How the switch works, in short
To switch from spreadsheets to membership software, you send us your files and our team does the migration: we load your members by category, your association reviews the result and then your members log in. With Assocializa, association management software by Softaliza, data migration is included in every plan and there is no setup fee.
The rest of this guide covers why spreadsheets stop working, the doubts that usually hold associations back, what happens at each step of a migration and what to clean up before you send your files.
Why spreadsheets stop working
Many associations start with a spreadsheet, and for a while it works. Then membership grows and the cracks appear:
- Several versions of the truth. One file for members, another for payments and a third for the annual event, each updated by a different person.
- Dues tracked by hand. Someone matches bank statements to names, sends reminders and writes receipts, one by one.
- History that is hard to find. When a member asks for an old receipt, the answer is buried in folders and inboxes.
- Everything depends on one person. When the person who knows the file leaves, the knowledge leaves too.
- Member data in email attachments. Lists travel from inbox to inbox, which makes personal data hard to protect.
Membership software replaces those files with one record per member, where category, contact details, dues, payments and receipts stay together. Our guide to membership management software covers what that kind of system should do.
The doubts we hear most, and our answers
"Our spreadsheet works well enough"
It may, as a list. What a spreadsheet cannot do is bill dues by category, send reminders before and after the due date, issue receipts or give each member a portal to update their own data. Those are the tasks that take your team's time every month. See how automated dues billing handles them.
"Our data is too messy to migrate"
Messy data is normal. You do not need a perfect file to start: the checklist below covers the few fixes worth making, and because your team reviews the result before anyone logs in, problems are caught before members see them.
"We do not have time for a migration project"
The migration is our work. Your team sends the files, confirms how categories and dues work and reviews the result. Loading members and organizing them by category is our job.
"Our members will not use it"
Members log in with their email and find what they actually need: their dues, their receipts and their digital membership card. The member portal works in the browser on any phone or computer, so there is no app to install.
"What if we want to leave later?"
There is no lock-in contract. You can cancel with 30 days' notice and export your data in an open format, so moving in never means being stuck.
"Is it expensive to start?"
There is no setup fee. Data migration, hosting, updates and human support are included in every plan, and the price is fixed whatever the number of members. Plans start at USD 60 per month with the Essential plan.
What happens in a migration
1. You send your spreadsheets or an export
Send the files you use today: one member spreadsheet, several of them or an export from the system you are leaving. If you keep extra information, such as specialty, institution or professional registration, include it too. Member records support custom fields and documents, so that information can come along with each member.
2. Our team loads your members by category
We organize your members into the categories your association uses, such as full members, students or associates, and load their records. Categories matter because each one carries its own dues, annual or monthly, which is what makes billing by category work once you go live.
3. Your association reviews the result
Before anyone is invited, your team checks members, categories and contact details. Filters and Excel export make it quick to compare the loaded records with your original files. Point out anything that looks wrong and we correct it.
4. Members log in
When the review is done, members log in to the member portal with their email. From there they update their data, pay their dues, download receipts and carry their digital membership card. A short email sent from the platform tells them what changed and where to log in, and automatic notifications, such as welcome messages and due date reminders, take over from there.
What to clean up before you send your files
These fixes save time on both sides:
- One row per member. Merge duplicates, especially people listed twice with different email addresses.
- A valid email for every member. Members log in with their email, so it is the most important field in the file.
- Consistent categories. Write each category the same way everywhere: "Student", not "student", "Stud." and "Students".
- Clear status. Mark who is a current member and who has left, so your lists start out accurate.
- One date format. Use the same format for join dates and birthdays. Birthday notifications depend on it.
- Only what you need. If a column has not been used in years, ask whether it should come along. Less data to move also means less personal data to protect.
- Dues by category. Confirm what each category pays and whether dues are annual or monthly.
How much work it is for your team
Your part is small, and most of it is decisions rather than data entry:
- Send the files.
- Confirm your categories and how dues work for each one.
- Review the loaded records.
- Tell members where to log in.
Everything else is on us. During the migration and after it, you talk to real people: human support is part of every plan, including a dedicated WhatsApp group with our team.
What it costs
There is no setup fee and no separate charge for the migration: data migration is included in every plan.
- Essential, USD 60 per month: member portal, member records, dues billing, donations and the digital membership card.
- Advanced, USD 120 per month: adds full cash flow, online voting, courses and events, a document library, a news timeline, a forum and an online store.
- Premium, USD 200 per month: adds abstract management, check-in, the Academy, your own iOS and Android app and a REST API.
Prices are fixed for your association, whatever the number of members. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time, and cancel with 30 days' notice. See the details in our pricing section.
Softaliza was founded in 2019 at the technology incubator of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), in Brazil, and today more than 200 organizations around the world work with us. Assocializa is built for medical and scientific societies, professional associations, unions, federations and clubs. It is not designed for homeowners' or condo associations.
Watch the demo to see the platform your members will use after the migration.