Data Management

Quick Summary: Review the import, export, cleanup, recovery, and privacy controls currently available to your church. Confirm legal, retention, and backup requirements with qualified advisors.

Overview

Data Management is the starting point for working with information your church stewards in Relius. Available import, export, recovery, and privacy controls can vary by plan and configuration, so use the options visible in your workspace and contact support when a required control is missing.

Your church's data can include member contact details, family relationships, giving histories, pastoral care notes, event attendance, and volunteer schedules. Treat each operation carefully, verify the result, and maintain a recovery plan outside any single application. Relius tools do not by themselves establish compliance with GDPR, CCPA, tax, or other legal obligations.

Churches commonly review data controls during migration, routine reporting, cleanup, and incident response. Confirm which import, export, recovery, and privacy workflows are enabled before relying on them in an operating or compliance plan.

Key Concepts

Import: Bulk upload of records (members, donations, events) from CSV files or external systems
Export: A downloadable copy of selected data, when the relevant export option is available
Backup: A recovery copy whose scope, storage, and retention should be confirmed before relying on it
Data Cleanup: Tools for finding and fixing duplicate records, invalid data, or orphaned relationships
Privacy obligations: Requirements such as consent, access, correction, retention, or deletion that your church must assess with qualified counsel
Data Retention Policy: Your church's documented rules for how long different records should be kept

Getting Started

Step 1: Access Data Management

From your dashboard, review the controls currently shown under Administration → Data Management. Sections and labels can vary by plan and release; contact support if an operation described here is not present.

Step 2: Confirm Your Recovery Plan

Before importing or changing records in bulk, confirm what backup or export options your workspace provides, what each copy contains, how long it is retained, and how restoration is requested. Keep an independently controlled copy of critical records when required by your church's policy.

Step 3: Import Your Historical Data (If Migrating)

If you're moving to Relius from another church management system, obtain supported export files from the old platform. Use the import options shown in Relius, map fields, preview a small sample, and review the results before continuing. Timing depends on file size, data condition, and available import tooling.

Step 4: Review Privacy Compliance Settings

Review the privacy controls visible in your workspace alongside your church's written policy. Do not assume a product setting satisfies GDPR, CCPA, tax, safeguarding, or denominational requirements; get qualified advice and document any manual steps the church must perform.

Features

Import/Export Data

When available, import and export tools can help move selected data into or out of Relius. Confirm supported record types, formats, validation, and completeness before using them for migration, analysis, archival, or recovery.

Importing Data

If a CSV import is available for your record type, follow the workflow presented in your workspace. A typical reviewed import includes:

Upload file: Select your CSV file (ensure UTF-8 encoding for special characters)
Map fields: Match columns from your file to Relius fields (e.g., "First_Name" → "First Name," "Gift_Date" → "Donation Date")
Configure options: Choose whether to update existing records or only create new ones, how to handle duplicates, and validation strictness
Preview: See the first 10 rows and any validation errors before committing
Execute: Begin with an approved batch and monitor the status shown
Review: Reconcile source totals with records created, updated, skipped, and flagged

Illustrative example: A church exports member records from its previous system, maps a small sample to Relius fields, reviews the sample for errors, and then proceeds in batches. Results and processing time vary with the source data.

Exporting Data

When an export is available, select only the fields and records your recipient needs. Confirm the offered file format, filters, delivery method, and access controls in your workspace before treating the export as an archival or compliance copy.

Possible export use cases, where supported:

Accounting reports: Export donations by fund for monthly reconciliation
Mail merges: Export member addresses and names for sending physical mailers
Analysis: Export event attendance data to analyze trends in Excel or Google Sheets
Privacy operations: Assemble part of a response after verifying export scope and applicable requirements
Archival: Export all data annually for long-term record keeping

Backup and Restore

Do not assume a backup includes every record or setting. Confirm backup scope, recovery objectives, retention, and the restoration process with Relius support, then test your broader continuity plan without using production data.

Questions to confirm about backup configuration:

Schedule: Whether copies are automatic, support-managed, or available on demand
Retention: Which recovery points are retained and for how long
Storage: Confirm where recovery copies are stored, how they are protected, and who can access them
Notification: Confirm how completion or failure is reported for any configured process

Before a restore:

Contact support or use the recovery controls currently available
Confirm the requested recovery point and the data it includes
Request an impact assessment for current records and connected systems
Obtain approval from the church's designated data owner
Wait for confirmation rather than promising a completion time
Reconcile restored records against an approved validation checklist

Caution: Restoration behavior depends on the recovery method. Ask support to explain the affected records and likely data loss before authorizing a production restore.

Data Cleanup Tools

Over time, databases accumulate messiness: duplicate member profiles (John Smith and Johnathan Smith are the same person), orphaned records (group members whose group was deleted), invalid data (phone numbers with letters), and stale information (families who moved away years ago). Data cleanup tools help you find and fix these issues.

Duplicate Detection and Merging

If duplicate suggestions are available, treat them as candidates for human review rather than confirmed matches. Verify identity and preview which associated records will be retained before merging anything.

Example: Duplicate detection flags "Sarah Johnson (sarah.j@email.com)" and "Sarah Johnson-Smith (sarah.j@email.com)" as likely duplicates. You confirm they're the same person who got married and changed names. Merge them, keeping the newer last name but preserving giving history and group memberships from both profiles.

Data Validation and Correction

Run validation reports to find records with problems: missing required fields, invalid email formats, phone numbers that don't match formatting rules, addresses without zip codes, birthdates in the future. Bulk-fix issues or review records individually to correct errors.

Orphaned Record Cleanup

Identify orphaned records that lost their parent relationships: group members whose group was deleted, event attendees for cancelled events, family members whose family was dissolved. Choose to delete orphaned records, reassign them to new parents, or convert them to standalone records.

Bulk Updates

Apply changes to multiple records simultaneously. For example, update the address for all members of a family, assign people to a new small group, or add a "VBS Volunteer" tag to everyone who served last summer. Review the selected records before applying any bulk operation.

Privacy Operations

Privacy requirements vary by jurisdiction and context. Use available Relius controls as part of a church-owned process for consent, access requests, correction, deletion, and retention; the software does not determine whether that process is legally sufficient.

Consent Tracking

Record consent choices when the relevant fields are available, and verify those choices before sending communications or publishing information. Your church remains responsible for honoring withdrawals and for checking whether each channel has additional requirements.

Data Access Requests

When someone requests access to personal data, first verify the requester and consult your church's response procedure. If an export tool is available, review its scope carefully and add any records held outside Relius before responding within the deadline that applies to your situation.

Right to Deletion (Right to be Forgotten)

Before acting on a deletion request, determine which records may or must be retained and whether deletion, restriction, or anonymization is appropriate. Confirm the effect of any Relius deletion control and account for copies held in exports, integrations, and other systems.

Important: Deletion or anonymization may be difficult to reverse. Verify the requester, obtain appropriate approval, and confirm the affected records before proceeding.

Data Retention Policies

Document retention periods by record type with qualified legal and financial guidance. If automated retention controls are available, test them on non-production data and keep a human review step before destructive actions.

Advanced Options

Scheduled Exports and Automated Reports

If scheduled exports are available, limit recipients and fields, test delivery, and review access regularly. Scheduled delivery is a convenience, not a substitute for secure handling or independent backups.

Import with Custom Matching Rules

When importing, configure custom logic for matching existing records. For example, match members by email address even if names are slightly different, or match donations by a unique transaction ID from your old system. Custom matching prevents duplicate creation during complex migrations.

Incremental Backups for Large Databases

Ask Relius support whether incremental recovery copies are available for your data volume and plan. Confirm their scope and restoration process before relying on them.

Point-in-Time Recovery

Ask support whether point-in-time recovery is available, what data it covers, and what recovery window applies. Do not promise a particular restore point until support has confirmed it.

Data Anonymization Workflows

If anonymization rules are available, review the fields they affect and test whether remaining information could still identify someone. Require approval before applying rules to pastoral-care or financial records.

Cross-System Data Sync

When synchronizing with an external system, define the source of truth, conflict handling, and failure alerts. Review results regularly; synchronization does not guarantee consistency across platforms.

Audit Trails for Data Operations

If an audit log is available, confirm which operations and fields it records and how long entries are retained. Use it as one source during reviews, not as proof of regulatory compliance.

Best Practices

Confirm your recovery plan – Document the available backup, export, and support-assisted recovery options
Test safely – Use an approved non-production environment and coordinate any recovery test with support
Export critical data monthly – Keep offline copies of essential information (donors, members) for redundancy
Run duplicate detection after imports – Clean up duplicates immediately before they compound
Document your data retention policies – Write down why certain data is kept for specific timeframes
Review privacy workflows before they are needed – Include qualified legal guidance and records held outside Relius
Validate imports on small batches first – Import 10 records, verify accuracy, then import the full dataset
Maintain independent records where required – Confirm which exports are suitable and protect them under church policy
Communicate privacy policies to members – Let people know how their data is used and how to exercise their rights

Common Questions

Q: How do we import data if our old system doesn't export to CSV?

A: Ask the previous provider which formats and migration options it currently supports, then contact Relius support to confirm a compatible path. Do not assume direct API access is available.

Q: What happens if we restore a backup from last week?

A: The effect depends on the recovery method and backup scope. Ask support for an impact assessment, identify records added since the recovery point, and obtain approval before proceeding.

Q: Can we export data for specific date ranges?

A: If date filters are offered for that export type, apply and test them on a small sample. Reconcile totals because filter availability and included records can vary.

Q: Do we need to enable GDPR features if all our members are in the U.S.?

A: Privacy obligations depend on location, organization, data, and activity. Ask qualified counsel which rules apply; this documentation is operational guidance, not legal advice.

Q: How do we handle giving records when someone requests deletion?

A: Ask qualified legal and financial advisors which records must be retained. Then confirm whether the available Relius controls can restrict, delete, or anonymize the relevant data without compromising required accounting records.

Q: Can we schedule exports to run automatically and email the results?

A: If scheduled exports are available in your workspace, configure the minimum necessary fields and approved recipients, test delivery, and review the schedule regularly.

Q: What if we accidentally import duplicate records?

A: Use the duplicate detection tool to identify duplicates created during import, then merge them. To prevent this, configure import matching rules to update existing records rather than create new ones when matching criteria are met.