Membership Periods

Membership periods track a member's affiliation with the synagogue over time, including their membership tier, start and end dates, and associated dues.

Understanding Membership Periods

What is a Membership Period?

A membership period represents a specific timeframe during which a member has an active membership at a particular tier level. Key attributes include:

Member: The associated member record
Membership Tier: The level of membership (Individual, Family, Young Professional, etc.)
Start Date: When this membership period begins
End Date: When it ends (can be null for ongoing)
Status: Active, Expired, or Cancelled

Why Track Periods?

Membership periods provide:

Historical record of membership over time
Ability to track tier changes
Clear audit trail for billing
Support for membership renewals
Reporting on membership growth/retention

Membership Tiers

Common membership tier types:

Tier Name	Description	Typical Annual Dues
Individual	Single person membership	$1,000 - $1,500
Family	Two adults and children under 18	$2,000 - $3,000
Young Professional	Reduced rate for ages 22-35	$500 - $800
Senior	Reduced rate for 65+	$800 - $1,200
Honorary	Complimentary membership	$0

Note: Your synagogue's tier names and amounts may differ. These are examples only.

Creating Membership Periods

Manual Creation

Open Member Profile

Navigate to the member's detail page.
Click "Add Membership Period"

Located in the membership section.
Select Membership Tier

Choose from configured tiers.
Set Start Date

Typically beginning of membership year (e.g., July 1).
Set End Date (Optional)

Leave blank for ongoing membership or specify renewal date.
Save Period

Membership period is created and linked to member.

Automatic Creation via Onboarding

When using the Member Onboarding Workflow:

Membership period created automatically in Step 2
Tier selection integrated into workflow
Start date defaults to today
End date calculated based on membership year

Managing Membership Periods

Viewing Periods

From a member's profile:

Scroll to "Membership Periods" section
See list of all periods (current and historical)
Current period highlighted
Click any period to view details

Editing Periods

Click on the membership period
Click "Edit"
Update tier, dates, or status
Save changes

Caution: Changing a membership period's tier may affect associated invoices. Review billing before making changes.

Ending Periods

To mark a membership as ended:

Open the membership period
Click "End Membership"
Enter end date (typically last day of current year)
Optionally add reason/notes
Save - status changes to "Expired"

Membership Renewals

Annual Renewal Process

At the end of each membership year:

End Current Period

Set end date on existing membership period (e.g., June 30).
Create New Period

Add new membership period starting next day (e.g., July 1).
Select Tier

Member can stay at same tier or change.
Generate Invoice

Create annual dues invoice for new period.
Send Renewal Notice

Email member with invoice and thank you message.

Bulk Renewals

For renewing many members at once:

Navigate to Members → Bulk Renew
Filter members to renew (e.g., all with periods ending June 30)
Select renewal tier (can set default for all or vary by member)
Set new period dates
Choose whether to generate invoices
Execute bulk renewal
Review results and handle any errors

Tier Changes Mid-Year

Upgrading Membership

If a member wants to upgrade (e.g., Individual → Family):

End current membership period (set end date to today)
Create new period with higher tier starting tomorrow
Calculate prorated dues:
- Credit remaining value of old tier
- Charge prorated amount of new tier
- Invoice for the difference

Downgrading Membership

If a member wants to downgrade:

Typically wait until next renewal period
If immediate, end current period and start new one
Note: downgrade mid-year usually does not result in refund unless board approves

Membership Status

Status Types

Status	Description	When Applied
Active	Current, paid membership	Within start/end dates, dues paid
Expired	Past end date	After end date passes
Cancelled	Terminated early	Member leaves before period ends

Automatic Status Updates

ShulNET automatically:

Marks periods as "Expired" when end date passes
Updates member's active status based on current period
Sends renewal reminders before expiration (if configured)

Reporting

Membership Reports

Generate reports on membership periods:

Active Members: All members with active periods
Expiring Soon: Periods ending in next 30/60/90 days
Renewals Needed: Members who haven't renewed yet
Tier Distribution: Count of members by tier
Historical Trends: Membership growth over time

Financial Reports

Membership periods tie into financial reporting:

Dues revenue by tier
Projected annual income from memberships
Outstanding dues by period
Payment status across all active periods

Best Practices

Data Management

Always end old period before creating new one
Don't delete periods - they're historical records
Use consistent start/end dates (e.g., July 1 - June 30)
Document tier changes in notes field

Renewals

Send renewal notices 60 days before expiration
Follow up with non-renewers 30 days before
Generate invoices at time of renewal creation
Offer early renewal incentives (discounts, perks)

Communication

Thank members for renewing
Welcome new members personally
Reach out to non-renewals to understand why
Keep members informed about tier benefits

Common Questions

Can a member have multiple active periods?

No, a member should only have one active period at a time. End the previous period before creating a new one.

What happens if I change a tier's price?

Existing membership periods retain their original tier definition. Price changes only affect new periods created after the change.

Can I backdate a membership period?

Yes, set the start date to any past date. This is useful when adding historical records or correcting mistakes.

How do I handle lifetime memberships?

Create a membership period with a start date but leave the end date blank. It will remain active indefinitely.

What if someone pays for multiple years upfront?

You can either create one long period (e.g., 3-year period) or create separate annual periods and generate all invoices at once, marking them paid.