Below is a list of questions we often hear from membership chairs about the Tendenci software platform. We continually add to this list in hopes of answering any questions your have. Since these are added as they come up in conversation, you might find it helpful to search this page (CTRL+F) for certain keywords.
Is Membership part of the website?
Yes. Memberships come with the basic Tendenci package. When you launch a Tendenci site, you will need to set the parameters of your membership plan - types, length and pricing, import your current membership roster and build your membership signup and renewal forms.
Does Membership use the same database as the rest of the site?
Yes. Members of your organization are automatically added as site users, allowing you to link events, invoices, and other activity across the site in one integrated place.
Can I use your membership management tool with my website?
No. Tendenci Memberships are part of the Tendenci platform and only work with Tendenci websites.
Can members sign up online?
Yes. You can build membership forms specific to your organization and set up security as needed for members to join, pay and renew online.
Can members renew online?
Yes. You can initiate email reminders for your members with links to renew online at the interval of your choosing. These can go out individually if your members renew one year from the date of joining or in batches if your memberships all renew on the same date.
Can members pay online?
Yes. You will need to have a merchant account set up for your site to process payments. This one time set up will handle all of your online transactions including membership dues, donations, event registrations, job banks, etc.
Do we have access to edit our membership application?
Yes. You can personalize your membership applications based on your needs.
Can we have multiple membership applications?
Yes. You can build as many membership applications as needed for the different types of memberships you offer.
We have business members. Can individuals sign up under their company?
Yes. You can set up Corporate Memberships for the companies that have joined your organization. Individuals can sign up separately or join as an employee under the Corporate Membership.
Are members approved automatically or do I have to manually log in and approve them?
You have the option to set it up either way depending on the amount of oversight you feel you need. Many clients will set up the system to require manual approval until they are comfortable with the process and then switch to automatic approval.
Suggestion: Automatic member approval works well when using only online payment options. However, if checks are involved, you'll need to review all membership applications, ensuring pending status for those who haven't paid yet.
What can members do online once they are activated?
Most organizations offer special member pricing for events or access to private documents, such as board minutes. Your members will need to be logged in to receive this pricing or access these parts of your website. You can also set security for other parts of your site as well, such as only allowing members to post resumes to your resume bank.
What do members see when they log in?
Members will go to the dashboard when they log in and see information about their recent activities.
Can a member access/edit their member profile?
Yes. Members can and should edit their member profiles to keep their contact information current.
What information is on the member profile?
Basic contact information such as name, email, phone, company, etc. Members can also change their passwords or upload a photo.
Can members search the database to find other members?
This is up to you. You have several levels of privacy on member data to limit who has access to search and view member data. You can choose the level of security you need for your membership.
Can a member access/edit/cancel their event registration?
Yes. They can and should to reduce the burden on the site administrator. When a member logs in, they will see a list of all events for which they are registered with links to view, edit or cancel.
How are they notified about events they have registered for?
Based on your site settings, registrants receive email reminders about events a set number of days prior to the event. You can also send a group email to all registrants of an event if you need to notify them of an event change or cancellation.
What does the event registration process look like?
Events have a Register Now button that brings up the online registration form. Members simply complete the form, enter payment information and click Submit. They never leave your site. Members should be logged in when registering to have their contact information pre-filled on the form and to receive member pricing.
Do we have access to the entire member roster?
Yes. You can view and print your member list at any time.
Can we see new members, renewals, and members who have recently expired?
Yes. Your Tendenci dashboard has a dashlet for Memberships to keep you aware of recent activity on your Membership database each time you log in. You can also run Reports to get the specific information you need.
Have more questions about Memberships that are not answered here? Contact our Support team for a personal demo of Memberships and the full Tendenci platform!