the contact’s name to open their profile
Click the pen icon to edit
Update fields as needed
Click Save
Other actions available from the contact actions menu may include archiving or deleting the record (based on your user role).
Link Contacts to Households or Organizations
Households and organizations must exist before you can link an individual to them.
To link a contact:
Open the contact record
Click the pen icon to edit
Locate the Household or Employer/Organization field
Search for and select the existing household or organization
Click Save
Once linked, you can navigate between related records to see household members or employees.
Assign a Relationship Manager (Owner)
Assigning an Owner helps your team manage donor relationships and prioritize outreach.
Open the contact record
Click the pen icon to edit
Locate the Owner field
Select the team member responsible for this contact
Click Save
Setting an Owner allows:
Filtering and reporting by the relationship manager
Receiving Action Board nudges for assigned contacts
Sorting contacts by owner to manage portfolios
Best Practices
Create contacts as soon as you receive new donor or participant information
Use consistent naming conventions for households and organizations
Assign Owners to support accountability
Review contact details after imports to ensure accuracy
Link contacts to households and organizations to preserve relationship context
Otto Tips
⚓ Link your crew: Connecting contacts to households and organizations gives you a fuller picture of relationships.
🌊 Assign an owner: Ownership keeps relationships from falling through the cracks.
🛟 Edit with confidence: You can update contact details anytime. Keeping records fresh improves reports and nudges.
🗺️ Use Quick Add when busy: Quick Add is your shortcut for capturing new contacts on the fly.
