> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://orgo.space/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Contacts

> Track non-members — donors, newsletter subscribers, partners, and potential members

Not everyone who interacts with your organization is a member. Contacts tracks the people outside your membership — donors, newsletter subscribers, event attendees, and partners — so you don't lose track of relationships.

***

## Contacts vs members

|                              | Members          | Contacts                          |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **Have an account**          | Yes — can log in | No — external records only        |
| **Can access the platform**  | Yes              | No                                |
| **Receive newsletters**      | If subscribed    | If subscribed                     |
| **Can donate**               | Yes              | Yes — without creating an account |
| **Can attend public events** | Yes              | Yes                               |
| **Can become a member**      | Already are      | Can be converted                  |

***

## When contacts are created

Contacts appear automatically when someone:

* **Donates** without having an account
* **Subscribes** to your newsletter from a public page
* **Registers** for a public event without an account
* **Is imported** from a CSV file or external system

You can also create contacts manually from **Contacts** → **Create Contact**.

***

## Contact information

### What you can store

| Category         | Fields                                             |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Basic**        | Name, email, phone, address                        |
| **Location**     | Country, city, associated Local Center             |
| **Professional** | Organization, job title, role                      |
| **Company**      | Company name, tax ID, registration number, address |
| **Social**       | LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram                     |
| **Custom**       | Any custom fields you create                       |

### Tags and status

Organize contacts with tags and track their relationship stage:

| Tag examples                                                | Status examples                   |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Donor, Newsletter, Event Attendee, Partner, Vendor, Sponsor | Lead, Active, Inactive, Converted |

Tags are flexible — create whatever categories make sense for your organization.

***

## Managing contacts

### Newsletter subscriptions

Contacts can subscribe to your newsletter. Track their subscription status and honor unsubscribe requests:

* Contacts unsubscribe via the link in any newsletter email
* Admins can manually toggle subscription status
* Unsubscribe requests are immediate

<Warning>
  Honoring unsubscribe requests is legally required in most jurisdictions (GDPR, CAN-SPAM). Always process them promptly.
</Warning>

### Import and export

**Import:** Prepare a CSV with columns for name, email, phone, etc. Go to **Contacts** → **Import**, upload the file, map columns to fields, and confirm.

**Export:** Filter contacts as needed, then click **Export** to download a CSV.

***

## Converting a contact to a member

When a contact wants to join:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the contact">
    Search by name or email in the Contacts list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Create Account">
    Use the **Create Account** action on the contact record.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete member details">
    Fill in additional fields required for membership.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send invitation">
    The new member receives an email to set up their account.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The contact record links to the new member account — you keep the history.

***

## Common scenarios

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Someone donated but I can't find them in Members">
    Check Contacts — donors without accounts are stored there, not in the member directory. If they should become a member, use the conversion flow above.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I need to send a newsletter to non-members too">
    Contacts with newsletter subscriptions are included in your newsletter audience alongside members. No extra setup needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I track potential members before they join?">
    Create contacts tagged as "Lead" or "Prospect". When they're ready to join, convert them to members. Their contact history carries over.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A contact is getting emails they didn't sign up for">
    Check their newsletter subscription status. If they didn't explicitly subscribe, toggle it off. Only send to people who opted in.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can contacts see anything on the platform?">
    No. Contacts don't have accounts and can't log in. They're purely administrative records for your team to manage relationships.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Related

* [Donations](/platform/fees/donations) — Donation tracking and campaigns
* [Newsletter](/platform/newsletter) — Email campaigns to contacts and members
* [Events](/platform/events) — Public event registration
* [Custom Fields](/platform/users/custom-fields) — Add fields to contact records