To add a family record:

1. On the Main Menu click Members.
2. Select Families.
3. Click the Add button at the top of the screen.
4. Enter the Family Name.
   Membership PLUS provided fields that allow you to enter several different types of names for any family. On the Data Entry page under the Membership Information section, enter the following:

   • Family Name: Simply enter the Last Name of the family.
   • Displayed Name: This is the name that will be displayed throughout the program. Membership PLUS creates the displayed name using the prefix and suffix you've indicated in the Members section of the Properties dialog box. You can manually modify the Display Name for any family (using a family member's first name to distinguish one the John Smith family from the Mark Smith family, for example).

5. Enter or select an Envelope Number for the family, if these are going to be used by your organization.
6. Indicate the family's Status by selecting the appropriate option from the drop down list.

   The items in many drop down lists are defined by you in the Data Set Properties dialog box. Instead of dropping down the list, it can be quicker to select the item simply by pressing the up and down arrow keys until you find the item you want. You also may be able to type the first letter of the desired item to move to that item. These techniques are especially useful if you are familiar with the items available in the field's drop down list.

7. Enter the appropriate Mailing Label Line 1 and Line 2 information.
   This is the name that should appear on a mailing label. Membership PLUS creates the first line using the displayed name as a base, but you can manually modify this format. For example, you might want to address mail to Mr. and Mrs. Smith rather than The Smith Family.

8. If using a check scanner to enter Contributions, select the Enable Check Scanning option.
9. Add Individual Family Members to the family record.

   To add individuals:

   1. Under the Membership Information, click Add.

      

   2. Select Create New Individual, if you have not entered any individuals into Membership PLUS.

      

   3. Click Yes to the confirmation message.
   4. Enter the appropriate information for the individual.

      Individual members can be categorized as guardians or dependents. A guardian is someone who heads a household. For example, both parents might be designated as guardians. A dependent is an individual who is not a guardian. Children generally are designated as dependents.

   5. Click Save/Add.

      Repeat these steps for each individual for the same family.

10. Enter the Family Address.

    Some families have an Alternate address. A retired couple may winter in a warmer climate, or the family of a university professor may spend the summer months elsewhere. See Knowledge Base Article 21841 on How to Add an Alternate Address for an Individual.

11. Add the appropriate Contact Information for the family.

    To add contact information:

    1. On the Data Entry page, go to the Contacts section.
    2. Select the desired contract type from the Contact Type field drop down list.
    3. Enter the Phone Number, Email Address, or other contact information.
    4. Mark the Show On check box to make the contact available for reporting purposes. Mark the Unlisted option, if the individual does not want the contact information made available to other members of your organization.
    5. If the contact is one that is also applicable to individual members of the family, click Shared with Family Members check box.
    6. Click the Add button to the right of the contact field.

       

    Contact selections are specified in the Members section of the Properties dialog box.

12. Enter any appropriate Dates for the family.

    To add a date:

    1. On the Data Entry page, go to the Dates section.
    2. Select the desired Date Type from the date drop down list.
    3. Enter the appropriate Date or click the Calendar button to select the date.
    4. Click the Add button to the right of the date.

       

    Date fields you want to track are specified in the Members section of the Properties dialog box. It is not necessary to enter all three date components in the Month, Day, and Year fields. For example, the date the family joined your church or service group may require only the month and year for accurate record-keeping.

13. Enter any User-Defined information for the family.

    To add User-Defined information:

    1. On the Data Entry page, go to the User-Defined fields section.
    2. Select the desired User-Defined field from the drop down list.
    3. Enter your data in the field provided.

       The fields vary, depending on the format of the user field that has be defined. See Knowledge Base Article 23510 on How to Set Data Set Properties to learn more about the User-Defined fields.

    4. Click the Add button to the right of the user field.

       

    Membership PLUS stores a great deal of information, but every organization has its own special needs. User-defined fields provide a way for you to track any information not accounted for elsewhere in the Membership PLUS database.

14. Click the Save button at the top of the page.