Summary
This article explains the various options and nuances of searching for a constituent in ABE, including how to use the Advanced Filters to achieve optimum search results. Knowing the options and how to apply filters will help you find that one constituent you are looking for out of more than a million records.
Key Takeaways
- There are many ways to search for constituents in ABE.
- Knowing the options and how to apply filters will help you find who you are looking for.
- Knowing how to thoroughly search for a constituent before requesting that a new record be created will help avoid entering duplicates in the database.
- Such information is confidential and may only be used in accordance with WFAA’s polices, including its data disclosure and confidentiality policies.
Follow the instructions below to perform a Constituent Search to search for and open a variety of constituent record types.
1. Log in to ABE CRM.
2. Click Constituents in the navigation bar.
3. Click Constituent Search.
- Alternatively, click the arrow next to Constituents and select Constituent Search.
You’ll get the best results by using the specific searches for the type of constituent you are looking for, so use the dedicated Committee and Organization searches for those types of records. (Note: UW-related groups that are not committees can only be found under the Constituent search, by using “Unit*Group” as the search criteria.)
4. Enter the constituent name or other known information in the data fields. In the Name/Lookup ID field you can enter the name in various formats, such as:
- Last, first (partial, complete, or nickname)
- First last (if a nickname is used, the constituent will be found if his/her record has a nickname)
- Lookup ID is the “8-” lookup ID. If you have the “Check alternate lookup IDs” box checked in the advanced search options, you can also key in any alternate ID tracked in ABE (Campus ID, EMPLID, etc.) This will also include previous lookup IDs of constituents whose records have been merged.
“Match all criteria exactly” can be useful in narrowing your search results. For example, if you are looking for a constituent named Brad Johns and you key in “Johns” for the last name you will get all names that begin with Johns, such as Johnson. Likewise, if his name is actually Brad and not Bradley or Bradford, checking the box will find only the Brads.
5. Click Show Advanced Search to display and select advanced options.
- Individual. Check this box to search for individuals.
- Organization. Check this box to include organizations in your search results; however, if you are specifically searching for organizations, it is better to use the dedicated Organization search in the Constituent tab.
- Groups/Households. Check this box if you want a constituent’s household record to display in the results. It will also include any groups or committees a person belongs to, so keep this box unchecked if you want fewer lines in your search results.
It is recommended to have the following boxes checked at all times for the best search results:
- Check nickname. If a person has a nickname defined in their Personal tab, they can be found with a search.
- Only search primary addresses. Without this checked, you will get a search result for every past address a constituent has had. However, if you are trying to narrow your search on a common name by including address information, it is helpful to uncheck this box in case the address is a previous one.
- Check aliases. If a constituent has any previous names, your search will find them even if the name you are using is not their current one.
- Include deceased. Without this checked, you might not find someone you are searching for and conclude that they aren’t in ABE.
- Check alternate lookup IDs. As described above, this allows you to key in any alternate ID tracked in ABE (Campus ID, EMPLID, etc.) to find the exact constituent. This will also include previous lookup IDs of constituents whose records have been merged.
- Include inactive. Without this checked, you might not find someone you are searching for and conclude that they aren’t in ABE. Constituents are marked as inactive when their records were created in error or when the person wants all ties to the university severed.
It is not recommended to check “Check merged constituents” or “Include fuzzy search on name” unless they are truly needed to help your search.
6. Click Search to begin the search.
- Click Clear to remove all criteria and begin a new search. (Note: Clicking Clear also resets the advanced filters. This means that the Individual, Organization and Groups/Households boxes are all checked, and all other criteria boxes are unchecked. If you want to keep the advanced filters set, delete the information out of each search box instead of clicking Clear.)
- Click Settings to modify the search and output fields in the search window.
7. Click the constituent name in the Results grid to open the constituent’s record. Results may be sorted by clicking on any of the field headings.
Search Tips
Use the search field at the top of a page to quickly find constituents using the same criteria as in the Name/Lookup ID in the constituent search. The number of different record types that show are based on your security role.
Search functions:
- Use a question mark or underscores to replace a single character (e.g., B_cky Bad?er).
- Use an asterisk or percent sign to replace multiple characters (e.g., Buc* Bad%). The * is implied unless the “Match exact criteria” box is checked.
The first 100 records meeting your criteria display in the grid.