I am helping a childrens charity move from one fundraising software
package to a different one.
I need to xfer several thousand names & addresses from one system to another.

I can extract the data from the first system into a CSV file.
I then want to take this CSV file and automatically load this data
into the new system.   This can be down by using some form of
"playback" software which would load the data as if the user was
actually keying it into the system.

Question: Can anybody advise of a free piece of simple software that
will facilitate the 'playback' required.  I accept that I will need to
do some data manipulation.
Hope this makes sense!

Hope this helps http://www.sonic.net/~tengel/ContactBook/index.html.An
email client like www.pmail.com may also work.(Found at
alt.comp.freeware)

I don't know any products that are free, but I've used Phantom before
and found it to be very helpful for automating GUI/DOS interaction
when there is no available API in your target system.  The
documentation was good, which is important in a system emulation
product like this.  The basic versions are not very expensive unless
you have absolutely zero budget.  You can use their trial versions to
make sure the product will work for you before paying for it.  As I
recall, the trial version limits the volume of keystrokes it will
replay.

You may need to import your CSV file into Excel, Access or similar
product to get the keystroke ordering just right, add key sequences
between sets of fields or records, and then export back to CSV or
other text format.

[ http://www.p1.com/P1ProductsPage.htm ]

If you have MS sql server, use Data transmission service. It is very easy.