To add an individual record:

1. On the Main Menu click Members.
2. Select Individuals.
3. Click the Add button at the top of the screen.
4. Enter the First, Middle, and Last names appropriately.
5. Select any appropriate Titles and Suffixes.
6. Enter or select an Envelope Number for the family, if these are going to be used by your organization.
7. Indicate the family's Status by selecting the appropriate option from the drop down list.
8. Edit the Display Name if necessary.

   The Display Name 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 individual.

9. 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. Jimmy Smith rather than Mr. James Smith.

10. Enter or select an Envelope Number for the individual, if these are going to be used by your organization.
11. Indicate the individual'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.

12. If using a check scanner to enter Contributions, select the Enable Check Scanning option.
13. Enter the Address information or select the option Use Family's Address if the Family has already been entered into Membership PLUS.

    If you select the option Use Family's Address, click the Select button to select the appropriate family.

    Some individuals 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.

14. Add the appropriate Contact Information for the Individual.

    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. Click the Add button to the right of the contact field.

       

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

15. Enter any appropriate Dates for the individual.

    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.

16. Enter any User-Defined information for the individual.

    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.

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