Cleaning Up Contact Name Data Before Importing
When importing new contacts into DonorDock, it is important to include and map the First Name and Last Name fields. DonorDock uses these fields to create the contact's display name. If the import does not include a First Name or a Last Name but has an email address, DonorDock will create the contact with (Unknown) as the display name.
Different systems store and export names differently. Another system may export a contact's entire name into a single Full Name column, or it may combine an individual's name and company name into the same field. Before importing into DonorDock, you will need to separate this information into the appropriate name parts.
Name Fields Available in DonorDock
DonorDock includes several system fields that can be used to store different parts of a contact's name:
Field | Example or Use |
|---|---|
Title | Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms., Rev., etc. |
First Name | Contact's first name |
Middle Name | Contact's middle name or initial |
Last Name | Contact's last name |
Suffix | Jr., Sr., II, III, Ph.D., etc. |
Nickname | Preferred or informal name |
Former Name | A previous name, such as a maiden name |
Spouse First Name | Spouse's first name |
Spouse Last Name | Spouse's last name |
Company/Household Name | Used for an organization or household record rather than an individual contact |
When preparing your spreadsheet, place each piece of information into its own column whenever possible.
For example, instead of importing:
Dr. Samantha J. Miller, Ph.D.
you may separate the information into:
Title: Dr.
First Name: Samantha
Middle Name: J.
Last Name: Miller
Suffix: Ph.D.
Similarly, if an exported field contains a company name alongside an individual's name, you can separate the company name into its own column before importing.
For organization or household records, use the Company/Household Name field rather than placing the organization's name into the First Name or Last Name fields.
Splitting a Full Name into Separate Columns in Excel
If your spreadsheet contains a Full Name column, you can use Excel's Text to Columns feature to split that information into multiple columns.
Locate the column containing the full name.
Make sure there are enough empty columns immediately to the right of the Full Name column to hold the separated values.
For First Name and Last Name, you will need at least one additional empty column.
For First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name, you will need at least two additional empty columns.
If your names may also contain titles or suffixes, you may need additional columns.
If needed, insert blank columns before continuing so you don't overwrite existing spreadsheet data.
Select the entire Full Name column by clicking the column heading at the top of the spreadsheet.
Select Data from the Excel toolbar.
Click Text to Columns.
Select Delimited, then click Next.
Clear Tab, select Space as the delimiter, then click Next.
Review the preview of the separated data.
Click Finish.
Rename the resulting columns to the appropriate DonorDock fields, such as Title, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, or Suffix.
Review the resulting data and make any necessary corrections before importing.
Using an AI Tool in Excel to Help Separate Names
If your spreadsheet contains more complicated name formats, an AI assistant available in Excel may also help organize the data. Depending on the tools available to you, this may include an AI plugin or integration such as Claude or another spreadsheet-compatible AI assistant.
For example, you could ask the AI tool to review a Full Name column and separate the information into columns such as:
Title
First Name
Middle Name
Last Name
Suffix
Company/Household Name
You may also provide additional instructions based on your data, such as asking the tool to identify organization names separately from individual names or to place spouse information into separate fields when it can be identified.
AI tools can be useful when your spreadsheet contains inconsistent formatting that Excel's standard Text to Columns feature can't separate easily.
Review Your Name Fields Before Importing
Regardless of which method you use, review the resulting columns before completing your import. Using a space as a delimiter works well for simple names, but names with titles, middle names, initials, suffixes, multiple-part last names, spouse information, or organization names may require additional cleanup.
Taking a few minutes to verify your name fields before importing can help ensure contacts are created with accurate display names and that each piece of information is stored in the appropriate DonorDock field.