Can I import members?

Some local PTA units are allowed to import members. This ability is determined by the state PTA. At this time other organizations do not have the option to import members. Memberships need to be purchased through the online store or entered individually.

Items to Note:

• If you do not see the Import Members link on your Manage Members page, this option is unavailable in your state. Contact your state office to find out about other options to upload your members.
• If you wish to import people to your site who are NOT paid members, you may do so by Importing Contacts, as opposed to the instructions on this page for paid members.
• Are you a state PTA looking to upload members for your units? Please see this article instead.
• Using the Memberships Module, PTA administrators can access and upload a CSV file of member information. Upon successful upload of member records, the system will create membership records in that unit, resulting in an outstanding state dues remittance balance.

IMPORTANT: Before starting an import, please be sure that you are logged into Givebacks using an email address where you receive emails because the import results will be emailed to you.

How to Import Members

1. Click on Memberships on the toolbar.
2. Click the Manage Members link.
3. Click the three dots at the top of the page and select Import Members.
4. Read the instructions and click Download Template button. 
5. Complete the downloaded CSV file with member data. 
   • First Name - required
   • Last Name - required
   • Email - email or phone number is required
   • Phone Number - email or phone number is required
   • Member Type - must match your member types - Parent/Guardian, Faculty/Staff, Student, Business, etc.
   • School Year Ending - if the school year is 2024-2025, enter 2025
6. Upload the file complete file and click the Import button.

It’s important to read and understand the instructions listed under Step 1, of the downloaded template, before you complete your spreadsheet. You must adhere to certain data formats. In particular, you can’t add any additional columns with data in the spreadsheet.

Results will be Emailed

The import file will be queued up to run in a background task. Once the import has completed, the results will be emailed to the person who submitted the import. The results will indicate that each new person and new membership were added. Any errors will be noted.

If the import runs into any rows with erroneous or malformed data it will skip those rows and attempt to run to completion.

Common Import Problems

• Invalid Headers
  • This error may be the result of not using the proper template with the correct headers or it may be the result of one or more cells containing a value that is not allowed under that header. If the headers do match the current template, please check the cell values in the Member Type and School Year Ending columns. 
    • Member Type must exactly match one of the default member types for your state, as seen when manually entering a member.  State Member Types can be identified by checking under Memberships>Manage Membership Items. State Member Types have a checkmark in the State Member Type column on this page. 
    • School Year Ending must be only the ending year (e.g. 2023-2024 must be indicated as “2024” on the import).
• Invalid/Illegal Characters
  • If you receive an error regarding invalid input or illegal characters, please check your document to make sure only allowed character are included (see tables of allowed and non-allowed characters below). Basically, any character where you would need to use the Insert Symbol menu, as opposed to just typing it on a keyboard without the use of a hotkey or programmed shortcut, will break an import. If you find any non-allowed characters, they must be removed or replaced with allowed characters (e.g. replace “é” with “e”).
  • Tip: Change the font in your spreadsheet to Verdana to make symbol versions of common characters, like commas, apostrophes, hyphens, etc., stand out more. If it doesn’t match the version in the Allowed Characters list below, it is a symbol that needs to be replaced with regular text.
  • If you cannot locate any non-allowed characters, it might be a non-printing character causing the problem. These can be tricky to find because they are often invisible. Using the Trim and Clean functions in your spreadsheet program will eliminate most of the common non-printing characters. After using the =Trim(Clean(CELL)) formula on your spreadsheet, if you visibly notice any spaces at the beginning of a cell, those are the offending characters, which will need to be removed manually.

If you have tried all of the above and are still getting an error, please contact Givebacks support and let us know the error you are receiving, the unit name, and the CSV file as an attachment (please also attach a screenshot of the error if possible).

Questions? Contact Givebacks Support.