Understanding Partners and Contacts

Learn how Partners and Contacts work together to help you manage your relationships with organizations and the people within them.

Key Concept

In Memml, we use a unified "Partners" concept instead of separate systems for sponsors, vendors, and collaborators. A Partner represents an organization, and Contacts represent the individuals within those organizations (or standalone individuals).

Partners are Organizations

A Partner represents a company, business, or entity that your non-profit works with. Think of it as the organization itself, not the people within it.

Partners can be marked as Sponsors, Vendors, Collaborators, or any combination of these types. This flexibility allows you to track organizations that play multiple roles in your fundraising efforts.

Contacts are Individuals

Contacts are individual people you interact with. Each Contact represents one person.

Contacts can be linked to a Partner organization, making it easy to see all the people you work with at each organization. Contacts can also be standalone (not associated with any Partner), or they can be members of your own organization.

How Partners and Contacts Work Together

The relationship between Partners and Contacts is designed to mirror how you actually work with organizations:

One Partner can have many Contacts: A company might have multiple people you interact with - a main contact, a decision maker, a finance person, etc.
Contacts can be linked to Partners or standalone: When you create a Contact, you can optionally link them to a Partner organization, or leave them standalone if they're not associated with a specific organization.
Contacts can be members: Contacts can also be marked as members of your own organization, helping you track both external contacts and internal members in one system.
Primary Contact: Each Partner can have one designated "primary contact" - the main person you typically communicate with at that organization.

Partner Types

Partners can be categorized by their role in your organization. A single Partner can have multiple types:

Sponsor

Partners that provide financial support, donations, or sponsorships to your organization.

Sponsors are typically linked to Income budget items in your projects. You can track their progress through the sales funnel to see how likely they are to commit to a sponsorship. Typically, you would receive payment from sponsors.

Vendor

Partners that provide goods or services to your organization.

Vendors are typically linked to Expense or In-Kind Contribution budget items. Examples include caterers, printers, event venues, or service providers. Typically, you would pay vendors.

Collaborator

Partners that you work together with on projects or initiatives.

Collaborators are typically other non-profits or organizations where you have a partnership relationship rather than a financial transaction. You work together collaboratively on shared goals or projects.

Tip

Don't worry about getting the Partner type perfect from the start. You can always update a Partner's type later, and Partners can be multiple types (Sponsor, Vendor, Collaborator) if they play multiple roles in your organization.

Terminology

Partner: An organization (company, business, or entity) that your non-profit works with. A partner can be a Sponsor, a Vendor, a Collaborator, or any combination of these types.
Contact: An individual person. Contacts can be associated with a Partner organization, or they can be standalone. Contacts can also be members of your organization.
Sponsor: A Partner that provides financial support, donations, or sponsorships to your organization. Sponsors are typically linked to Income budget items. Typically, you would receive payment from sponsors.
Vendor: A Partner that provides goods or services to your organization (like catering, printing, or event services). Vendors are typically linked to Expense or In-Kind Contribution budget items. Typically, you would pay vendors.
Collaborator: A Partner organization that you work together with on projects or initiatives. Collaborators are typically other non-profits or organizations where you have a partnership relationship rather than a financial transaction.

Common Scenarios

Scenario: Corporate Sponsor

A local business wants to sponsor your fundraising event.

Create a Partner: Add "ABC Corporation" as a Partner, mark it as a Sponsor.

Add Contacts: Create Contacts for the people you interact with - the marketing director, the CEO, etc. Link these Contacts to the ABC Corporation Partner.

Set Primary Contact: Designate the marketing director as the primary contact for easy reference.

Scenario: Event Vendor

You're working with a catering company for your gala.

Create a Partner: Add "Delicious Catering" as a Partner, mark it as a Vendor.

Add Contacts: Create a Contact for the event coordinator you work with at the catering company.

Link to Budget: When creating budget items for catering expenses, link them to the Delicious Catering Partner.

Scenario: Non-Profit Collaborator

You're partnering with another non-profit on a community initiative.

Create a Partner: Add "Community Health Alliance" as a Partner, mark it as a Collaborator.

Add Contacts: Create Contacts for the key people you work with at the partner organization.

Track Collaboration: Use activity logs to track meetings, decisions, and progress on your shared initiative.

Scenario: Standalone Contact

A volunteer or individual donor who isn't associated with a Partner organization.

Create a Contact: Add "Jane Smith" as a Contact without linking to any Partner.

Mark as Member (optional): If Jane is a member of your organization, mark her as a member.

Track Interactions: Use activity logs to track your interactions with Jane, even though she's not associated with a Partner.

Important Note

All Partners and Contacts are specific to your organization. You cannot see or access Partners and Contacts from other organizations, ensuring your relationship data remains private and secure.