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Individual/Chapter Relationships

Chapters

netFORUM enables you to manage Chapter memberships just as you would manage regular memberships within your Association. Some examples of Chapters may include State or Regional Chapters within your larger organization. Chapters within netFORUM have both Membership attributes and Customer Relationship Management CRM attributes as well. For example: Chapters are records in the customer table just like Organizations and Individuals within CRM. For this reason, you may sell merchandise and products to Chapters just as you do to Organizations and Individuals. However, just as with Memberships, Chapters also enable you to track Chapter Membership Types, Dues Packages, and Members. For these reasons, Chapters are sometimes referred to as 'hybrids' within netFORUM in that they have both CRM and Membership qualities.

The five standard Group Item Links (Add, Find, List, Run Query, Query Central), are available in the Chapters group item. In addition to the standard links, you can also choose to perform the following actions:

  • List Chapter Positions
  • Add Chapter Positions
  • Upload Documents
  • Mass Payments
  • Address Corrections

Chapter Setup

Before you begin adding your Chapters to your Association, you need to decide what types of Chapters you will need, or your Chapter Types within netFORUM. When you add a new Chapter, you will have to specify what kind of Chapter it is such as a State chapter or a Regional chapter, for example. This means that those attributes will need to be set-up prior to adding a new Chapter to your Association. You specify your Chapter Types within Membership Set-up. Once you have determined what kinds of Chapter Types you will need, view the Chapter Types topic for more information on setting Chapter Types within netFORUM. Then return to this page to begin adding your new Chapters to your Association.

Adding a Chapter

Once you have defined the correct Chapter Type you need within Membership Setup, you are ready to begin adding your individual Chapter records for your Association.

To add a Chapter to your Association:

  1. Go to the Membership module.
  2. In the Chapter Group Item menu, select the Add Chapter link. The Add - Chapter page displays.
  3. Association - The association drop-down field is required. You must specify which association you are creating this Chapter record for.
  4. Chapter Code - The chapter code field is an alphanumeric field and is also required. If you assign an alphanumeric code to each chapter, you will be able to sort the chapters in alphanumeric order. In the example above, a Virginia state chapter is being created so a Chapter code of VA is used.
  5. Chapter Name - The chapter name is required. In the example used above, it is closely matched to the chapter code and is 'Virginia State Chapter'.
  6. Chapter Number - The chapter number field is an integer field. If you assign a unique chapter number to each chapter, you will be able to sort chapters by number. This field is optional.
  7. Tax ID - If your chapters have tax ids, you may enter them in the tax id field. This field is optional.
  8. Address Information - Address fields are optional.
  9. Website - The website field is optional and used to store the URL of the chapter's website address if desired.
  10. Chapter Type - The chapter type drop-down is required. You must choose what type of chapter you are adding to this Association. When you set-up your Chapter Type in Membership Setup, you defined what would appear in this drop-down field. This is why you needed to complete that step first. Because the example is adding a Virginia State Chapter, 'State' is selected as the Chapter Type.
  11. Chapter Status - The status drop-down will not be populated with available statuses until you select a chapter type. At that time, the status states you set for the chapter type will become available. For example, if you defined a chapter type of 'State' and then set the available status states of 'Active' and 'Inactive' so that those statuses could be set, those will then become available so that when a member purchases a Chapter membership, status can be set to 'Active' by selecting 'Active'.
  12. Date Chartered - The date chartered field is optional.
  13. Date Terminated - The date the Chapter is terminated and also optional.
  14. Reason - Used to specify the reason the Chapter is terminated if desired.
  15. Credit Limit/Credit Hold check box/Reason - Used to specify the credit limit of the Chapter for all purchases, if it has been placed on hold, and the reason for doing so if needed.
  16. Use the lookup button to relate the Primary Contact Person's name to the Chapter. Remember that when searching for individuals, the sort order is last name first name.
  17. Chapter Purpose Information - Used to enter display and reporting information and to send plain text e-mails for your Chapter to those customers that cannot accept HTML e-mail.
  18. Click Save. This creates the Chapter Profile.

Finding a Chapter

Finding a Chapter that has been entered into the netFORUM database is easily accomplished. The Find function is universal throughout netFORUM and detailed on the Find topic.

Finding Chapters within the Membership module follows the same format and function. You may search by the following:

  • Association
  • Chapter Code
  • Chapter Name
  • Chapter Number
  • Chapter Type

The Advanced View checkbox allows you to conduct boolean searches to broaden and narrow your search as needed. If you are uncertain with what you are looking for, use the netFORUM wildcard character, the percent sign (%) to help you with your search.

Managing Chapter Records

Navigating to the Chapter Profile

The Chapter Profile is displayed once you add a new Chapter to netFORUM and tie it to an Association. If you want to navigate to and view a specific profile page:

  • Click on the Membership module from the Module Menu drop-down.
  • On the Group Item menu, click Chapters. You can then choose to List Chapters or to Find Chapter items.

Depending upon which Chapter you choose, its Chapter Profile will display.

The Chapter Profile

The Chapter Profile provides you with an overview of a specific Chapter you have created for your Association. You are able to view the following information about your Chapter:

  • Chapter Name and Address information
  • Chapter Website
  • Chapter Contact Information (Phone, Fax, and Primary Contact if assigned)
  • The Additional Information section includes:
    • Chapter Code
    • The Association the Chapter is tied to
    • The Tax ID for the Chapter if created
    • The Chapter Type
    • The Chapter Status if assigned
    • The Chapter charter date if assigned
    • The Chapter termination date if assigned.

There are three Info drop-down buttons, pictured above, that will give you additional information at a glance:

  • Chapter Contact Info - This drop-down contains all relevant Chapter address, phone, and fax information (if entered upon set-up) as well as the preferred method of contact for the Chapter.
  • Primary Contact Info - If a Primary Contact was entered when the Chapter was set-up, his or her contact information including address and phone number can be found in this drop-down.
  • Custom Info - All customized information can be defined and added using the toolkit.
  • Demographics - Customized demographics can be defined for your Chapter and added using the toolkit.
  • Online Info - Use the Online Info button to add a detailed HTML description of your Chapter. This differs from the plain text that was entered in the Chapter Purpose Information field when you created your Chapter in that this can also be used in HTML e-mails.

Finally, use the Chapter Profile Actions Bar icons to conduct Chapter merchandise purchases or to edit Chapter data.

  • Order Entry - Used just as you would with an Individual or an Organization to purchase merchandise or memberships, etc.
  • Add Payment - Used just as you would with an Individual or an Organization to make payments on invoices.
  • Edit Name and Address - Used to edit Chapter data. Looks identical to Add Chapter screen.
  • Edit Contact Info - Used specifically to modify a Chapter's phone, fax, and Website information.

The Chapter Profile has several different Tabs with associated child forms where additional functionality and information can be accessed. Those are discussed in more detail below.

The Contact Info Tab

Modifying Primary Contact Info and Adding Secondary Contacts

The Contact Info tab contains three child forms that are used to store the contact information for your Chapter; the chapter addresses, the telephone numbers, and the fax numbers. Notice in the screenshot below that, if you enter this information at set-up, it will be designated as the Primary contact information and be entered as the first line items underneath each child form.

For example, the address information entered when the Virginia State Chapter was created is the entered under the child addresses child form as the Primary address for this Chapter. As with all netFORUM child forms, you must click the Edit icon if you want to modify any data inside. The green Goto arrow will take you directly to a line item and away from the Chapter Profile. Editing the chapter addresses child form, for example, enables you to specify that the address is a seasonal address and that it was designated as such by a customer e-mail.

If you want to add a secondary address, do so by clicking on the Add Record button. You could, for example, add the secondary address needed in this scenario for the 'off-season' address.

The telephone numbers and fax numbers child forms work in the same manner. You may edit these forms to update the current Primary contact information or to add new secondary numbers.

Note: Note that if you update the current primary information, the Chapter Profile form will also update with the new information you have provided.

The Membership Tab

Tracking Chapter Memberships and Members

As mentioned, a Chapter can join other organizations just as an Individual may or a Chapter can accept Members just as an Association may. For this reason, the Chapter in netFORUM is sometimes referred to as a hybrid entity. The Membership tab, seen below, has three child forms that easily enable you to track both memberships and members of each Chapter you create.

The member count child form provides an exact count of all the members that belong to your Chapter at a glance.

The chapter memberships child form displays the memberships that your Chapter belongs to. For example, the screenshot above shows that your Virginia State Chapter is a contributing member of the NATW Association. You may add more memberships from the child form itself by clicking on the Add Record button or through the Centralized Order Entry Action Button.

The chapter members child form displays the member records (instead of just the count) that belong to your Chapter with relevant membership information such as type, status, and join dates.

The Relations Tab

Managing Chapter Relationships

The Relations tab of the Chapter Profile contains four child forms that enable you to manage the relationships of your Chapter as well as the Chapter officers that you define.

The individual relationships child form is used to track the individual relationships associated to your Chapter. Add a new relationship by clicking on the Add Record button. The Add Relationships window will appear.

Name and Relationship Type are required. You may also specify if this is a primary contact and whether or not this is a temporary relationship to your Chapter by adding a relationship start and end date if you wish.

The organization relationships child form is used to track the organizational relationships associated to your Chapter. Add a new relationship by clicking on the Add Record button. The Add Relationships window will appear.

Name and Relationship Type are required. You may also specify whether or not this is a temporary relationship to your Chapter by adding a relationship start and end date if you wish.

The chapter relationships child form is used to track the relational relationships between your Chapter and another Chapter. Add a new relationship by clicking on the Add Record button. The Add Relationships window will appear.

Chapter Name, The kind of relationship and Relational Chapter are required. You may also specify whether or not this is a temporary relationship to your Chapter by adding a relationship start and end date if you wish as well as if this is a reciprocal relationship.

Finally, all of the drop-down menu and relationships just discussed are controlled by you within the CRM set-up screen. Click on the Relationship tab and then define the relationship types you would like to use for your Chapter for each of the relationships just discussed.

Adding a Chapter Officer

The Relations tab is also used to assign Chapter officers as well. Officers hold actual positions within your Chapter as opposed to the individual relationships child form above where the individual may have a role within your Chapter but is not elected and/or expected to hold a position such as Treasurer or President. Before you add officers, you must define them first just as you did for your Chapter relationships. Because officer positions are actually tied to individual chapters, they are defined from the Chapter Group Item drop-down rather than in CRM set-up.

To add a new Chapter position:
  1. In the Membership module, select the Chapter Group Item and then click the Add Chapter Position link.
  2. The Add Committee/Chapter Position screen will appear. (You can also set-up positions in the Committee module)
  3. The Position Code is required and is simply the name of your Chapter position such as Treasurer, President, Secretary, etc.
  4. Type a description of the position if desired and click the Save button.

Once you have created the Chapter positions you will use, they will now be available within the Relations tab.

To assign an individual to a Chapter position:
  1. Open the Relations tab and expand the chapter officers child form.
  2. Click the Add Record button to assign a new Chapter officer.
  3. The Add Chapter Officer window will appear.
  4. Select the name of the person you want to assign by clicking on the Look-up Magnify.jpg button.
  5. Use the position drop-down to select the position you want to assign. You will now see the position you added in the drop-down list.
  6. If your Chapter positions are driven by term-lengths, specify the terms through the start and end dates.
  7. Click the Save button.

The Accounting Tab

Managing Chapter Accounting Transactions

The Accounting tab of the Chapter Profile contains several child forms that enable you to manage or view the accounting transactions of your Chapter at a glance. As with all netFORUM child forms, you must click the Expand folder to view the information within each line item and the Edit icon if you want to modify any data inside. The green GoTo arrow will take you directly to a line item and away from the Chapter Profile.

Each time your Chapter completes a purchase through an invoice, such as purchasing a Membership, the details of the invoice, including the Batch will be listed under the invoices child form. You may edit those details including the sale price and quantity, if desired, through this child form.

All payments made will be line items on the payments child form. You may go directly to a Payment Profile by clicking on the green GoTo arrow for more detailed information on the payment. Further, you may add new payments that are due by clicking on the Add Record button.

Any credits that have been granted the Chapter will be line items on the credits child form. Add new credits by clicking on the Add Record button.

Any refunds that have been granted the Chapter will be line items on the refunds child form. Go directly to the Refund Profile by clicking on the green GoTo arrow.

Write-offs are tracked both in open batches and closed batches through the write offs child forms.

And, finally, miscellaneous transactions and orders are both tracked through child forms of the same name respectively.

The Products Tab

Managing Goods and Services for a Chapter

The Products tab of the Chapter Profile contains two child forms that track the purchases of your Chapter. Purchases include both memberships and merchandise. As with all netFORUM child forms, you must click the GoTo arrow to go directly to a line item and away from the Chapter Profile.

The Dues Setup Tab

Setting Up Chapter Member Types

The More tab has several other tabs stored within it, one of which is the Dues Setup tab. The Dues Setup tab is where you will define Chapter Member Types that will be in use for your Chapter and then, once completed, where you will arrange the Chapter membership packages that you will sell to the Chapter members.

Notice in the screenshot above that the Dues Setup tab contains the two child forms necessary to set-up and manage your chapter memberships; the chapter member types child form and the chapter membership package child form. Before you can begin to sell Chapter memberships, you must first define the types of memberships you will sell. This is done through the chapter member types child form, pictured below.

Very similar to defining a Member Type for an Association, Chapter member types work much the same way. Click the Add Record button to add a new Chapter member type. The Add Member Type window will appear, pictured below.

You must decide on a name for the new type and fill in the required member type field. Adding a description to support your name is optional. If you want benefits from the chapter membership to flow down based on relationships, check the member benefits flow down check box. The customer type drop down is used to decide if the chapter membership type will be individual based or organization based.

In the Membership Dates Information section, you must decide if the Chapter membership will be Anniversary based or Calendar based, and what type of invoicing structure you will use just as you do when you create a new Association. For more information, view the Adding a New Association section on the Association topic.

Once you have your Chapter member type set-up correctly, click the Save button.

Adding Chapter Membership Packages

Once you have your Chapter Member Types in place, you are ready to add the membership packages you will sell to customers. This is accomplished on the chapter membership package child form.

Use the Add Record button to add the Chapter membership to the package. Once you have added your Chapter membership type, you can also add a product, such as a Member Directory, to your membership package, by clicking on the add products link. Adding a new chapter membership package works exactly like adding a new Association membership package. For step-by-step instructions on how to do so, visit the Adding a new Membership Package section on the Association topic.

Note that if you Add Chapter Dues from the Association Profile so that you can manage your Chapter Memberships through Product Bundles, they will also be listed on this child form.

The More Tab

As mentioned previously, the More tab contains several other tabs available to click on when you hover over it; Each of those tabs, in turn, contains various child forms available for further management of your Chapter. They are described in more detail below.

The Subscriptions tab is available to track all subscriptions purchased by your Chapter. It contains a subscriptions issues purchased child form as well as a canceled subscriptions child form among others.

The Correspondence tab is available as a means of further communication for your Chapter. It enables you to send notes to Chapter members and place them online and to give assignments to specific Chapter members.

The Misc tab works in conjunction with the Correspondence tab in that it enables you to upload external documents to your Chapter such as txt, pdf, or doc file formats.

The Discussion tab is used for linking eWeb discussion groups.

The Dues Setup tab enables you to set Chapter member types and packages and is discussed above.

The Log tab keeps track of specific changes you make to your Chapter so that you have a record of the changes 'on file'. Those changes include an address change log, relationship changes, and historical chapter officers.

Selling Chapter Memberships

There are a variety of methods to add memberships to a Chapter. You may add members through Centralized Order Entry on an Individual profile or through an Organization profile. You may also add members through the Members Group Item menu. For the various methods on adding Chapter members, view the Selling Memberships topic.

Adding a Mass Payment for Chapter Invoices

Mass payment displays all open invoices for a chapter and allows you to select which invoices you want to pay. The selected invoices can be paid off in one payment.

To Add a Mass Payment:

  1. Go to the Membership module.
  2. In the Chapters group item, select the Mass Payments Group Item menu.
  3. In the Mass Apply Chapter Dues Payments window, select the chapter from the chapter drop-down list.
  4. Click the Retrieve Open Invoices for All Members button. The system looks for open invoices for the selected chapter.
  5. Select the invoices you would like to pay.
  6. Add a payment to pay for the selected invoices.
  7. Click Save.

FAQ

Q. When I try to edit the chapter address, I get an error.

A. If the chapter was not given an address when it was added initially, then you must add/edit the address from the "chapter address" child form on the "Contact Info" tab; you will get an error when trying to edit the address from the main "edit chapter" page.