Batch Integration & the Virtuous Import Tool

Last updated: March 30, 2026

Batch Integration is the recommended mode for syncing donation data from WeGive to Virtuous. Instead of pushing each donation directly into your Virtuous database, batch mode groups donations together and sends them to the Virtuous Import Tool, where your team can review, validate, and confirm donor matches before committing the data.

This article explains how the batch workflow operates and how to work with the Virtuous Import Tool to process incoming donations.

Why Batch Integration Is Recommended

Batch mode gives you three key advantages over real-time integration:

A review checkpoint before data enters your CRM. Every donation passes through the Virtuous Import Tool, where your team can verify donor matches, catch potential duplicates, and correct data issues before anything is written to your database.

Lower risk of hitting API rate limits. Instead of making an individual API call for every donation, batch mode groups donations together. This is especially important during high-volume giving periods like year-end campaigns or giving days.

Better duplicate prevention. The Import Tool's matching logic flags potential duplicate contacts for manual review, giving you the final say on whether to match to an existing record or create a new one.

How the Batch Workflow Works

Here's what happens when a donation is made in WeGive with batch integration enabled:

  1. WeGive collects donations over a set period based on your sync frequency

  2. At the end of that period, WeGive creates a batch and sends it to Virtuous via the Gift Transactions API

  3. The batch appears in your Virtuous Import Tool with a status of "Processed"

  4. Virtuous automatically sorts each gift in the batch into one of three categories (see below)

  5. Your team reviews each category, makes any necessary corrections, and confirms donor matches

  6. Once everything is reviewed, your team clicks Import to commit the data to your Virtuous database

Working with the Import Tool

When a batch arrives in the Virtuous Import Tool, each gift is automatically sorted into one of three tabs based on how well Virtuous can match the donor to an existing contact record.

Ready for Import

These are gifts where Virtuous found a confident match to an existing contact. The donor's name, email, and other details align with a record already in your database. In most cases, these can be imported without changes.

Before importing, it's still worth a quick review to make sure the matched contact is correct, especially for common names or shared email addresses.

Update Needed

These are gifts where Virtuous found a matching contact, but some of the incoming information differs from what's currently on file. For example, the donor may have a new phone number or a slightly different address.

For each gift in this tab, review the incoming data and decide whether to accept the updates, keep the existing data, or make manual corrections before importing.

Match Needed

These are gifts where Virtuous could not confidently match the donor to any existing contact. This typically happens when a donor is new to your system, or when the incoming data doesn't closely match any existing records.

For each gift in this tab, you have two options: search for and select an existing contact to match the gift to, or create a new contact record. Take care with this step, as creating a new contact when one already exists will result in duplicate records.

Tips for Processing Batches

Process batches regularly. Donations stay in the Import Tool until your team reviews and imports them. If batches pile up, you'll have a backlog of unprocessed gifts sitting outside your CRM.

Start with Ready for Import. These are the lowest-effort items. Reviewing and importing them first clears the bulk of each batch quickly.

Be careful with Match Needed. This is where duplicates are most likely to be created. Before creating a new contact, search Virtuous thoroughly using different variations of the donor's name and email.

Check for email conflicts. If a gift lands in Match Needed because of an email that belongs to another contact, this may be a duplicate email issue. See Email Conflict Sync Errors for how to resolve it.

How Real-Time Mode Differs

If you choose Real-Time Integration instead of Batch, here's what changes:

  • Each donation is pushed directly into your Virtuous database the moment it's received in WeGive

  • There is no Import Tool step and no review window

  • Contact matching happens automatically based on your Virtuous settings

  • Every donation requires its own API call, which increases the risk of hitting Virtuous's rate limit (10,000 calls per hour)

Real-Time mode may work for organizations with low donation volume and minimal risk of duplicate contacts. However, for most organizations, the review checkpoint and API efficiency of Batch Integration make it the better choice.

Next Steps