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  2. CiviCRM Integration & Customization Framework
  3. Summary of the PDF Documentation

Summary of the PDF Documentation

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/23/2026 - 13:06

Summary of the PDF Documentation

1️⃣ Define CiviCRM Data Structures (Step One)

The process begins by defining:

  • Contact types

  • Custom data groups

  • Membership tiers

  • Event types

  • Relationship types

  • Validation rules

On page 3 of the document, this is described as “Define civiCRM Data Structures” before migration begins

civiCRM planning diagram example

Summary of the PDF Documentation

1️⃣ Define CiviCRM Data Structures (Step One)

The process begins by defining:

  • Contact types

  • Custom data groups

  • Membership tiers

  • Event types

  • Relationship types

  • Validation rules

On page 3 of the document, this is described as “Define civiCRM Data Structures” before migration begins

civiCRM planning diagram example

.

This ensures that:

  • Legacy database fields are mapped cleanly

  • Custom data fields align with business logic

  • Membership tiers have defined rules

2️⃣ Migrate Contacts First

Pages 2–4 outline migrating all members as Contacts first

civiCRM planning diagram example

.

Key principles:

  • “Members file = Contacts”

  • Employee numbers become IDs

  • Duplicate checking rules defined before import

  • CSV cleaned to meet validation standards

The document emphasizes:

  • Export legacy data

  • Clean according to CiviCRM validation rules

  • Define duplicate rules

  • Import via structured CSV mapping

  • Control-balance record counts

This staged approach avoids data corruption and duplicate records.

3️⃣ Custom Data Groups

Page 4 shows defining Custom Data Groups such as:

This is important because:

Custom fields in CiviCRM automatically become available in reports, searches, and UI filters.

This is one of the strongest customization features of CiviCRM.

4️⃣ Membership Tiers with Rules

Page 4–5 outlines creating membership tiers and rules.

civiCRM planning diagram example

Highlights:

  • Membership types separated from benefit categories

  • Deceased contacts handled explicitly

  • Automated renewal notifications

  • Clear semantic meaning of fields

This reduces ambiguity and allows automation.

5️⃣ Event Types with Rules

Step Eight describes defining event types with rules before importing event history.

civiCRM planning diagram example

Events are:

  • Defined by category

  • Filterable

  • Color-coded

  • Associated with members

  • Historical data preserved

6️⃣ Automated Validation

Page 5 outlines automation features

civiCRM planning diagram example

:

  • Duplicate checking

  • Address validation

  • Email effectiveness tracking (bounce, click-through)

  • Geocoding for mapping

  • Automated membership renewals

These automation layers reduce manual overhead.

7️⃣ Templatized Reports

Pages 6–7 describe CiviCRM’s reporting framework

civiCRM planning diagram example

.

Users can:

  • Pick fields

  • Select filters

  • Apply sorting

  • Save report templates

  • Reuse them instantly

Custom fields automatically appear in reports.

This allows non-technical administrators to generate business intelligence without developer involvement.

8️⃣ Roles & Permissions

Page 8–9 details operational governance:

civiCRM planning diagram example

  • Administrator roles

  • Function-based roles (events, payments, content)

  • Membership management roles

  • Vendor access

  • Training

  • Trigger-based email automation

  • Payment processing (PayPal, credit cards)

  • Event signup management

  • Waiting lists

  • Analytics (Google Analytics integration)

This demonstrates that CiviCRM becomes the operational backbone of the organization.

Drupal + CiviCRM Automation Modules

There are numerous Drupal modules that enhance connectivity between Drupal and CiviCRM:

Core Integration

  • CiviCRM (Drupal module)

  • Webform CiviCRM

  • CiviCRM Entity

  • CiviCRM Rules

  • Views integration

  • CiviCRM Block integration

Automation & Workflow

  • Rules

  • ECA (Event-Condition-Action)

  • Message

  • Queue integrations

  • Scheduled Jobs

Reporting & UX

  • Views

  • Better Exposed Filters

  • Webform

  • Paragraphs (for content integration)

  • Search API integration

These modules help:

  • Synchronize Drupal users and CiviCRM contacts

  • Attach payments to memberships automatically

  • Trigger emails from events

  • Create dashboard widgets

  • Expose CRM data into Drupal pages

This ensures that:

  • Legacy database fields are mapped cleanly

  • Custom data fields align with business logic

  • Membership tiers have defined rules

2️⃣ Migrate Contacts First

Pages 2–4 outline migrating all members as Contacts first

.

Key principles:

  • “Members file = Contacts”

  • Employee numbers become IDs

  • Duplicate checking rules defined before import

  • CSV cleaned to meet validation standards

The document emphasizes:

  • Export legacy data

  • Clean according to CiviCRM validation rules

  • Define duplicate rules

  • Import via structured CSV mapping

  • Control-balance record counts

This staged approach avoids data corruption and duplicate records.

3️⃣ Custom Data Groups

Page 4 shows defining Custom Data Groups such as:

  • Contact Category

  • Health Benefits Type

  • Birthdate

  • Employment details

  • Migration flags

  • Change log tracking

This is important because:

Custom fields in CiviCRM automatically become available in reports, searches, and UI filters.

This is one of the strongest customization features of CiviCRM.

4️⃣ Membership Tiers with Rules

Page 4–5 outlines creating membership tiers and rules

.

Highlights:

  • Membership types separated from benefit categories

  • Deceased contacts handled explicitly

  • Automated renewal notifications

  • Clear semantic meaning of fields

This reduces ambiguity and allows automation.

5️⃣ Event Types with Rules

Step Eight describes defining event types with rules before importing event history

.

Events are:

  • Defined by category

  • Filterable

  • Color-coded

  • Associated with members

  • Historical data preserved

6️⃣ Automated Validation

Page 5 outlines automation features:

  • Duplicate checking

  • Address validation

  • Email effectiveness tracking (bounce, click-through)

  • Geocoding for mapping

  • Automated membership renewals

These automation layers reduce manual overhead.

7️⃣ Templatized Reports

Pages 6–7 describe CiviCRM’s reporting framework.

Users can:

  • Pick fields

  • Select filters

  • Apply sorting

  • Save report templates

  • Reuse them instantly

Custom fields automatically appear in reports.

This allows non-technical administrators to generate business intelligence without developer involvement.

8️⃣ Roles & Permissions

Page 8–9 details operational governance:

  • Administrator roles

  • Function-based roles (events, payments, content)

  • Membership management roles

  • Vendor access

  • Training

  • Trigger-based email automation

  • Payment processing (PayPal, credit cards)

  • Event signup management

  • Waiting lists

  • Analytics (Google Analytics integration)

This demonstrates that CiviCRM becomes the operational backbone of the organization.

Drupal + CiviCRM Automation Modules

There are numerous Drupal modules that enhance connectivity between Drupal and CiviCRM:

Core Integration

  • CiviCRM (Drupal module)

  • Webform CiviCRM

  • CiviCRM Entity

  • CiviCRM Rules

  • Views integration

  • CiviCRM Block integration

Automation & Workflow

  • Rules

  • ECA (Event-Condition-Action)

  • Message

  • Queue integrations

  • Scheduled Jobs

Reporting & UX

  • Views

  • Better Exposed Filters

  • Webform

  • Paragraphs (for content integration)

  • Search API integration

These modules help:

  • Synchronize Drupal users and CiviCRM contacts

  • Attach payments to memberships automatically

  • Trigger emails from events

  • Create dashboard widgets

  • Expose CRM data into Drupal pages