A family joined in February. In June they want to add a nanny pass, or two extra guest passes, or reserved parking for the rest of the year. They aren’t looking to renew early or move to a higher level. They want to pay for one extra thing and keep the same membership.
In Altru, that simple ask can get awkward. Membership add-ons are usually set up on the membership program and sold as part of a membership transaction: a join, a renewal, or an upgrade. Selling one on its own, halfway through a term, doesn’t fit that pattern neatly. Staff end up either pushing the member through a renewal they didn’t ask for or improvising something that’s hard to report on later.
This guide covers the realistic options, what each one costs you, and how to pick one your staff can apply every time.
First, confirm how your own setup behaves
Altru configurations vary, and some of what’s possible depends on how your membership programs, levels, and add-ons were built. Before you pick a workaround, test these in a sandbox or training environment (or ask Blackbaud support if you don’t have one):
- Can an add-on be attached to an existing, active membership without processing a renewal or upgrade?
- If you process an upgrade to the same level, or a level that only differs by the add-on, what happens to the expiration date?
- Does editing a membership record let you add an add-on, and if so, does it create revenue or just change the record?
Write down what you find. The answers decide which of the options below are worth considering, and they keep staff from finding out at the register.
Option 1: Sell the add-on as its own item
A common workaround is to set up the add-on as a separate sellable item, such as a merchandise item or fee in daily sales, priced the same as the membership add-on. Staff sell it to the member’s constituent record like any other purchase.
What works: the member pays for exactly what they wanted, the membership term is untouched, and revenue lands in the right place if you map the item to the correct designation or GL account.
What doesn’t: Altru won’t treat the item as part of the membership. It won’t show as a membership benefit, won’t expire with the term, and won’t print on the card unless you handle that separately. Someone needs to record the entitlement, usually with a constituent attribute (for example, “Guest pass add-on, valid through [membership expiration]”) so the front desk can see it at check-in.
If you go this route, build a query of members with that attribute so you can review it at renewal time. Otherwise the add-on quietly carries forward forever, or quietly vanishes.
Option 2: Create a level that includes the add-on
Some organizations skip standalone add-ons and build levels like “Family” and “Family Plus Parking.” A mid-term request then becomes an upgrade from one level to the other, with the member paying the difference.
This keeps everything inside the membership, so benefits, cards, and reporting stay consistent. The tradeoff is more levels to maintain, and you need to know exactly how upgrades treat the term and price in your setup. If an upgrade resets the expiration date or charges the full new price instead of the difference, it’s the same problem you started with. Test it before you train staff on it.
Option 3: Defer to renewal, with a courtesy for now
For low-cost add-ons, some teams simply tell members: “We’ll add it at your next renewal.” If the member wants the benefit now, staff give it as a one-time courtesy and record a note. This works well for small perks and poorly for anything with real cost, like parking or extra named cardholders.
Option 4: Manual edit plus a separate payment
If your testing shows you can add an add-on to an existing membership record, you can pair that with a separate payment for the amount. It’s accurate on the member’s record, but it splits the story across two transactions, which makes revenue reporting and audits harder. Use it sparingly, and only with staff who understand both pieces.
Picking one
A few questions usually settle it:
- Does the add-on need to appear on the membership card or in scanning? If yes, lean toward Option 2, or Option 4 if your testing confirmed the add-on shows on the card after a manual edit. A standalone item won’t show up there on its own.
- How often does this come up? A handful of times a year can live with Option 3 or 4. Weekly requests deserve a clean, repeatable setup, usually Option 1 or 2.
- Who processes it? If seasonal staff handle it at the desk, choose the option with the fewest steps and put the steps in writing next to the register.
- How will you report on it? Decide now which query or report will show who has the add-on and when it ends. If you can’t answer that, the option isn’t finished.
Whatever you choose, make the renewal match. When the member’s term comes up, the add-on should be offered as part of the renewal so the separate tracking you set up mid-year can be retired.
Where Social Good fits
The mid-term sale itself is a configuration and policy decision in Altru, and none of the options above require extra software. Where we help is in what members see: Membership Portal lets members view their status, renew, upgrade, and update their profile online against live Altru data, so if you go the “level that includes the add-on” route, members can handle that upgrade online instead of calling the front desk.
Quick answers
Will selling an add-on as merchandise change the membership’s expiration date?
No. A separate item doesn’t touch the membership record, which is the point. It also means the add-on isn’t tied to the term unless you track it yourself.
Should we prorate mid-term add-ons?
That’s a policy call. Many organizations charge a flat price to keep things simple at the desk; others prorate by month. Pick one and put it in writing so staff aren’t calculating on the spot.
