Hey, it’s Andreas.
Before founding nowtec solutions, I spent decades as a campaigner and pragmatic activist. I was directly involved in organizing high-impact movements, including leading one of Switzerland’s largest citizen movements, Campax. This experience taught me that genuine political or social change requires not just passion, but also excellent organization and the right technical tools.
I know what it means to manage vast administrative needs, having dealt with systems holding more than a million addresses and scaling major donation campaigns. I experienced firsthand how even successful campaigns can face collapse if the underlying IT infrastructure cannot keep pace with growth. The core learning from that intensive period is the absolute necessity of reliable, integrated systems that manage data efficiently.
This need for robust, secure infrastructure is the foundation of nowtec solutions. We build the digital tools I desperately needed during those demanding campaign times.
The first and most critical hurdle when you decide to secure your digital sovereignty and gain a 360-degree view of your contacts is successfully moving your organizational and contact data into a new system, like nowCRM.
It often sounds complex, but moving your precious data doesn’t have to be a headache. We designed the import process to be as pragmatic and straightforward as possible, allowing you to focus on your mission rather than struggling with software.
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Your Clean Slate: Importing Contacts into nowCRM
Here is the video tutorial about importing contacts from our senior dev Vera
Getting your contacts and organizations into nowCRM is simple, provided your data is in a CSV or Excel file. This transition is your chance to clean house and ensure you have full control over your data.
Here’s the quick, step-by-step guide (and you can watch Vera walk you through it in the video embedded below):
1. Prepare and Upload
On your dashboard, you’ll find the ‘Import’ dropdown at the top right. You choose whether to import contacts or import organizations. If you’re unsure about the required format, you can download the sample CSV provided by nowCRM to view the example data.
Once your file is ready, simply drag and drop it into the upload area, or browse and select your file.
2. The Power of Mapping
After uploading the file, you will see the mapping table. This is where you connect your existing data columns (the headers from your CSV) to the corresponding nowCRM template fields.
• Customization: You can easily disable any column you don’t need. This keeps your new system efficient.
3. Smart Import Options: Ensuring Data Integrity
Scroll down to configure the import options:
• Target Lists: Decide where this data goes. You can select an existing list or create a brand-new one.
• De-duplication: This is a crucial feature. If you enable de-duplication by required fields, rows with identical values in those specified fields will be automatically removed. This prevents redundant data entries.
• Validation Rules: You will see the required columns section needed for validation. A row will only be imported successfully if it has a value in at least one of these columns, with Email being a common choice.
4. The Final Check
Before you finalize the import, always use the data preview. It gives you a quick look at how the imported rows will appear in nowCRM. You can then proceed to import your CSV file, or cancel the process.
The same logical steps apply when importing organizations.
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Move Beyond Datasets, Focus on Impact
I understand the pressure felt by NGO leaders—you need to achieve maximum impact with constrained resources. Your mission requires excellent organization and reliable tools.
By choosing an integrated, sovereign technology solution, you remove the administrative burden of fighting disconnected legacy systems and worrying about data protection nightmares. You are not just buying software; you are building a partnership that deeply understands the specific needs of the non-profit sector.Take back control. Move your data and secure your digital future.
And remember: nowCRM is now available Open Source: host it yourself wherever you want or let us host it for you on secure swiss servers.
