[Chapter-delegates] Sync between AMS and Chapter member databases?

[Evan Leibovitch]

Hello everyone,

We are in the process of automating the Canada Chapter's membership
application system using CiviCRM and Paypal, as we will be charging annual
dues similar to some other chapters.

I would like to know if anyone at other chapters has tried to integrate the
ISOC AMS with their own local membership database. We would like to
simplify membership by having a single sign-up page that would enable
someone to simultaneously obtain an ISOC Member ID and apply for membership
in our chapter.

Alternately, are we as a chapter empowered to apply for membership on
behalf of someone else, who has come to the Chapter site but does not yet
have a global ISOC member ID?

What I would like to avoid is a situation in which we turn away members
because it's "too much trouble". We need to make it as easy as possible to
attract members, and the three step process of

   1. Coming to our site to join
   2. Being diverted to the AMS to create a membership and having to
   remember the ID
   3. Coming back to the chapter site and using the new ID to apply for
   membership with us

is IMO working against our ability to build membership. It is easy to
complain that people should be able to persist through all those steps, but
to me it is unacceptable to have barriers to membership that can be
addressed using available technology.

Any suggestions, and especially experiences from others who have
encountered this issue, are extremely welcomed.

Thank you.

-- 
Evan Leibovitch
Toronto Canada

Em: evan at telly dot org
Sk: evanleibovitch
Tw: el56
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