There are two ways to tie the individual members of the family together. Both are similar. Use whichever is easiest for your needs!
1: Add Everyone First, then Join the Family Together
Ensure all the individuals in your family unit have been added individually or mass imported. Once all members have been added, go to the Primary Member's profile page.
(You can find a person easily by using the Search box provided under Individuals (below). Click a Person's name to open their Profile page).
Click on the Family tab. Then, select the link that says: Set [NAME] as the primary member of a family.
Note: You cannot add family members if a 'Primary' member has not been selected. Setting a 'Primary' member is a database marker in the software to note who in the family joins the other family members together. Other Relationship names can be assigned if needed should someone being marked as 'Primary' needs to be changed.
Click the Pencil button in the Individuals Section then click + Add Individuals to Family.
Search for other family members to add them. As you type, individuals names will appear. Select the appropriate person and their relationship to the primary individual.
Note: The relationships listed in the dropdown are system-defined values and cannot be changed. They are also gender-relevant depending on the profile details added in the Edit tab.
Continue adding people until the entire family is listed together. Click SAVE and you're done!
Important: Marking Group Giving With Family does NOT merge previous donations associated with a person to the entire household. It only ensures NEW donations are grouped together. You must Consolidate Family Giving History to merge all previous donation records into the same household.
Ex: If Nicole Williams (above) made donations BEFORE she was added to "Hank Williams" family, those previous donations records would not be 'grouped' with the household. Her previous donations would remain linked to ONLY her profile unless you consolidate family giving history.
2: Add Family (New People Records) As You Go.
Once a person has been created, go to their Family tab.
Next, click Set [NAME] as the primary member of a family.
Now, use the Pencil button and click Add Individuals to Family. Use the search box to start typing the next family members name. If the person is not already in the database, select the Add an Individual… link to start entering the new family member's information.
Fill in all the known details for the new family member based on what is known.
Click SAVE to complete adding the new individual to the family. Keep repeating this process until all the related people are added.
The new person(s) will now show under the Family tab and the relationships can be adjusted if needed for the Primary family member and the other related records added.
Note: In most cases, we suggest changing "Primary" to the actual relationship name used for the household.
Last, make sure to review if Giving should be grouped together and if Parental Communication preferences should be adjusted.
Note: Parental Communication selections are especially important if children are in the family. If it is a mixed or separated family, you will want to review details on Handling Divorced or Separated Families.
To finalize and complete all these changes, use the SAVE button in the Individuals section under the Family tab.
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