Names
On the record of an individual or organization, such as a constituent (or related individual or organization), you can track how you refer to them in the program or during personal interactions. Since how you address a constituent can be their first impression of your organization, be sure to spell their name correctly and track their preferences to ensure positive relationships and polite, well-received interactions.
Full name
At the top of a record, the full name of the individual or organization name appears. Depending on how your organization displays names in web view, an individual’s full name can include their first name, middle initial, and last name, as well as any titles or suffixes they may have — such as Dr. or Jr., respectively.
With Alumni Tracking, the name can also include the individual’s class year. For more information, see Constituent Record Settings.
Tip: You can set up the available titles and suffixes from the Titles and Suffixes categories in Tables. For more information, see Tables.
Preferred name
To help further identify a constituent and personalize interactions, their preferred name is an informal name they would rather go by. On their record, their preferred name appears under their full name.
Note: In the database view, preferred names are called nicknames.
Former name
Former names include any name an individual previously went by, such as before a name change or getting married.
Note: In the database view, former names are called maiden names.
Tip: When you search for an individual, you can use their preferred name, former name, or alias to find them. For more information, see Search for Constituents.
To update the name of an individual or organization to reflect any changes or preferences, select Edit, Name on their record.
Tip: To manage how a constituent's name appears in communications such as mailings or email, see Name Formats.