Key indicator-you know where to find this field, right?
Look around on a Constituent record and let me know when you find it! Got it yet?? What? You can’t find it or see it on a record anywhere?? Psych! The key indicator is not a visible field on the Constituent record in the Raiser’s Edge, but it is a “key” filed when creating new Constituent records from Import or Batch.
The Key indicator tells the Raiser’s Edge whether the new record you want to add to the database is for an Individual constituent (I) or an Organization constituent (O). Have you ever thought about why there are two different options when you’re adding a new Constituent record from the Records page? When you are creating a new record manually, the system generates the Key indicator for you, based on what option you choose from the Records page. When you are creating multiple new records at once, however, from a Constituent Batch of through Import, you have to first tell the system what type of Constituent you are creating. Have you ever notice in Batch that all of the name and Spouse fields are grayed out until you select a Key indicator? The Raiser’s Edge doesn’t know what fields to offer you until you tell it what record type you want! That’s why it’s the first field in a Constituent batch.
As an added bonus, I’ll also share with you that it’s a very handy field when you are exporting data to Excel and need to report on giving from Individuals vs. Organizations. Maybe you need that information for a grant application. It’s much easier than trying to filter and/or group on multiple Constituent codes, for example. It’s also a great field to use for grouping in Crystal Reports.
You DO know my friend Crystal, right?
