Link Contact to Affiliated Account
Quick Start
🏢 Need to connect someone to multiple organizations? Create account affiliations to link contacts to additional accounts beyond their primary household.
- Open contact record → 2. Go to Relationships tab → 3. Create Account Affiliation → 4. Select organization → 5. Save
What you'll accomplish: Establish an account affiliation to connect a contact to additional organizations or households, enabling tracking of multiple memberships, employment, or volunteer relationships in about 5 minutes.
🚀 Quickstart
- Navigate to the contact record you want to affiliate
- Click the Relationships tab
- Select "New" on the Account Affiliations related list
- Choose the affiliated account and relationship details
- Save to create the affiliation
⚠️ Before You Start
📋 Prerequisites Checklist
- You have appropriate permissions to edit contacts and affiliations
- Contact record exists with primary account assigned
- Affiliated organization/account exists in the system
- You understand the difference between contact relationships and account affiliations
- Relationships tab is visible on contact page layout
💡 Understanding Account Affiliations
Account Affiliations vs Contact Relationships:
- Account Affiliations - Professional/organizational connections (employee, member, volunteer, board member)
- Contact Relationships - Personal connections between individuals (spouse, parent, friend)
Common Affiliation Types:
- Employment - Staff member at organization
- Membership - Member of multiple organizations
- Volunteer - Volunteer role at organization
- Board Service - Board member or committee member
- Alumni - Former student or member
- Vendor - Business relationship
Multi-Account Scenarios:
- Family + Organization - Contact belongs to household AND works for organization
- Multiple Organizations - Contact involved with several nonprofits
- Volunteer Roles - Contact volunteers at multiple locations
- Professional Networks - Contact affiliated with industry organizations
📘 Detailed Instructions
Step 1: Navigate to Contact Record
- Use the Global Search bar to find the contact
- Type the contact's name
- Click on the contact to open their record
- Verify you have the correct person and their primary account
Step 2: Access Account Affiliations
- Click the Relationships tab on the contact record
- Locate the Account Affiliations related list
- Review any existing affiliations
Account Affiliations vs Contact Relationships
Ensure you're in the "Account Affiliations" section for connecting to organizations, not "Relationships" which connects to other individuals.
Step 3: Create New Account Affiliation
- Click "New" on the Account Affiliations related list
- Complete the affiliation form:
🏢 Account Affiliation Fields Reference
| Field | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account | ✅ | Organization or household to affiliate | "First Community Church" |
| Role | ❌ | Contact's role at the organization | "Staff", "Volunteer", "Board Member" |
| Status | ❌ | Current status of affiliation | "Current", "Former", "Inactive" |
| Start Date | ❌ | When affiliation began | "2020-01-15" |
| End Date | ❌ | When affiliation ended (if applicable) | Leave blank for current |
| Description | ❌ | Additional details about the relationship | "Youth ministry volunteer" |
| Primary | ❌ | Whether this is the primary affiliation | Usually unchecked for additional affiliations |
Common Role Examples:
- Employment: Staff, Employee, Pastor, Administrator, Director
- Governance: Board Member, Committee Chair, Trustee, Elder
- Volunteer: Volunteer, Youth Leader, Usher, Greeter, Teacher
- Membership: Member, Associate Member, Friend, Supporter
- Professional: Consultant, Vendor, Contractor, Service Provider
- Select the affiliated account using the lookup field
- Choose appropriate role and status
- Add start date and description for context
Step 4: Configure Affiliation Details
Role Assignment:
- Select from predefined roles or enter custom role
- Be specific about the person's function or position
- Use consistent role naming across similar affiliations
Status Management:
- Current - Active ongoing affiliation
- Former - Past affiliation that has ended
- Inactive - Temporarily suspended affiliation
Date Tracking:
- Start Date - When the affiliation began
- End Date - Leave blank for current affiliations
- Update dates when status changes
Step 5: Save and Verify
- Click "Save" to create the affiliation
- Verify the affiliation appears in the related list
- Check that affiliation details are correct
✅ How to Know It Worked
Success Indicators:
- ✅ New affiliation appears in Account Affiliations related list
- ✅ Contact shows connection to additional organization
- ✅ Affiliated account can access contact through relationships
- ✅ Role and status information displays correctly
Verification Steps:
- Check contact record for new affiliation
- Navigate to affiliated account and verify contact appears in related lists
- Review affiliation details for accuracy
- Test visibility in reports and searches
🆘 Troubleshooting
❌ Account Affiliations Section Missing
Problem: Cannot find Account Affiliations related list
Solutions:
- ✅ Check page layout - ensure Account Affiliations is added to Relationships tab
- ✅ Verify permissions - confirm you can view affiliation features
- ✅ Check record type - different contact types may have different layouts
- ✅ Contact administrator - related list may need configuration
❌ Cannot Find Organization Account
Problem: Affiliated organization doesn't appear in account lookup
Solutions:
- ✅ Verify account exists - search for organization in accounts
- ✅ Check account status - inactive accounts may not appear
- ✅ Review permissions - ensure you can view the target account
- ✅ Check spelling - ensure correct organization name
❌ Role Options Limited
Problem: Desired role not available in dropdown
Solutions:
- ✅ Check picklist values - role options may need to be added
- ✅ Use custom entry - type role if custom values allowed
- ✅ Request new roles - ask administrator to add needed options
- ✅ Use closest match - select most appropriate available role
❌ Affiliation Not Showing on Account
Problem: Contact doesn't appear in affiliated account's related lists
Solutions:
- ✅ Check account page layout - ensure affiliated contacts section is visible
- ✅ Verify affiliation status - inactive affiliations may be hidden
- ✅ Review sharing settings - account may not have access to contact
- ✅ Refresh page - sometimes requires page reload to display
💡 Best Practices
Account Affiliation Best Practices
- 🏷️ Consistent Roles - Use standardized role naming across organization
- 📅 Track Dates - Include start dates for all significant affiliations
- 📝 Add Context - Use description field for important details
- 🔍 Regular Updates - Keep affiliation status current
- 📊 Review Patterns - Monitor common affiliation types for consistency
- 👥 Team Coordination - Ensure staff use consistent affiliation practices
Organizational Management:
- Primary vs Secondary - Keep primary account as main household/organization
- Role Hierarchy - Use clear role designations for organizational structure
- Status Maintenance - Update status when roles change
- Date Accuracy - Maintain accurate start and end dates
Common Use Cases:
- Staff Management - Track employees across multiple departments/locations
- Volunteer Coordination - Connect volunteers to various ministry areas
- Board Governance - Link board members to multiple committees
- Multi-site Organizations - Connect people to different campuses/locations
Data Quality Tips:
- Avoid duplicates - Check for existing affiliations before creating new ones
- Standardize roles - Use consistent naming conventions
- Regular audits - Review affiliations for accuracy and currency
- Documentation - Maintain clear descriptions for complex relationships