New constituent records can be created in Almabase in several ways — through the mapping process for event registrations or giving campaigns (when no matching CRM record is found), through email lists or data imports, etc.
These records aren't linked to your CRM, so Almabase needs to push them to Raiser's Edge NXT or BBCRM to keep your database of record up to date.
Almabase doesn't push every new profile automatically. A global sync rule controls whether new records are created in your CRM right away, or flagged for review in the Data Inbox first.
How It Works
What triggers the push — and what controls it
Whenever a new constituent record is created in Almabase without a CRM link, the push process is triggered. This can happen through:
Email list imports or data imports done outside your CRM integration
Directory sign-ups — when someone signs up through your alumni directory
Manual profile creation — when an admin creates a profile directly in Almabase
Event and giving form mapping — when registrants or donors can't be matched to an existing CRM record during the mapping process
Guest and donor mapping — when guests or donors at events can't be matched to existing CRM records
Note: Event registrations and donations don't automatically create new records. The system tries to match them to existing CRM records. If no match is found, they're flagged as potential new constituents in the mapping queue, where you can decide whether to create a new Almabase record or not.
A global sync rule at Settings → Database → Sync Rules controls what happens next, under "When a new record is created on Almabase." There are two options:
Automatically create a new constituent record on RE NXT / BBCRM and link it to the Almabase record — The record is created in your CRM without manual review.
Do not create a record on RE NXT / BBCRM automatically. Flag this for review. — The record is sent to the Data Inbox for an admin to approve first. This is the default.
Reviewing flagged records in the Data Inbox
When your sync rule is set to flag for review, new constituent data appears in the Data Inbox at Settings → Database → Data Inbox, under the Basic Information tab. For each flagged constituent, you can Approve (creates the record in your CRM) or Ignore (dismisses it).
Important: approve basic information first. The constituent record must exist in your CRM before any other data — emails, phone numbers, addresses — can be pushed. Approving the basic information creates the CRM record and sends the database ID back to Almabase to link the two systems. After that, you can approve the remaining entities. If you try to push an email or phone number before the constituent exists in your CRM, the push will fail with an error saying the constituent could not be located.
Tip: If you've created a lot of new records during mapping for an event or giving campaign, check the Data Inbox promptly. A quick daily or weekly check keeps the backlog manageable.
FAQs
A donor made a gift through Almabase but they're not showing up in my CRM. What should I check?
Check the giving dashboard to see if the donor is mapped. They may still need to go through the mapping process.
If the donor is already mapped, check the Data Inbox (Settings → Database) to see whether the new record is awaiting review and needs approval.
Approve the basic information first, then the remaining entities.
Once that's done, resync the gift — it should now show up in your CRM.
I approved a new constituent, but their email or phone number didn't push. Why?
When you approved the new constituent from the "Basic Information" tab, it only created the CRM record and established the link. The email or phone number, or any other details, must be pending for review based on the Sync Rules. If they are set to "Review," then they might be waiting for approval in Data Inbox.
Can I push all new constituents automatically without reviewing them?
Yes. Change the sync rule at Settings → Database → Sync Rules to automatically create records. This works well if your data sources are clean, but gives you less control over what enters your CRM.
What happens if the same person exists in both Almabase and my CRM but they're not linked?
If the Almabase record doesn't have a system record ID, Almabase will try to push it as a new constituent — creating a duplicate in your CRM. To avoid this, go to the Almabase profile and enter the constituent's System Record ID in the "System record ID" field to link them. If there's already another Almabase record for the same person that does have the ID, merge the two records in Almabase first so you end up with a single linked profile.