Actions, Notes, and Interactions: Migrating Your Engagement History
- Ohana Focus Team
- Jan 19
- 10 min read
By Ohana Focus | January 15, 2025 | 21 min read
Your organization's relationship with donors isn't captured in gift amounts alone. It lives in the notes from coffee meetings, the phone calls logged after difficult conversations, the event interactions recorded by staff — the list goes on. This engagement history—actions, notes, interactions—is institutional memory. Migrating from Raiser's Edge to Salesforce is more than just moving data fields. It's preserving years of relationship building. Get it wrong and development officers lose context. Get it right and they retain the insights that make cultivation personal and effective.
This guide addresses the specific challenges of migrating engagement history: which activities to move, how to map Raiser's Edge action types to Salesforce tasks, preserving notes and context, handling volume without overwhelming users, and ensuring usability in your new system. We'll cover strategy, technical execution, and the decisions that separate clean migrations from messy ones.
Understanding What You're Moving
Before diving into how to migrate, clarify what engagement history means in each system and why the differences matter.
Raiser's Edge: Actions, Notes, and Attributes
In Raiser's Edge, engagement history lives primarily in three places:
Actions: Structured records of interactions with specific action types (Phone Call, Meeting, Email, Event, etc.), action dates, solicitors (staff), and action notes. Actions are Raiser's Edge's primary engagement tracking mechanism.
Notes: Freeform biographical or stewardship notes attached to constituent records. Less structured than actions—just text attached to a donor with a date and author.
Attributes: Sometimes used to track engagement (Board Member, Volunteer, VIP), though technically these are more status indicators than interaction records.
The Core Challenge: Structure vs. Volume
Raiser's Edge organizations often have thousands of actions per constituent for long-time donors. A major donor might have 200+ actions spanning 15 years—every call, meeting, event attendance, and solicitation attempt meticulously logged. This creates tension: you want complete history for context, but loading 200 activities onto a Salesforce record makes it overwhelming and slow. The key question isn't 'can we migrate everything?' (technically yes), but 'should we?' and 'if not, how do we decide what matters?'
Salesforce: Tasks, Events, and Notes
Salesforce NPC tracks engagement differently:
Tasks: To-dos and completed activities. Can represent phone calls, emails, meetings—essentially Salesforce's equivalent of Raiser's Edge actions.
Events: Calendar appointments with specific start/end times. Used for scheduled meetings, events.
Notes: Freeform text attached to records. Similar concept to Raiser's Edge notes but with a different field structure.
Activity History: The related list where Tasks, Events, and other activities display. This is what development officers see when reviewing donor engagement.
Migration Strategy: What to Move, What to Leave Behind
Not all engagement history has equal value. Strategic filtering prevents overwhelming your new system with data that staff will never reference.
The Recency Rule: How Far Back?
Most organizations migrate actions from the past 3-5 years. Rationale: interactions older than that have diminishing practical value. Development officers rarely need to reference a phone call from 2008 when cultivating a donor in 2025.
Conservative Approach (3 Years):
• Pros: Cleaner data, faster migration, less overwhelming activity lists
• Cons: Loses historical context for long-time donors
• Best for: Organizations with very high action volume
Comprehensive Approach (5+ Years):
• Pros: Complete historical context, useful for major donors with long relationships
• Cons: Higher data volume, longer activity lists, potential performance issues
• Best for: Organizations with many legacy major donors, moderate action volume
Selective Migration by Donor Tier
Instead of a blanket time cutoff, many organizations migrate different amounts of history based on donor value:
• Major Donors (Lifetime $10,000+): Migrate ALL actions regardless of age. These relationships warrant complete historical context.
• Mid-Level Donors (Lifetime $1,000-$9,999): Migrate past 5 years. Enough history for context without overwhelming volume.
• Annual Fund Donors (Lifetime under $1,000): Migrate past 2-3 years only. Limited cultivation needs minimal historical context.
• Prospects (Never Donated): Migrate only significant actions (major gift solicitations, proposal submissions, board interactions).
Filtering by Action Type: What's Worth Moving?
High-Value Actions (Always Migrate):
• Face-to-face meetings and visits
• Phone calls with substantive donor conversations
• Proposal submissions and solicitations
• Major gift commitments and pledge discussions
• Event attendance (especially cultivation events)
• Significant email correspondence
Medium-Value Actions (Migrate Selectively):
• Standard thank-you letters
• Routine event invitations
• Newsletter sends and bulk communications
• Brief phone messages/voicemails
Low-Value Actions (Consider Skipping):
• Automated system-generated actions
• Duplicate entries or test records
• Actions with no notes or minimal information
• Administrative actions not related to cultivation
Mapping Action Types to Tasks
Raiser's Edge action types don't map one-to-one with Salesforce task types. You'll need a translation strategy.
Standard Mappings
Raiser's Edge Action | Salesforce Task Type |
Phone Call | Call |
Meeting / Visit | Meeting |
Letter | Email (or 'Letter' custom type) |
Event | Event (Campaign Member) |
Proposal | Task (custom 'Proposal' type) |
Thank You | Task (custom 'Acknowledgment') |
Creating Custom Task Types
Salesforce's standard Task types are limited. Most organizations create custom Task types to preserve Raiser's Edge distinctions:
• Proposal Submitted
• Acknowledgment Sent
• Cultivation Event
• Board Meeting
• Site Visit
• Grant Application
Preserving Notes and Context
The text content of actions—the actual notes about what was discussed—is often more valuable than the structured metadata. How do you preserve this context?
The Task Description Field
In Salesforce, Task Description is where action notes go. Your migration should:
• Copy action notes to Task Description
• Preserve line breaks and basic formatting
• Prepend metadata (original action type, solicitor, custom fields)
• Include attribution (who wrote the note, when)
Example: Formatted Task Description
Original Raiser's Edge Action:
Type: Meeting | Date: 10/15/2024 | Solicitor: Jane Smith
Notes: Met with John at his office to discuss naming opportunity for new science wing. He's very interested but wants to involve his wife in the decision. Scheduled follow-up meeting for November. Mentioned his daughter is interested in our scholarship program—need to connect with Financial Aid.
Migrated Salesforce Task Description:
[Migrated from Raiser's Edge - Meeting - 10/15/2024 - Jane Smith]
Met with John at his office to discuss a naming opportunity for the new science wing. He's very interested but wants to involve his wife in the decision. Scheduled follow-up meeting for November. Mentioned his daughter is interested in our scholarship program—need to connect with Financial Aid.
Handling Rich Text and Formatting
Raiser's Edge actions support basic formatting (bold, italics, bullets). Salesforce Task Description fields are plain text. Options:
Strip formatting - Convert to plain text. Simplest approach, acceptable for most content.
Preserve as HTML - If using Rich Text fields, can preserve formatting. More complex.
Convert to markdown-style - Transform bold to asterisks, bullets to dashes. Readable plain text.
Most organizations choose Option 1. Formatting loss is minimal compared to complexity of preserving it.
Migrating Standalone Notes
Raiser's Edge biographical and stewardship notes that aren't attached to actions need special handling:
Convert to Salesforce Notes: Use Salesforce's Note object to preserve these as standalone attachments.
Convert to Tasks: Create a 'Note' task type and migrate notes as completed tasks. Advantage: everything appears in Activity History chronologically.
Consolidate into one biographical note: Combine multiple older notes into one comprehensive note. Reduces clutter.
Recommended: Converting standalone notes to Tasks creates a unified activity history. Development officers see notes interspersed chronologically with calls and meetings—just like real relationship management works.
Technical Migration Execution
Once you settle on a strategy, the next step is actually moving the data.
Data Extraction from Raiser's Edge
Extract actions from Raiser's Edge, making sure to include all necessary fields:
• Constituent ID (to link to migrated Contact/Account)
• Action Type
• Action Date
• Action Notes/Description
• Solicitor/Fundraiser (staff member)
• Action Category (if used)
• Action Status (Completed/Pending)
• Any custom action attributes your org uses
Transformation and Mapping
Transform the exported data to match Salesforce's task structure:
1. Map Constituent IDs to Salesforce IDs: Match Raiser's Edge constituent IDs to Salesforce Contact/Account IDs. This is the WhoId or WhatId in Salesforce.
2. Translate Action Types: Apply your mapping document. Raiser's Edge 'Meeting' becomes a Salesforce task with Type = 'Meeting'.
3. Format Task Description: Combine action notes with metadata header.
4. Map Solicitors to Users: Raiser's Edge fundraiser names to Salesforce User IDs. The task's OwnerId should be the assigned fundraiser.
5. Set Task Status: All migrated actions should be 'Completed' since they're historical.
6. Handle dates: Action Date becomes Task Activity Date.
Loading Data into Salesforce
Use data loader tools to import transformed activity data:
Salesforce Data Loader: Free tool from Salesforce. Can handle large volumes (50,000+ records per batch).
Data Import Wizard: Built into Salesforce; easier interface (limited to 50,000 records total).
Third-party tools: More user-friendly and often feature built-in Raiser's Edge to Salesforce mapping.
Migration Process Timeline
Week 1-2: Planning and Mapping
Decide what to migrate (date ranges, action types, donor tiers). Create an action type mapping document, define Task fields and custom types and be sure to document the transformation rules.
Week 3: Data Extraction
Export actions from Raiser's Edge with appropriate filters. Export related data (constituent IDs, solicitors). Verify data quality and completeness.
Week 4-5: Transformation
Apply mappings to extracted data. Transform action notes to Task descriptions. Match constituent and user IDs. Clean and validate data.
Week 6: Test Migration (Sandbox)
Load sample data into Salesforce Sandbox. Review Activity History displays. Test with actual users. Refine mappings based on feedback.
Week 7: Production Migration
Load transformed activities into production Salesforce. Monitor for errors. Verify record counts. Conduct spot-checks on random records.
Week 8: Validation and Cleanup
Review Activity History with development officers. Fix any identified issues. Document known limitations or gaps. Train staff on the key differences from Raiser's Edge.
Volume Management and Performance
Large activity volumes can slow Salesforce and frustrate users. Proactive management is critical.
Understanding Volume Impact
Small organization (500 constituents):
• ~2,000-5,000 total actions
• ~4-10 actions per constituent average
• Impact: Minimal performance concerns
Medium organization (5,000 constituents):
• ~25,000-75,000 total actions
• ~5-15 actions per constituent average
• Impact: Moderate - requires thoughtful filtering
Large organization (25,000+ constituents):
• ~250,000+ total actions
• Major donors may have 100+ actions
• Impact: Significant - strategic filtering essential
Strategies for Migrating High Volumes of Engagement History
Implement Tiered Loading: Don't show all activities by default. Configure page layouts to show recent activities (past 12 months) prominently, with a 'Show More' option for older history.
Use List Views Strategically: Create Activity History views filtering by type or date range. For example, 'Recent Meetings,' 'Major Gift Discussions' and 'Past Year' views help staff find the data they need.
Archive Ancient History: Activities older than 7-10 years can be archived to a separate object or exported to files attached to records.
Consolidate Redundant Activities: Multiple 'thank you letter sent' actions for the same gift can be consolidated into one representative entry.
Post-Migration Validation and Cleanup
After loading activities, thorough validation ensures accuracy and usability.
Validation Checklist
• Record counts match expected volume (account for filters)
• All activities properly linked to Contacts/Accounts
• Task types populated correctly per mapping
• Task owners assigned to correct users
• Activity dates preserved accurately
• Task descriptions contain notes and metadata
• No duplicate activities from migration errors
• Orphaned activities (unlinked) identified and resolved
User Acceptance Testing
Before declaring migration complete, have actual development officers review their donor portfolios:
• Can they find key interactions they remember?
• Is the chronological flow logical?
• Do notes provide adequate context?
• Are there obvious gaps or errors?
• Does the volume feel manageable?
Common Migration Issues
• Incorrect ownership: Activities assigned to the wrong users due to name-matching errors
• Missing relationships: Tasks not linked to the correct Contact/Account
• Date errors: Time zone conversions creating wrong activity dates
• Truncated notes: Long action notes cut off due to field length limits
• Special characters: Formatting issues with apostrophes, quotes, or line breaks
• Duplicate entries: Same action migrated multiple times
Training Staff on the New Activity History
Even a perfect technical migration fails if staff don't understand how to use migrated activities.
Key Training Points
What changed: Explain mapping between Raiser's Edge actions and Salesforce tasks.
What stayed the same: The underlying content (notes about donor conversations) is preserved.
How to find things: Using Activity History list views, filtering by type or date, searching within activity descriptions.
What was excluded: If you filtered out certain activity types or date ranges, make sure staff know what's not there.
New capabilities: Highlight Salesforce advantages—easier reporting on activities, better integration, and mobile access.
Ongoing Activity Management in Salesforce
Migration is one thing; maintaining clean activity history going forward is another.
Data Entry Standards:
Document clear guidelines for logging new activities:
• When to log: Which interactions warrant activity records?
• How much detail: What level of note-taking is expected?
• Which fields required: What must be filled out beyond basic description?
• Tagging conventions: Use of custom fields to categorize activities
Preventing Activity Overload
Don't auto-log everything: Email integration can log every sent email as activity. Be selective.
Consolidate mass activities: A mailing to 1,000 donors should be one Campaign activity, not 1,000 individual task records.
Archive completed activities: Periodically review and archive very old activities to maintain performance.
Reporting on Activities
One advantage of migrated activities in Salesforce: better reporting. Create reports showing:
• Activity volume by development officer
• Most common interaction types
• Time since last meaningful donor contact
• Cultivation touchpoints before gift
• Meeting frequency with major prospects
Partner with Ohana Focus
Expert engagement history migration services.
Ohana Focus has migrated engagement history for hundreds of nonprofits, from small organizations with thousands of activities to large institutions with millions. We understand the strategic decisions, technical nuances, and change management challenges that make activity migration successful.
Our engagement migration services include:
• Strategic planning on what to migrate and what to archive
• Action type mapping and custom Task type creation
• Technical extraction, transformation, and loading
• Volume management and performance optimization
• Validation and quality assurance
• Staff training on the migrated activity history
• Post-migration support
We don't just move data—we ensure your development officers have the engagement context they need to cultivate donors effectively in Salesforce.
Contact Information
About Ohana Focus
Ohana Focus is a certified Salesforce consulting partner specializing in nonprofit data migration. We've migrated millions of actions, notes, and interactions from legacy systems to Salesforce NPC, preserving institutional memory while optimizing for usability in the new system.
Our migration methodology balances completeness with practicality. We help organizations make strategic decisions about what to migrate, how to structure it in Salesforce, and how to manage volume without overwhelming users. The result: development officers who can access donor relationship context when they need it, in a format that supports effective cultivation.
Working with Ohana Focus on engagement history migration means strategic guidance on filtering and prioritization, technical expertise in data transformation and loading, attention to performance and usability, thorough validation and quality assurance, comprehensive staff training, and post-migration support to address issues quickly.
Topics: Engagement History, Salesforce Migration, Raiser's Edge, Activity Migration, NPC, Nonprofit Cloud, Data Conversion, Donor Interactions
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