Method

Advantages

Disadvantages

Adding them manually

Primarily useful only if you are just starting out with MPD and do not have a significant list of contacts, or if you are adding a small number of new contacts.

Can be time-consuming if you have many contacts to add.

Download contacts from your ministry's database

Requires little work on your part.

Downloads corrected USPS addresses with complete Zip Codes (United States only, and only if your organization takes advantage of this service).

Downloads past partners who are not currently on your list.

Receipt addresses may not match the addresses where you normally send newsletters.

Donor names are often formal names because they are taken from checks and therefore they may not match your list.

Only downloads the names of donors, not other personal information such as children’s names, hobbies, referrer, church, etc.

Import data from your own database (e.g., Excel, Access, Word, Palm, Outlook, etc.)

Your contacts’ names and addresses appear as you normally use them.

You can load contacts who have never given but receive your letter.

This is the most thorough method. It is worth the effort and time to do it correctly the first time. This is covered in detail in the Appendix Import Contacts from Text

Must be formatted correctly.

Can be complex.

Have to manually connect donors (one contact/one click at a time) when downloading gifts for the first time.

Hinders your ability to jump right in and start using TntMPD.