Managing Members

The member management system is the heart of ShulNET, providing comprehensive tools to maintain member records, track membership status, and manage all member-related information.

Viewing Members

Member List

Access the member directory from the admin menu → Members:

Member Statistics

The member list shows counts for each type:

Member Type Description
Member Active, dues-paying members
Contact Community contacts, not formal members
Prospect Potential members, in discussion
Former Previous members who left

Adding Members

You have two options for adding members:

Option 1: Quick Add

  1. Navigate to Members → Add Member
  2. Enter required information (name, email, type)
  3. Add optional contact details
  4. Save the record

Option 2: Onboarding Workflow

For comprehensive member setup with automatic invoice generation:

Member Profile

Personal Information

Each member profile contains:

Jewish Details

Related Records

From a member profile, you can access:

Editing Members

  1. Find the member in the directory
  2. Click on their name to view the profile
  3. Click "Edit Member" button
  4. Update any fields as needed
  5. Click "Update Member" to save changes
Tip: Changes are saved immediately and reflected across the system.

Creating User Accounts

Give members access to the member portal:

  1. Open Member Profile

    Navigate to the member's profile page.

  2. Click "Create User Account"

    Button appears if the member doesn't have a user account yet.

  3. Temporary Password Generated

    System creates account with temporary password.

  4. Email Credentials

    Send the login credentials to the member's email.

  5. Member First Login

    Member logs in and is prompted to change password.

User Account Access

Once a member has a user account, they can:

Importing Members

Bulk Import Process

  1. Download Template

    Navigate to Members → Import → Download Template

  2. Fill in Spreadsheet

    Add member data to the Excel template:

    • One row per member
    • Required columns: first name, last name, email, member type
    • Optional: all other member fields

  3. Upload File

    Click "Import Members" and upload your completed file.

  4. Review Preview

    System shows preview of members to be imported with any errors highlighted.

  5. Confirm Import

    Click "Import" to add all members. You'll see a success message with count.

Important: Each email address must be unique. Duplicate emails will be flagged during preview.

Exporting Members

Export to Excel

  1. Navigate to the member list
  2. Apply any filters (member type, search terms)
  3. Click "Export" button
  4. Choose Excel format
  5. File downloads with all visible member data

Use Cases for Exports

Member Types

Changing Member Type

As member status changes, update their type:

Prospect → Member

When someone joins:

  1. Edit the member record
  2. Change type from "Prospect" to "Member"
  3. Add membership period with tier
  4. Generate membership invoice

Member → Former

When someone leaves:

  1. Edit the member record
  2. Change type to "Former Member"
  3. End their current membership period
  4. Add exit notes if desired
  5. Optionally mark as deceased if applicable

Family Relationships

Linking Family Members

Connect spouses and children:

Household Management

Best practices for families:

Converting Members to Parents and Students

ShulNET's school management features are designed to be standalone, allowing synagogues without membership systems to use only the school features. However, when both systems are in use, you can link them together.

Understanding Parent Accounts

Parent accounts in the school system are separate from member accounts. This allows:

Converting a Member to a Parent Account

When a member enrolls their child in the school, create a parent account from their member record:

  1. Open Member Profile

    Navigate to the member's profile page.

  2. Click "Create Parent Account"

    Button appears in the Personal Information section.

  3. Parent Account Created

    System automatically creates a parent account using the member's information:

    • Name and contact details are copied
    • Address is formatted for the parent record
    • Member and parent accounts are linked

  4. Add Students

    Navigate to School → Students to add the member's children using the new parent account.

Note: The member record and parent account remain separate. Changes to one don't automatically update the other.

Attaching an Existing Parent Account

If a parent account already exists in the school system, you can link it to a member record:

  1. Open the member's profile and click "Edit Member"
  2. In the Personal Information section, find the "Parent Account" field
  3. Search for and select the existing parent account
  4. Save the member record

Once linked, the member profile will show the connected parent account and allow quick navigation to their student records.

Converting a Member to a Student

For religious school students who are also members (common for bar/bat mitzvah students), convert their member record to a student:

  1. Open Member Profile

    Navigate to the member's profile page.

  2. Click "Convert to Student"

    Button appears in the Quick Actions sidebar.

  3. Parent Account Assignment

    The system automatically determines the parent account:

    • If the member is a family member (linked to a primary member), uses that parent member's parent account
    • If the member has their own parent account, uses that
    • If no parent account exists, student is created without a parent link

  4. Student Record Created

    A new student record is created with:

    • All personal information copied from member record
    • Address inherited from the member
    • Parent account automatically linked

  5. Original Member Record Preserved

    The member record remains intact - this creates a copy as a student.

Family Member Example: If you have a child member (Sarah) linked to a primary member (her father David), and David has a parent account, when you convert Sarah to a student, she will automatically use David's parent account. This keeps the family structure intact across both systems.

Why Separate Systems?

The standalone design provides flexibility:

Best Practices

Data Quality

  • Always collect email addresses - essential for communication
  • Keep addresses current for mailings
  • Verify phone numbers at least annually
  • Ask members to update their own information via portal
  • Use consistent name formatting

Privacy & Security

  • Only share member information with authorized staff
  • Don't publish full directories without consent
  • Be cautious with email exports (BCC when mass emailing)
  • Respect members who opt out of directory
  • Securely delete data for members who request it

Organization

  • Review member list quarterly for accuracy
  • Archive or delete duplicate records
  • Update former members promptly
  • Use notes field for important context
  • Keep membership periods current

Common Questions

Can I delete a member?

Yes, but consider changing to "Former Member" instead. Deleting removes all history. If you delete, associated records (invoices, yahrzeits) may be affected.

What if two people share an email address?

Each member needs a unique email. Use variations like john@example.com and john+shul@example.com, or create family email addresses.

How do I handle deceased members?

Check the "Deceased" field in their profile. They remain in the system for historical/yahrzeit purposes but are marked accordingly.

Can members update their own information?

Yes! Members with user accounts can update their profile through the member portal. Admins can see all changes in the activity log.

What's the difference between member and contact?

Members are dues-paying, formal members. Contacts are community members, donors, or friends of the synagogue who aren't formal members.

Related Documentation