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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Types of Returns
• Basic Processing Recommendations
• Data Entry Details
• Regular Donation Return Card
• Uncontrolled Donation Return Card
• Donation Return Card with Address Change
• Delete-Me Return Card
• Why does this standard focus on ASCII text files?

Introduction

KVRS is committed to completing the following tasks at the end of a fund drive:

1. We must acknowledge each donation in a timely fashion.
2. We must update our donor database.

Types of Returns

Typically, any return that we receive can be categorized one of four ways. These categories are listed below. We've provided a description and an example for each category.

1. REGULAR DONATION
2. UNCONTROLLED DONATION
3. DONATION WITH ADDRESS CHANGE
4. DELETE-ME CARD

Basic Processing Recommendations

We recommend that donation return cards be separated according to their type (as listed above) before performing data entry. Only one type should be processed at a time. This way, the data entry clerk only needs to have one file (or table) open at a time, which should reduce confusion. For instance, when processing the Delete-Me cards, only the DELETEME.TXT file should be open -- the other files should all be closed.

Data Entry Details

REGULAR DONATION RETURN CARD

The following data items must be recorded for a Regular Donation return:

• Control number
• Dollar amount
• New surname (if provided)
• New name details (if provided)

Because the control number is already associated with an address, there is no need to record the address again for Regular Donation returns.

If these records are stored in an ASCII text file, the file should be named REGULAR.TXT. Each record should occupy one line of text, and the fields should be arranged as follows:

{Control number},{Dollar amount},{New surname (if provided)},{New name details (if provided)}

An example REGULAR.TXT file follows. The first record corresponds to the example return card shown above:

13433,50.00,TAYLOR,AGNES J
18459,25.00
4231,30.00
11003,150.00
26778,50.00,SALAZAR,MR AND MRS BOB
13,25.00,QUESENBERRY,MICHAEL
30912,5.00
3,25.00,KENSINGTON

UNCONTROLLED DONATION RETURN CARD

The following data items must be recorded for an Uncontrolled Donation:

• Dollar amount
• Surname
• Name details
• Street number
• Street name
• Apartment number
• City
• State
• Zip code

If these records are stored in an ASCII text file, the file should be named UNCONTRL.TXT. Each record should occupy one line of text, and the fields should be arranged as follows:

{Dollar amount},{Surname},{Name details},{Street number},{Street name},{Apartment number},{City},{State},{Zip code}

An example UNCONTRL.TXT file follows. The first record corresponds to the return card shown above:

25.00,PARSONS,CALVIN,126,ALBEMARLE ST,402,CHESAPEAKE,VA,23322
100.00,HORDESKI,MRS ANNA,1601,MAPLE ST,,VA BEACH,VA,23462
50.00,WATKINS,BILLY,1288,OVERLAND RD,,VA BEACH,VA,23462
60.00,APPLESEED,JOHNNY,104,BRAZILIAN DR,202,VA BEACH,VA,23464
25.00,BARKER,CLYDE,3645,PEACH ST,,ATLANTA,GA,47034

Note that empty fields are used when a peice of information (like an apartment number) is missing or does not apply.

DONATION RETURN CARD WITH ADDRESS CHANGE

The following data items must be recorded for a Donation With Address Change:

• Control number
• Dollar amount
• New surname (if different from previous surname on record)
• New name details (if different from previous name details on record)
• New street number
• New street name
• New apartment number
• New city
• New state
• New zip code

If these records are stored in an ASCII text file, the file should be named ADCHANGE.TXT. Each record should occupy one line of text, and the fields should be arranged as follows:

{Control number},{Dollar amount},{New surname},{New name details},{New street number},{New street name},{New apartment number},{New city},{New state},{New zip code}

An example ADCHANGE.TXT file follows. The first record corresponds to the return card shown above:

73,30.00,THURMAN,MR AND MRS WALTER,7663,CHEDDAR WAY,,VA BEACH,VA,23465
10543,25.00,SIMMONS,DR AND MRS RALPH,350,JUNIPER LN,,CHESAPEAKE,VA,23320
310,40.00,BLANCHARD,SAM AND LORRIE,3210,HOLLY RD,VA BEACH,VA,23451
31359,25.00,CREZMAN,HANFA,12,TURNIP CRES,5A,CHICAGO,IL,34319

DELETE-ME RETURN CARD

The following data items must be recorded for a Delete-Me Card:

• Control number

If these records are stored in an ASCII text file, the file should be named DELETEME.TXT. Each control number should occupy one line of text, as follows:

{Control number}

An example DELETEME.TXT file follows. The first record corresponds to the return card shown above:

6412
4056
118
19430
7214
34

Why does this standard focus on ASCII text files?

Because KVRS has not adopted any particular Database Management System (DBMS) as an official standard. Our members' preferences for DBMS's vary widely. All DBMS's, however, have some way to import and export comma-separated ASCII text files. We want our Data Entry Standards to be as portable as possible, for now and for the future. Nothing in this standard prohibits data entry personnel from using proper DBMS tables as an intermediate step in recording fund drive information. The final deliverable product, however, must include comma-separated ASCII text files, and the KVRS Treasurer shall make sure that the ASCII text files are kept for posterity.

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