JM: Prevent duplicate organizations with the same name

app/models/organization.rb

@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ def self.info_email
   validates :logo,
             content_type: %w[image/png image/jpeg image/webp],
             size: { less_than: 5.megabytes }
-  validates :name, presence: true, length: { maximum: 255 }
+  normalizes :name, with: ->(name) { name.strip }
+  validates :name, presence: true, length: { maximum: 255 }, uniqueness: { case_sensitive: false }
   validates :email, format: { with: URI::MailTo::EMAIL_REGEXP, message: "must be a valid email address" }, allow_blank: true, length: { maximum: 255 }
   validates :organization_type_other, length: { maximum: 255 }
   validates :website_url, length: { maximum: 255 }

app/services/public_form_submission.rb

@@ -89,16 +89,15 @@ def register_for_on_demand_training(submission)
 
   # A close-program submission end-dates the person's affiliations at the named
   # organization (see AffiliationServices::CloseProgram). We only auto-process
-  # when the submitted organization name resolves to exactly one org — an exact,
-  # case-insensitive name match. Anything ambiguous (no match, or two same-named
-  # orgs) is left for an admin to resolve on the submission's processing panel,
-  # which runs the same service once they link the organization by hand.
+  # when the submitted organization name matches an org exactly (case-insensitive).
+  # An unmatched name is left for an admin to resolve on the submission's processing
+  # panel, which runs the same service once they link the organization by hand.
   def process_close_program(submission)
     return unless @form.role == "close_program"
     return unless submission.person
 
     answers = submission.answers_by_identifier
-    organization = sole_organization_named(answers[FormField::ORGANIZATION_NAME_FIELD_IDENTIFIER])
+    organization = organization_named(answers[FormField::ORGANIZATION_NAME_FIELD_IDENTIFIER])
     return unless organization
 
     ended = AffiliationServices::CloseProgram.call(
@@ -145,7 +144,7 @@ def capture_organization(submission)
   # core would have to guess at is left for an admin on the submission's linking
   # page.
   def process_agreement_organization(submission)
-    organization = sole_organization_named(field_value(FormField::ORGANIZATION_NAME_FIELD_IDENTIFIER))
+    organization = organization_named(field_value(FormField::ORGANIZATION_NAME_FIELD_IDENTIFIER))
     return unless organization
 
     result = OrganizationServices::LinkSubmittedOrganization.call(
@@ -161,16 +160,8 @@ def process_agreement_organization(submission)
     organization
   end
 
-  # Only an unambiguous name match is auto-processed. Organization names aren't
-  # unique and the column collates case-insensitively, so two orgs can answer to
-  # one submitted name — and picking the wrong one here would end a facilitator's
-  # affiliations at the org they actually work for. Ambiguity goes to an admin.
-  def sole_organization_named(name)
-    name = name.to_s.strip
-    return if name.blank?
-
-    matches = Organization.where("LOWER(name) = ?", name.downcase)
-    matches.first if matches.count == 1
+  def organization_named(name)
+    Organization.find_by(name: name) if name.present?
   end
 
   def field_value(identifier)

config/features.yml

@@ -4510,3 +4510,16 @@
   pro_tips:
     - "Logged in, your name and reply email fill in for you under \"From\", so you only write a subject and message."
     - "Links that pre-fill a subject (like an affiliation change request) drop you straight into the message box."
+
+- name: "Organization names are unique"
+  area: people
+  display_status: admin_facing
+  released_on: 2026-10-12
+  pr_number: 2637
+  action_path: "/organizations/dedupe_index"
+  summary: >-
+    Two organizations can no longer share the same name. Names that differ only
+    by capitalization or extra spaces count as the same name.
+  pro_tips:
+    - "To tell apart two real organizations with the same name, add the city or program, e.g. \"Hope House (Oakland)\"."
+    - "Use Dedupe on the Organizations page to combine records that already exist twice."

db/migrate/20261012154339_add_unique_name_index_to_organizations.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+class AddUniqueNameIndexToOrganizations < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.1]
+  INDEX_NAME = "index_organizations_on_name"
+
+  def up
+    duplicates = select_rows(<<~SQL)
+      SELECT MIN(name), GROUP_CONCAT(id ORDER BY id) AS organization_ids
+      FROM organizations
+      WHERE name IS NOT NULL
+      GROUP BY name
+      HAVING COUNT(*) > 1
+    SQL
+
+    if duplicates.any?
+      groups = duplicates.map { |name, ids| "#{name} (organizations #{ids})" }
+      raise ActiveRecord::MigrationError,
+        "Merge these duplicate organizations at /organizations/dedupe_index before adding #{INDEX_NAME}:\n  #{groups.join("\n  ")}"
+    end
+
+    add_index :organizations, :name, unique: true, name: INDEX_NAME
+  end
+
+  def down
+    remove_index :organizations, name: INDEX_NAME, if_exists: true
+  end
+end

db/schema.rb

@@ -1477,6 +1477,7 @@
     t.integer "windows_type_id"
     t.index ["created_by_id"], name: "index_organizations_on_created_by_id"
     t.index ["location_id"], name: "index_organizations_on_location_id"
+    t.index ["name"], name: "index_organizations_on_name", unique: true
     t.index ["organization_status_id"], name: "index_organizations_on_organization_status_id"
     t.index ["parent_id"], name: "index_organizations_on_parent_id"
     t.index ["updated_by_id"], name: "index_organizations_on_updated_by_id"

lib/tasks/resolve_resource_organizations.rake

@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@
 #
 # For each resource that has an `agency` name but no organization linked yet:
 #   - match an Organization by exact, case-insensitive name (agency == org.name)
-#   - exactly one match   -> link it
-#   - no match            -> create the Organization, link it
-#   - more than one match -> ambiguous; skip and report (reconcile by hand)
+#   - match    -> link it
+#   - no match -> create the Organization, link it
 #
 # New orgs get status "Unknown" — not because the link cares (it doesn't), but
 # because Organization requires organization_status_id (org status is legacy and
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ namespace :data do
     unknown_status = OrganizationStatus.find_by(name: "Unknown")
     raise "OrganizationStatus \"Unknown\" is required to create organizations" if !dry_run && unknown_status.nil?
 
-    linked = created = ambiguous = 0
+    linked = created = 0
     created_by_name = {}
 
     ActiveRecord::Base.transaction do
@@ -36,14 +35,7 @@ namespace :data do
         next if name.blank?
         key = name.downcase
 
-        matches = Organization.where("LOWER(name) = ?", key).to_a
-        if matches.size > 1
-          ambiguous += 1
-          puts "  ! resource ##{resource.id} #{resource.title.inspect}: #{matches.size} orgs named #{name.inspect} (ids: #{matches.map(&:id).join(', ')}) — skipped"
-          next
-        end
-
-        if (organization = matches.first)
+        if (organization = Organization.find_by(name: name))
           linked += 1
           puts "  = resource ##{resource.id}: link existing org ##{organization.id} #{name.inspect}"
         elsif created_by_name.key?(key)
@@ -66,7 +58,6 @@ namespace :data do
     puts
     puts "linked to existing: #{linked}"
     puts "orgs created:       #{created}"
-    puts "ambiguous, skipped: #{ambiguous}"
     puts(dry_run ? "\nDRY RUN — rolled back, nothing written. Set DRY_RUN=false to execute." : "\nDone.")
   end
 end

spec/factories/organizations.rb

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FactoryBot.define do
   factory :organization do
-    name { Faker::Company.name.gsub("'", " ") }
+    sequence(:name) { |n| "#{Faker::Company.name.gsub("'", " ")} #{n}" }
     # association :windows_type
     # association :location
     association :organization_status

spec/models/organization_spec.rb

@@ -19,6 +19,22 @@
     subject { build(:organization) }
     it { should validate_presence_of(:name) }
     it { should_not validate_presence_of(:organization_status_id) }
+    it { should validate_uniqueness_of(:name).case_insensitive }
+
+    it "strips surrounding whitespace from the name" do
+      expect(build(:organization, name: "  Hope House  ").name).to eq("Hope House")
+    end
+
+    it "rejects a name that differs only by case or trailing whitespace" do
+      create(:organization, name: "Hope House")
+      expect(build(:organization, name: "hope house ")).not_to be_valid
+    end
+
+    it "is enforced by a unique index when validations are skipped" do
+      create(:organization, name: "Hope House")
+      duplicate = build(:organization, name: "HOPE HOUSE")
+      expect { duplicate.save(validate: false) }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotUnique, /index_organizations_on_name/)
+    end
 
     it { should allow_value("info@example.com").for(:email) }
     it { should allow_value("").for(:email) }

spec/requests/dedupable_spec.rb

@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@
     describe "GET dedupe_index" do
       it "renders and surfaces candidate groups from the duplicate finder" do
         create(:organization, name: "Hope Center")
-        create(:organization, name: "hope center")
+        create(:organization, name: "Hope-Center")
 
         get dedupe_index_organizations_path
 

spec/requests/form_submissions_spec.rb

@@ -244,12 +244,11 @@
 
         # A matching affiliation the person holds does not mark it linked — only a
         # direct link made in the editor does, so it stays Pending (the queue).
-        create(:affiliation, person: submission.person,
-               organization: create(:organization, name: "Harbor Family Shelter"))
+        organization = create(:organization, name: "Harbor Family Shelter")
+        create(:affiliation, person: submission.person, organization: organization)
         get form_submissions_path, headers: frame_headers
         expect(response.body).to include("Pending")
 
-        organization = create(:organization, name: "Harbor Family Shelter")
         submission.link_organization!(organization.id)
         get form_submissions_path, headers: frame_headers
         # Once linked, the org shows as its own chip (linking to the org) — no

spec/services/organization_services/duplicate_finder_spec.rb

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def org(attrs = {})
   describe "#groups" do
     it "groups organizations with the same normalized name" do
       a = org(name: "Hope Center")
-      b = org(name: "hope center")
+      b = org(name: "Hope-Center")
       org(name: "Unrelated")
 
       groups = described_class.new.groups
@@ -52,14 +52,14 @@ def org(attrs = {})
 
     it "flags a FileMaker code present on only one record" do
       org(name: "Sunrise", filemaker_code: "FM123")
-      org(name: "Sunrise", filemaker_code: nil)
+      org(name: "Sunrise!", filemaker_code: nil)
 
       expect(described_class.new.groups.first.reasons).to include("FileMaker code on only one record")
     end
 
     it "surfaces multiple FileMaker codes as a keep-all conflict" do
       org(name: "Rivertown", filemaker_code: "FM1")
-      org(name: "Rivertown", filemaker_code: "FM2")
+      org(name: "Rivertown!", filemaker_code: "FM2")
 
       expect(described_class.new.groups.first.reasons)
         .to include(a_string_matching(/Multiple FileMaker codes.*merging keeps all/))

spec/services/public_form_submission_spec.rb

@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def org_params(overrides = {})
           .to include("Facilitator")
       end
 
-      # Two orgs answering to one submitted name would make the scenario guess
-      # which one to end affiliations at, so it stays in the admin's queue.
-      it "leaves an ambiguous name for an admin rather than picking an org" do
-        form.update!(role: "new_job")
-        create(:organization, name: "helping hands")
-
-        result = described_class.call(form: form, form_params: org_params)
-
-        expect(result.person.affiliations).to be_empty
-        expect(result.form_submission.reload.linked_organization_ids).to be_empty
-        expect(Organization.where("LOWER(name) = ?", "helping hands").count).to eq(2)
-        expect(FormSubmission.org_link_status("pending")).to include(result.form_submission)
-      end
-
       # Fill-blanks, not latest-wins: an agreement runs the admin linking core, so
       # a curated value is kept and reported as a conflict on the linking page.
       it "does not overwrite the organization's curated profile" do
@@ -419,15 +405,5 @@ def close_params(org_name: "Sunset Youth Services", date: "2026-06-30", reason:
       expect(facilitator.reload.end_date).to be_nil
       expect(result.form_submission.linked_organization_ids).to be_empty
     end
-
-    it "does not auto-process when two organizations share the submitted name" do
-      create(:organization, name: "Sunset Youth Services")
-      person = create(:person, user: nil, first_name: "Casey", last_name: "Closing", email: "casey@example.com")
-      facilitator = create(:affiliation, person: person, organization: organization, title: "Facilitator")
-
-      described_class.call(form: form, form_params: close_params)
-
-      expect(facilitator.reload.end_date).to be_nil
-    end
   end
 end

spec/tasks/resolve_resource_organizations_spec.rb

@@ -55,16 +55,6 @@ def suppress_output
     expect(r1.reload.organization).to eq(r2.reload.organization)
   end
 
-  it "skips a resource whose agency name is ambiguous across multiple orgs" do
-    create(:organization, name: "Twins")
-    create(:organization, name: "Twins")
-    resource = create(:resource, agency: "Twins")
-
-    run_task
-
-    expect(resource.reload.organization_id).to be_nil
-  end
-
   it "leaves an already-linked resource untouched" do
     existing = create(:organization, name: "Existing Link")
     other = create(:organization, name: "Someplace Else")

spec/views/organizations/edit.html.erb_spec.rb

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def org_with_status(name)
       Organization.create!(
         windows_type: windows_type,
         organization_status: OrganizationStatus.find_or_create_by!(name: name),
-        name: "MyString",
+        name: "Status org",
         description: "MyString",
         notes: "MyText"
       )