Kavi Help CenterKavi® Members Help
| Chapter 30. Membership Configuration Overview | ||
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Part I. Kavi Members Concepts and How-tos | 
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Table of Contents
If Kavi Membership is enabled on your organization's website, Kavi Professional Services will work with you to get your site set up and your memberships configured. This includes membership application forms, membership acquisition processes, membership types and the Company Types and/or User Types you need to categorize your members and set appropriate access permissions.
Kavi provides Kavi Membership clients with worksheets to help define requirements, plus expert assistance and advice on setting Kavi Membership configuration options according to the requirements. For many organizations, the most challenging part is understanding how to map the existing membership rules and processes to Kavi Membership configuration options, especially options that work in combination with other options. For organizations that don't have a formal membership structure or established membership processes, defining the requirements is even more challenging, since the membership structure and process have to be developed in tandem with the requirements.
This document tours the major features of Kavi Membership and explores various configuration options. If you are helping to define your organization's requirements, study of these options should help you make better-informed choices. If you are a new administrator on a site where Kavi Membership is already installed, or are adding new membership types for the upcoming year, this can help you understand the membership component of your system.
Back to topBefore you can set up memberships, you'll need detailed requirements that describe your organization's membership structure, rules governing membership acquisition, member participation and membership types. For an organization with only one membership type, setup may be quite simple. On the other hand, it is more challenging to encode membership on a site with multiple tiers of billed, moderated memberships with complex rules governing membership acquisition, renewal and fee proration.
Requirements development is actually the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process, but the effort pays off later in smooth-running membership management, automation of many of the organization's business rules, 24/7 availability of up-to-date member information, automated email notification, logging and reports. Some of the textual content from the requirements can be used on membership applications and online policy statements for continual reminders and reinforcement of your organization's bylaws, policies and procedures.
Back to topIn Kavi Workspace, the most important consideration is: Who are the organization's members? The answer to this question defines the Organization Type, which is set in Set Organizational Properties.
Super Admins can click here to visit the Set Organizational Properties tool and review or edit the organization's settings.
Most organizations are company-based organizations that offer memberships to companies rather than individuals. On a Kavi Workspace installation for a company-based organization, tools and functionality that are used to support companies are enabled. Most users on the site belong to Member Companies are classified as Company Representatives. Company Representatives participate in the organization on behalf of their company, and represent it's interests, so the system manages Company Representatives in relation to their company.
If Kavi Membership is also installed, company membership type tools are available, along with the online forms (i.e., Company Membership Application and Company Representative Signup) that allow companies and users to submit requests to join the organization. Company Representatives cannot submit applications unless their company is already a member.
The individual-based organization functions quite differently. On a Kavi Workspace installation for an invididual-based organization, tools and functionality that are used to support individuals are enabled. Most users on the site are Individual Members, who participate in the organization on their own behalf and represent their own interests. Since the Individual Member's company affiliation is incidental, users may be assigned to a Company for Individuals. This company doesn't necessarily exist in the real world, and is managed quite differently from a Member Company.
When Kavi Membership is installed, individual memberships are enabled, along with an Individual Membership Application and other tools and functionality that is used exclusively for Individual Members.
If the Organization Type is mixed, both company and individual memberships are enabled. This is the least common Organization Type. In most mixed organizations, the organization is predominantly company-based, with Individual Members constituting a small percentage of site users. Reversed percentages are the second most common situation, where the organization is predominantly individual-based, and has just a few Member Companies. Mixed organizations with a balanced number of Member Companies and Company Representatives to Individual Members are quite rare.
Mixed organizations are the most difficult to configure, partly because there is so little commonality in membership structure or processes, and partly because configuring memberships for both companies and individuals is twice the work. Both company and individual membership types are enabled, along with all membership and signup forms and tools used to manage these memberships.
Online application forms can be used to convey a lot of information about the organization, its processes and rules. They can also painlessly collect a lot of information about a prospective member. Your organization can use online application forms for all of its memberships, for certain memberships only, or may not use them at all.
When an application form is submitted, it can be sent to moderators for approval. This triggers an automated email notification to moderators, and the application is displayed in a moderated memberships queue. If the membership is billed, a billing account for the member can be automatically added at this time and paid with a credit card. Data from a new member's approved application is used to populate their account, types that confer roles and website are assigned and a login link is emailed so the Individual Member or Company Representative can login and begin exploring protected areas of the organization's website.
The use of signup forms for new or renewing members is configured in the Individual Membership Type or Company Membership Type. Once the application options are configured, just use the checkboxes in the membership types to enable these forms for the membership type.
Most organizations want to reap the benefits of having online application forms. They are convenient for users, reduce barriers to organization membership, and place most of the burden of creating company and user accounts onto prospective members rather than administrators. The automated assignment of access privileges and welcome emails allows applicants to complete the membership acquisition process with little or no involvement on the part of Organization Admins.
Some organizations, especially those that must remain exclusive for some reason, or where the top-tier members are sponsoring the organiztion or have signed intellectual property agreements, may have "invitation-only" memberships that aren't available through online application forms and must be added by administrators. In some cases, renewing members with this type of membership can initiate the renewal process.
If your organization doesn't want to use online membership applications, or only wants to use them for certain types, all you have to do is leave these checkboxes empty when configuring the Individual Membership Type or Company Membership Type.
The next few sections describe options for membership applications. If you aren't interested in this topic, skip to Adding Companion User Types or Company Types.
These are global options that apply to all membership applications, and are configured before other company or individual membership options.
Table 30.1. Global Membership Application Form Options
| Option | Description |
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| Data fields | Online applications include a basic set of default data fields, and these are augmented by settings in the Set Organization Properties tool that enable some additional fields that are built into the application, such as alternate email addresses. Your organization can easily add other data fields through the Manage Fields tools. Once added, site-specific fields that are collected for Member Companies, Individual Members or Company Representatives can be included in application forms. The Kavi ANSI feature also allows the collection of Special Interest Categories. |
| Addresses | Addresses are not collected by default (except for Billing Account Information, which is collected if Kavi Billing is enabled on your site), but are easily enabled. If your organization collects addresses for Member Companies or Individual Members, address fields are automatically added to membership applications. If addresses are collected for Company Representatives, address fields will appear in the Contacts section of the company membership application. If a new Address Type is added for any of these Purposes after Kavi Membership is configured, the new address is automatically added to the appropriate application forms. |
| Privacy preferences |
Your organization may want to enable one or both of the privacy preferences in the Configure Privacy Options tool. One option hides some or all user information from rosters and directories. The amount of information that is hidden is configurable, and users and companies are configured independently. The other option allows the user to opt-out of optional organization email. The user isn't necessarily able to opt out of all email. Scheduled email notifications are required, and administrators can choose whether to respect privacy preferences when sending a template blast or adding a dynamic mailing list. You can also prevent Primary Contacts from opting out. If enabled, these fields are automatically collected on membership application forms. For more information, see the Configure Privacy Options page help. Super Admins can click here to visit the Configure Privacy Options tool. |
| Text |
There are many places within Kavi Membership where text derived from your organizations policies, by-laws and procedures (and the requirements document!) can be displayed. The description, eligibility rules and benefits of each membership type is displayed to prospective members on the Membership Information page, which the prospective member visits before selecting a membership and initiating the application process. Once the application process begins, the user can be presented with a terms and conditions click-through form. Having completed the application process, the Membership Status page displays instructions based on membership state, The instructions include those for current memberships, expired memberships and archived memberships. Most of these text blocks are added through Configure Global Membership Applications. Super Admins can click here to visit the Configure Global Membership Applications tool. |
| Billed Membership Workflow | If Kavi® Billing is installed, you must use the Global Process and Billing Options in the Configure Global Membership Applications tool to configure the Membership Workflow for new and renewing members. Billing options are explained in the Billed Memberships Concepts document. |
After the global settings are in place, the company or individual membership applications are configured. Super Admins can click here to visit the Configure Company Membership Applications tool.
Table 30.2. Company Membership Application Options
| Option | Description |
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| Contacts | Set which contacts are collected through the Company Membership Application form. This displays every Contact Type that exists on the website. If a complete set of Contact Types does not yet exist, these need to be added before the company membership applications are configured. If additional Contact Types are added after company membership applications are configured, just return to the Configure Company Membership Applications tool and select whichever types are desired. |
| Terms and Conditions | It's easy to enable this option. Check to set whether this applies to new or renewing members (or both) and paste your organization's terms and conditions into a text box. By default the radio buttons are labeled 'Agree' and 'Disagree' but this can be changed easily. |
| Post-application URL | What page should be displayed to a user when an application has been submitted? If this is left blank, the user is simply returned to the page where they started, or the organization may wish to route the user to a particular page. This option can be left blank at set up, then specified later if the organization wishes. |
If your organization offers memberships to individuals, these applicatations are configured through Configure Individual Membership Applications. Super Admins can click here to visit the Configure Individual Membership Applications tool.
Table 30.3. Individual Membership Application Options
| Option | Description |
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| Assignment to a Company |
In Kavi Workspace, every user must belong to a company. If you have individual memberships, you'll configure the way in which Individual Members are assigned to their company. This is configured through a set of three options.
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| Terms and Conditions | It's easy to enable this option. Check to set whether this applies to new or renewing members (or both) and paste your organization's terms and conditions into a text box. By default the radio buttons are labeled 'Agree' and 'Disagree' but this can be changed easily. |
| Post-application URL | What page should be displayed to a user when an application has been submitted? If this is left blank, the user is simply returned to the page where they started, or the organization may wish to route the user to a particular page. This option can be left blank at set up, then specified later if the organization wishes. |
Every Company Membership Type must be associated with at least one Company Type, and every Individual Membership Type must be associated with at least one User Type. This Company Type or User Type classifies members so they can be retrieved in searches, reports, etc. It usually also confers roles to provide members with an appropriate level of access to the website.
On some sites, more than one Company Type or User Type is assigned through a single membership type. In rare cases, the same Company Type or User Type is assigned through multiple membership types.
Whatever configuration is appropriate for your organization, these Company Types or User Types must exist before you can add corresponding membership types. For more information on these types, see Company Types or User Types.
Super Admins can click here to visit the Manage Company Types tool or Manage User Types tool.
Back to topWhen configuring a membership type you set basic information that is printed on webforms to explain membership rules and benefits, and provide instructions for prospective members. If there is a membership fee, the fee is displayed along with the membership type name and duration.
Super Admins can click here to visit the Manage Company Membership Types tool or Manage Individual Membership Types tool.
Before adding a Membership Type:
What is the name of this membership type?
Does the companion User Type or Company Type already exist or does it need to be added before you can proceed?
You need a plain-text or HTML description of this membership
...and a plain-text or HTML statement explaining eligibility criteria
...and a plain-text or HTML description of benefits.
What level of access should be acquired through this membership? Are the companion Company Types or User Types associated with the necessary roles?
Should this membership type be available indefinitely, or are time limits appropriate? The availability settings commonly reflect the membership term or duration. For example, a free Fixed Duration membership might have unrestricted availability. A Yearly Fixed Term membership might become available a couple of months before the new yearly term begins. If membership fees increase, the older membership type would be edited to set a date after which it is no longer available, and the new membership type is configured to become available as the older membership type is phased out.
To whom is the membership available? Is it available through public online membership application forms, or is it only visible to logged-in members who are renewing memberships, or can it only be added by Organization Admins?
If there is a membership fee, what is the price? Are memberships prorated? What proration rules apply?
If applications are moderated, are renewing applicants moderated or only new applicants? What instructions should the applicant receive when the membership application is submitted? Are there prerequisites for application approval that the applicant needs to know about? For example, applicants may be directed to download membership agreements or other legal forms that need to be signed and submitted to the organization in hard copy before the membership application can be approved.
There are two kinds of availability settings. One controls the date range during which the membership type is available — and the other determines who can see it by controlling how links to the membership type are displayed.
There are two date fields labeled 'From' and 'To'. There are four possible options here:
Leave these fields empty for unrestricted availability.
Enter just the 'From' value to set the date at which the membership type first becomes available in Kavi Members tools and application forms.
Enter just the 'To' value to set the date at which the membership type will no longer be available in Kavi Members tools and application forms.
Set both the 'From' and 'To' fields to create a bounded date range during which the membership type will be available.
Note that the 'From' date is often set when a membership type is added, while the 'To' date may not be set until the membership type is to be retired.
There are two checkboxes with four possible settings. For more information on the way these settings affect membership acquisition processes, see Public Applications, Self-Renewals, Auto-Renewals and Administrator-Managed Memberships in the Membership Application and Renewal Processes Concepts document.
Table 30.4. Application Form Availability Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Available to both new and renewing members | Select both checkboxes. Links to apply for this membership are displayed in the public membership listings. A logged-in Individual Member who clicks the 'Renew' link on the Manage Memberships page will see this membership type listed as an option. If this is a Company Membership Type, a logged-in Primary Contact or other company administrator can access this type through the renew link on the Manage Memberships page in the Company Area. |
| Available to new members only | Only the 'Available to new members' checkbox is selected. Links to apply for this membership are displayed in the public membership listings. This is used for introductory memberships, such as special student memberships. |
| Available to renewing members only | Only the 'Available to renewing members' checkbox is selected. A logged-in Individual Member who clicks the 'Renew' link on the Manage Memberships page will see this membership type listed as an option. If this is a Company Membership Type, a logged-in Primary Contact or other company administrator can access this type through the renew link on the Manage Memberships page in the Company Area. |
| Administrators Only | Neither checkbox is selected, so only administrators can see this membership type. It is displayed in the tools used to manage companies or users, providing the company or user Purpose is Member Company or Individual Member. This setting is used for exclusive, invitation-only membership types, and is usually reserved for use with the top-level membership typess in organizations with tiered membership structures. |
The duration of a membership is usually defined in one of three ways: 'Annual Fixed Term', 'Fixed Duration' or 'Lifetime'. There is also a 'Fixed Dates' duration that can be used if an organization needs to define a membership term with specific start and end dates that can't be set through any of the usual durations.
Membership Duration and Term
- 'Annual Fixed Term' Memberships
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'Annual Fixed Term' memberships begin on the same dates each year. The membership term usually coincides with the organization's fiscal year or the calendar year. The membership End Date is one day before the Start Date of the next membership term, such as January 1 through December 31 or April 1 through March 31. The membership term automatically increments every year. The Start Date of new memberships acquired partway through the membership year reflect the date that the membership went current, but all memberships have the same End Date. If there is a fee for this membership, the fee may be prorated according to organization rules. All renewed memberships have the same Start and End Dates.
This duration is often used with billed membership types scheduled to coincide with the organization's fiscal year.
- 'Fixed Duration' Memberships
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'Fixed Duration' memberships last for a specified timespan, such as one year or two years. The Start Date of the membership term is set to the date the membership goes current and the End Date is set for the specified period of time from the Start Date. For example, the membership term of a membership that went current on October 6th, 2006, would be October 6, 2006 - October 5, 2007. Terms for subsequent memberships have the same Start and End Dates except that the membership term is automatically incremented every year. Because the Start Date is based on the date the member acquires membership, there is no need to prorate these memberships.
Free memberships often have a 'Fixed Duration'.
- Lifetime
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Memberships with a 'Lifetime' duration do not expire, so they have a Start Date but not an End Date.
This duration is usually reserved for founding members or others whose sponsorship funds the organization.
- Fixed Dates
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The 'Fixed Dates' duration is seldom used. Unlike the 'Annual Fixed Term' or 'Fixed Duration' memberships, the membership term does not auto-increment, so new membership types have to be created for subsequent years. 'Fixed Dates' memberships begin and end on specified dates, and these can be any dates whatsover, so this duration can be used in special cases where exact dates are required and none of the other durations are appropriate.
Only used in special cases.
This membership type may be auto-renewed if desired. For more information, see the Concepts document on Auto-Renewal.
When memberships reach the End Date of their membership term, they expire and are eventually archived. If the membership is renewed before it expires, it is automatically archived on the End Date as the next membership in the series becomes current. But the rules that govern what happens when a membership is not renewed are configured in the Membership Type. For information on configuring membership expiration, see the End-of-Membership Processes Concepts document.
If there is a fee for this membership type, you may set the fee and any additional text that you want to be added to the bill and enable proration for fixed term membership types. The hardest part of billed memberships is understanding workflow configuration. For more information, see the Billed Memberships Concepts document.
If moderation is enabled in the global settings, it is can be enabled in each membership type. A moderation step passes control of the application process to a moderator (i.e. Organization Admin) to provide human oversight of application approval. A moderation step gives the organization the opportunity to collect hardcopies of signed documents, a vote by the board of directors or simply review the applicant data to verify whether eligibility criteria was met. Moderation is most effective for smaller organizations or more exclusive membership types, since the Organization Admin has to review every application submitted for a moderated membership type.
Before setting these options, you may want to refer to the configuration options set in Configure Global Membership Applications to see how moderation can affect the membership application and renewal processes and membership workflow.
Super Admins can click here to visit the Configure Global Membership Applications tool.
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| Chapter 29. Membership Workflow |  |
Chapter 31. Membership Application Processes |