Managing fundraiser data is key to understanding campaign performance and ensuring all fundraising activity is tracked effectively. Social Sync allows users to import data from external fundraising platforms such as Facebook and JustGiving using API imports or CSV files. This process ensures that any organic fundraisers created outside of Social Sync are visible within the platform.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a tool that enables different software applications to communicate with each other. In this case, API imports allow Social Sync to automatically pull fundraiser and donation data from external platforms into your account, giving you a complete view of all fundraising activity.
This guide will walk you through the process of running a manual API import, setting up automated nightly imports, and configuring automations to assign fundraisers to campaigns efficiently.
How to Run a Manual Import
Regular manual imports help maintain accurate records, particularly for free-account users who do not have access to automated nightly imports.
To manually import fundraising data into Social Sync, follow these steps:
Go to the Import Hub from the main menu.
Click on the green 'Import' button in the top right-hand corner of the page.
Select the platform you would like to import from (Facebook or JustGiving).
Choose your import method – select API for direct integration or CSV for a file-based upload.
Set your date range for the import. We recommend importing data in two-week batches if you expect a high volume of data to prevent system overload.
Click 'Fetch Data' to retrieve fundraiser and donation records from the selected platform.
Once the data has been fetched, click 'Import' at the top of the page to finalise the process.
Note: For free-account users, we recommend running manual imports regularly to keep data up to date.
How to Set Up Automated Nightly Imports
Automated nightly imports allow Social Sync to pull in fundraiser and donation data from external platforms without requiring manual intervention.
Note: This feature is only available to pro-account holders.
To enable automated nightly imports:
Go to Settings from the main menu.
Navigate to the Integrations tab.
Find the platform (Facebook or JustGiving) you want to set up imports for and click 'Manage Integration'.
Toggle on 'Automated Nightly Imports' to enable the feature.
Setting Up Automations
Automations help assign organic fundraisers to the correct campaign based on keywords, ensuring data is organised effectively.
To set up an automation:
Go to the Import Hub from the main menu.
Click on the 'Automations' tab.
Locate the campaign you want to assign fundraisers to and click 'Add' next to its title.
Define your automation rule – for example:
Where 'fundraiser title', 'contains', '[keyword]', assign it to the chosen campaign.
Save the automation to apply the rule to future imports.
Important Note: Remember to disable automations once your campaign has ended to prevent new fundraisers from being assigned to outdated campaigns.
Following these steps will ensure your fundraiser data remains accurate and well-organised within Social Sync. Keeping your imports and automations up to date will allow you to track all fundraising activity effectively and maintain full visibility over campaign performance.