Connecting BetterUnite to Tessitura

BetterUnite’s Tessitura integration allows you to automatically synchronize donors, donations, and online fundraising activity from BetterUnite into your Tessitura environment. This ensures your Tessitura database stays up to date while you continue using BetterUnite for online giving and engagement.

This article walks you through how to connect your BetterUnite account to Tessitura.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Before setting up the connection, make sure you have the following information from your Tessitura administrator or IT team:

Tessitura User Name
Tessitura User Group
Tessitura Location
Tessitura Password
Tessitura Service URL (your organization’s Tessitura API base URL)

⚠️ The Tessitura user must:

Belong to the specified User Group

Have permissions to access constituent and gift data

Be allowed to connect via Tessitura web services

Note: Access to your Tessitura environment is typically the biggest hurdle in setting up your connection and will likely require your IT administrator to be involved. Depending on your service location, access to the server from outside your network may be limited and IT may need to work through any connection issues.

Step-by-Step: Connecting Tessitura to BetterUnite

1. Open the Tessitura Integration Page

Log in to your BetterUnite admin account.
Navigate to Settings (gear icon).
Select Integrations.
Choose Tessitura.
Click Tessitura Connect.

This will open the Tessitura connection setup screen.

2. Enter Your Tessitura Credentials

You’ll be asked to provide the following information:

User Name

The Tessitura username provided by your organization.
This is often a dedicated integration or service account.

User Group

The Tessitura user group the account belongs to.
User groups control access and permissions within Tessitura.

Location

The Tessitura location code associated with the user.
This value is validated by Tessitura and is also used for auditing and tracking activity.

Password

The password for the Tessitura user account.

Service URL

Your Tessitura web services base URL, for example:

https://yourtessituraserverurl/

💡 This is not your Tessitura login URL. It must be the API/web services endpoint provided by Tessitura.

3. Save and Verify the Connection

Once all fields are completed:

Click Save / Connect.
BetterUnite will validate the credentials with Tessitura.
If successful, the integration will be activated.

If there is an error, double-check:

Username, password, and spelling
User group and location values
That the user has API/web service permissions enabled in Tessitura

What Happens After You Connect

After the connection is established:

Donors and donations collected in BetterUnite will be synchronized to Tessitura
BetterUnite remains your system for:
- Online giving
- Giving pages
- Event registrations
Tessitura continues to be your system of record for:
- Constituent management
- Reporting
- Accounting workflows

Synchronization runs automatically in the background.

Common Questions & Troubleshooting

❓ Do I need a special Tessitura account?

Yes. We recommend using a dedicated Tessitura integration user with appropriate permissions instead of a personal user account.

❓ What permissions are required?

The user must have access to:

Constituent records
Gifts / donations
Tessitura web services (API access)

Detailed Security Permissions List:

ReferenceData/AddressTypes - View
ReferenceData/ConstituentTypes - View
ReferenceData/OriginalSources - View
Finance/Appeals - View
TXN/ModesOfSale - View
Finance/Sources - View
TXN/PaymentMethods - View
ReferenceData/BatchTypes – View

Your Tessitura administrator can confirm this.

❓ My connection failed — what should I check?

Confirm the Service URL is correct
Ensure the User Group and Location match the Tessitura user exactly
Verify the password has not expired
Confirm the account is not locked or restricted

Need Help?

If you’re unsure about any Tessitura credentials or permissions, contact your Tessitura administrator first.

If you continue to experience issues, reach out to BetterUnite Support, and include:

Your organization name
The error message shown (if any)
Confirmation that Tessitura credentials were verified