This article is for those using OnlineFundraising to create new members, but who do not have a CRM system to store memberships in. While using a dedicated CRM system together with OnlineFundraising is by far the best solution, we understand that budgets do not always allow for this. That is why we have written this article – to guide you through the next best way to handle memberships.
| Note: The definition of a member varies from one organisation to another. This makes it difficult to standardise processes that could make handling easier. This guide tries to cover as many scenarios as possible. |
Overview
1. Create new memberships through a form
Need a general guide on creating forms? You can find it here >
You should never mix membership creation with donations. We recommend setting up separate forms for donations and memberships to avoid any legal issues. So, create a dedicated membership form, and consider where it best fits on your website.
Memberships are not tax deductible, so do not tick the box for tax deduction. If the membership is mandatory, meaning you are entitled to send payment reminders, then tick the box Payments are required in dunning. An example could be access to special offers in a patient association.
Next, make sure that Personal agreement name and Accounting code reflect that this is a special type of payment (membership). We recommend writing “Membership” in both fields.
Be mindful of the Accounting code if you also use a CRM system, as the logic may work differently there.
2. Multiple membership types in one form
If your organisation offers different membership types (e.g. youth, household, or standard membership), you can manage this in a single form:
Create a Purpose for each membership type.
Make sure their Accounting codes are different (e.g. membership_youth). If your Purpose Accounting codes are specific bookkeeping codes, you can also add the membership type name to Personal agreement name (but never in a new field – it must be an OnlineFundraising standard field).
Add a field that allows the donor to select their membership type. This field must have Input type = Purposes and must also be saved as a Purpose.
You can see an example form in our library >
3. Managing local branches
Some organisations assign each member to a local branch. This can have legal significance, for example in relation to voting rights. It is therefore often important to be able to 1) change this over time and 2) easily export data to see whether a given payment is linked to a specific branch.
This is also solved by using multiple Purposes and their Purpose accounting codes. You could use Personal agreement name, but we recommend using Accounting code where possible.
Create one Purpose per branch, and follow the steps under Multiple membership types in one form.
The Name in form is what the user will see. Make sure the names are clear, logical, and easy to tell apart – e.g. by listing them alphabetically.
4. Adjusting local branch on existing members
Without a CRM system, changing a member’s local branch is a manual process.
Tip: Open an existing subscription of the correct type in a new window, so you can compare. For example, if you need to change to “Region North Jutland”, find another member who already belongs to “Region North Jutland”.
Steps:
Search for the person under Transactional > Contacts (you can search by phone number or email).
Click the person to open their profile. Check that it is the correct person, then locate their membership under Subscriptions. Click it to see details about the next payment.
To edit the membership, open the original agreement. Click See agreement.
Click Edit. The details will appear in a new window.
Update the Agreement Name (this is what shows when the payment is withdrawn, e.g. via Direct Debit or MobilePay) and the correct Purpose accounting code. Save your changes.
5. Exporting paying members
Without a CRM system, it is often necessary to export a list of currently paying members – for example, before an annual general meeting.
There are many ways of defining a member. Does someone count as a member if they have signed up but not made their first payment? Or only if they have paid a certain minimum, e.g. three months’ fees?
In the following example, we describe how to find all members who have paid within the past year. You can then refine and filter the data in Excel to fit your organisation’s rules.
Steps:
Go to Export and click New export.
Choose export type Transactional – Payments.
Add a filter so you only see those who have paid within the last 12 months. Select Charged timestamp + within dates + and choose the appropriate timeframe. Also set State (Payment State) is Charged so that refunds are excluded.
If you want separate lists for local branches, add another filter on the correct Purpose accounting code.
If you have special form fields, you can add them to the export under Related Data sets. The reference to each field can be found in the form settings.
Start the export by clicking Create.
When ready, download the file by clicking the download icon.
| Note: The export is based on payments, not agreements. This means that if you export for one year, a member who pays monthly will appear 12 times. To calculate the number of unique members, you need to process the data (e.g. with a pivot table). See section 7 if you need help! |
6. Exporting members who have not yet paid
You can also export all members who have signed up, regardless of payment status. Your definition of a member may include both those who have paid and those who have only signed up.
To export all members:
Go to Export and click New export.
Choose export type Subscription.
Add a filter so you only see agreements with a scheduled payment in the coming year. Select Next due date and choose today until one year ahead.
Create the export and download the file when ready.
Filter the file so you only see memberships. If you also have recurring donations, they will appear too. Use the column agreement-purpose_accounting_code and filter for “membership”.
7. Getting help with membership exports
If the above steps are difficult, you can request help with your export. Contact support at support@onlinefundraising.dk. Please describe your membership criteria as clearly as possible – as mentioned, these can vary a lot between organisations, and we want to provide you with the correct data.
Please order your export at least five working days before you need it. That way, we have time to clarify any questions before your deadline.