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Using NCOA to Verify and Update Contact Addresses

Using NCOA to Verify and Update Contact Addresses

8/13/2026
Contacts
Imports
Integrations

The National Change of Address (NCOA) database is an important tool for maintaining accurate contact information and reducing returned or undeliverable mail.

NCOA data is based on permanent change-of-address records maintained by the United States Postal Service (USPS). When someone submits a permanent change-of-address request to USPS, their updated address is added to the NCOA database.

USPS maintains change-of-address records for up to 48 months, allowing organizations to identify many address changes that occurred within the previous four years.

Keeping mailing addresses current can help your organization:

  • Reduce returned and undeliverable mail

  • Stay connected with donors and other important contacts

  • Avoid the additional costs associated with returned mail and resending communications

  • Maintain cleaner and more accurate contact records in DonorDock

DonorDock recommends running an NCOA check quarterly, semiannually, or annually, depending on how frequently your organization sends physical mail.

Updating addresses through NCOA can be completed in three main steps:

  1. Export contacts from DonorDock

  2. Process the file through an NCOA service

  3. Import the updated addresses back into DonorDock

Step 1: Export Contacts from DonorDock

First, determine which contacts you want to verify.

You may choose to run an NCOA check for:

  • All active contacts

  • Current donors

  • Contacts with a particular badge

  • Contacts on a marketing list

  • Another specific group of contacts

Once you have determined which contacts should be included, create a Contact Report containing the records you want to verify.

Create the Contact Report

  1. Navigate to Reporting.

  2. Select Reports.

  3. Create a Contact Report, or open an existing report that contains the contacts you want to review.

  4. Apply any filters needed to narrow the report to the appropriate group of contacts.

Select the Columns for Your Export

Before exporting the report, adjust the columns so the file contains the information needed for NCOA processing.

  1. Click the Columns icon at the top of the report.

  2. Select the columns you want included.

  3. Click outside of the Columns menu to return to the report.

For an NCOA export, we recommend including:

  • Donor ID

  • Account Number, if your organization uses account numbers

  • First Name

  • Last Name

  • Organization Name, if Organization records are included

  • Address Line 1

  • Address Line 2

  • City

  • State

  • Postal Code

Other columns can generally be removed from the report.

Note: NCOA does not include an Address Line 3 field.

Including the Donor ID is strongly recommended because it provides a unique identifier that can be used when matching updated records back to the correct contacts in DonorDock.

Export the Report

Once the report contains the appropriate contacts and columns, click Export to download the report.

If you plan to perform NCOA checks regularly, consider saving the report with a name such as NCOA Export. This allows you to reuse the same report configuration in the future.

Step 2: Process the File Through TrueNCOA

TrueNCOA requires files to be uploaded in CSV format.

If your DonorDock report was exported as an Excel file:

  1. Open the exported file in Excel.

  2. Enable editing if prompted.

  3. Select Save As.

  4. Save the file as a CSV file.

Once the file has been saved as a CSV, it is ready to upload to TrueNCOA.

Create or Sign In to Your TrueNCOA Account

Navigate to https://truencoa.com/.

If you do not already have a TrueNCOA account, create an account and purchase the credit needed to process your file.

TrueNCOA uses credits to process uploaded files. Refer to TrueNCOA for current pricing and processing limits.

Upload Your File

From the TrueNCOA home page:

  1. Drag your CSV file into the Upload Data section, or click the file icon to locate the file on your computer.

  2. Review the preview of the uploaded data.

  3. Confirm that the information appears in the correct columns.

  4. Click Continue.

Map Your Fields

TrueNCOA will ask you to match the columns in your CSV file to the corresponding TrueNCOA fields.

For example:

  • DonorDock Donor ID → TrueNCOA ID

  • DonorDock Address Line 1 → TrueNCOA Address Line 1

  • DonorDock Postal Code → TrueNCOA Postal Code

Continue mapping each applicable field.

Once you have finished:

  1. Click Save Field Mapping.

  2. Review any errors displayed at the top of the page.

  3. Correct any fields that are mapped incorrectly.

  4. Once there are no remaining mapping errors, click Process.

TrueNCOA will process the file and validate the addresses.

Review and Export the Results

After processing is complete, TrueNCOA will provide a report containing the results of the address validation, including any identified address changes.

To export the updated data:

  1. Click Export at the top of the NCOA Report page.

  2. Select the fields you want included in the exported file.

  3. Make sure you include the identifying fields you will need to match records back to DonorDock, such as Donor ID.

  4. Click Download.

The report may download as a ZIP file.

If so:

  1. Open the ZIP file.

  2. Extract or copy the report file out of the ZIP folder.

  3. Save the extracted file somewhere accessible on your computer.

You are now ready to import the updated addresses into DonorDock.

Step 3: Import the Updated Addresses into DonorDock

Use DonorDock's Import tool to update the existing contact records with the address information returned by NCOA.

  1. Open the Settings Menu using the grid icon in the upper-right corner of DonorDock.

  2. Select Imports.

  3. Click the purple Import button on the left

  4. Confirm that Contacts is selected as the import type.

  5. Click Upload File.

  6. Select the updated NCOA file from your computer.

  7. Allow the file to finish processing.

  8. Match the columns from the NCOA file to the corresponding fields in DonorDock.

When matching your file, be sure to map the identifying field you included in your original export, such as Donor ID, so DonorDock can match the imported information to the correct existing contacts.

After mapping your fields:

  1. Click Continue to proceed to the Review screen.

  2. Review the import for errors.

  3. Any information requiring attention will be highlighted for review.

  4. Correct any errors before continuing.

  5. Click Process Import when you are ready to update the records.

Your updated address information will now be imported into DonorDock.

If you regularly import files from the same source using the same column names, DonorDock can remember your previous field mappings. This can reduce the amount of setup required for future NCOA imports.

Running NCOA checks on a regular schedule helps keep your DonorDock database accurate and ensures your physical mail has the best chance of reaching the intended recipients.

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