Overview

The lifecycle action on a membership record denotes the relationship between the current term and the previous term of a membership (if it exists). ACME uses them in the scenarios outlined below.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Membership Lifecycle Action Statuses:

Following are membership lifecycle action statuses that occur as the membership moves through various stages.  This information is surfaced in the "Membership Standing" field when viewing orders and/or reports.


Membership Standing
(Membership Status)
Definition
ActiveAppears when the current membership is in effect (based on the membership start and end dates)
LapsedAppears when the active membership has expired (based on the membership end date)
DroppedAppears if a membership is cancelled
ReplacedAppears on a prior membership version if the member did a lifecycle action before this term had expired
NewAppears on the new version of the membership created when a member renews their membership early, before their existing term expires.  (Note: This will only show if the system settings are set to have renewals start the day after the current term)

New Member Acquisition

MembershipPurchase

  • Denotes the purchase of a new membership. A new membership number is generated and there is no prior history.

In-Cycle Actions

An In-Cycle Action occurs during a membership term and does not result in a change to the length of a term. These are most commonly in the form of an upgrade. For all in-cycle types, the prior membership term is replaced, and the new term becomes active. The level, price and benefits change, but the expiration date remains the same.


Lifecycle ActionTermTransaction Price
MembershipUpgradeNew term with same expiration date, new higher levelMember pays difference between prior and new 
MembershipDowngradeNew term with same expiration date, new lower levelMember is refunded the difference between prior and new

Renewals

A renewal may be processed when your defined renewal window opens, which typically coincides with when you start sending renewal notices in advance of the membership expiration date. A member may renew their existing membership at the same level, a higher or lower level than the prior term. A renewal should result in uninterrupted benefits. For all renewal types, the prior membership term is replaced and updated to lapsed, and the new term becomes active.


Lifecycle ActionTerm Transaction Price
MembershipRenewalNew full term, same levelBased on offering 
MembershipRenewalUpgradeNew full term, higher levelBased on offering
MembershipRenewalDowngradeNew full term, lower levelBased on offering



After Term Renewals

In ACME, an After Term Renewal (or Post Term Renewal) occurs after the expiration date has passed and the member chooses to renew their lapsed at the same level, higher or lower level than the prior term. The lapsed period of time since the expiration date is often considered your grace period for a late renewal. 


It is recommended to define your After Term period to include the months in which you continue to send reminders and solicit a renewal. For most membership organizations, this tends to be within 3 months.


Lifecycle ActionTermTransaction Price
MembershipPostTermRenewalNew full term, same level, new expiration monthBased on offering
MembershipPostTermRenewalUpgradeNew full term, higher level, new expiration monthBased on offering
MembershipPostTermRenewalDowngradeNew full term, lower level, new expiration monthBased on offering

Rejoin

A rejoin occurs when a lapsed member returns beyond the After Term Renewal period. These are sometimes referred to as a lapsed member re-acquisitions. A member who rejoins has lapsed beyond your defined grace period. Due to the delayed renewal, the member's expiration month will change once the renewal is processed. This is a key distinction when projecting membership revenue, since their next renewal may now be in a new fiscal period.


Lifecycle ActionTermTransaction Price
MembershipRejoinNew full term, same level, new expiration monthBased on offering
MembershipRejoinUpgradeNew full term, higher level, new expiration monthBased on offering
MembershipRejoinDowngradeNew full term, lower level, new expiration monthBased on offering


Note for Raiser's Edge customers: Raiser's Edge defines a Rejoin based on the prior membership being in a Dropped standing after an extended lapsed period. ACME determines a rejoin based on the configured Membership Rules that are driven by the expiration date.


Membership Attrition/Churn

Unfortunately, you may encounter a scenario when a membership needs to be canceled. This may be due to a member satisfaction issue, a change in the intent of the purchase, or an administrative error when the membership was created. In these cases, a membership can be terminated.

MembershipCancel

  • Denotes a membership that is cancelled in ACME; based on the configuration a refund may or may not have been issued and the standing would move from active to cancelled.