Introduction

akoyaGO is a relational database, meaning records can be connected to one another to represent real-world relationships. This article explains how Constituent and Contact records are related through the Parent Constituent and Primary Contact fields, and why these relationships exist.

Constituent Relationships and the Parent Constituent Field

The Parent Constituent field appears on both Contact and Constituent records, but it serves different purposes depending on where it is used.

On a Contact record, the Parent Constituent identifies the organization the contact is most closely associated with, most commonly their employer. On a Constituent record, the Parent Constituent field is used to create a hierarchy between constituents.

This hierarchical relationship is especially useful for organizations with multiple sub-entities. For example, a university might have individual constituent records for each department. In this case, you can create a single constituent record for the university and assign it as the Parent Constituent for each department’s constituent record.

Primary Contact on the Constituent Record

The Primary Contact field appears on the Constituent record and is a lookup to the Contact entity. This field identifies the main individual associated with the constituent, such as an Executive Director or CEO.
It is important to note that assigning a Primary Contact does not automatically set the Parent Constituent on the contact record. This behavior is intentional and reflects real-world scenarios in which an individual may serve multiple roles.

For example, a person may work for Helping Hands, which is a grantee, while also volunteering as a Girl Scout leader for a troop that is also a grantee.

In akoyaGO:

The individual’s Parent Constituent would be their employer.
The individual could still be listed as the Primary Contact on the Girl Scout Troop’s constituent record.

This separation ensures flexibility and accuracy when modeling complex relationships between people and organizations.

Handling Large Organizations with Multiple Locations

Large organizations often operate through chapters, regions, or local offices while still functioning under a single national umbrella. akoyaGO is designed to support this structure using constituent hierarchies and clear contact relationships.

Recommended Constituent Structure
Create a hierarchical constituent model:
American Red Cross (National)
│
├─ American Red Cross – Midwest Region
│   ├─ American Red Cross – Twin Cities Chapter
│   └─ American Red Cross – Duluth Chapter
│
└─ American Red Cross – Northeast Region
    └─ American Red Cross – Boston Chapter

Each location, chapter, or region should have its own Constituent record.  The national organization is the Parent Constituent.  Regions and chapters roll up through the Parent Constituent field.  This structure supports accurate reporting, grant tracking, and relationship management without duplicating data.  Set the Contact’s Parent Constituent to the organization where they are primarily employed

Example:
A Twin Cities chapter director → Parent Constituent = ARC – Twin Cities Chapter
A regional grants manager → Parent Constituent = ARC – Midwest Region

This ensures employment and affiliation are represented correctly.

Primary Contact (on Constituent)

Each Constituent record (national, regional, or local) can have its own Primary Contact
The same person may be the Primary Contact for multiple constituents
Assigning a Primary Contact does not change the Contact’s Parent Constituent

This allows one individual to serve as the main point of contact for several locations without distorting organizational structure.

When to Create Separate Constituent Records vs. One Record

Create separate constituent records when:

Grants are awarded to specific chapters or locations
Reporting needs to distinguish activity by region
Different locations have different leadership or contacts

Use a single constituent record when:

All grants, payments, and reporting roll up at the national level
Local offices do not operate independently in your grantmaking process

In many cases, organizations like the American Red Cross use both a national record for umbrella reporting and local records for operational accuracy.

Common Misconceptions

“If I set a Primary Contact, that person’s Parent Constituent is automatically updated.”
Incorrect.  Assigning a Primary Contact on a Constituent record does not update the Contact’s Parent Constituent. These fields are intentionally independent to support scenarios where a person may be associated with multiple organizations in different ways

“A Contact can only be related to one Constituent.”
Incorrect.  A Contact has one Parent Constituent, which represents their primary organizational affiliation (such as their employer). However, the same Contact can still be referenced elsewhere—such as being named the Primary Contact for other constituents—without changing their Parent Constituent.

“Parent Constituent is only used for Contacts.”
Incorrect. The Parent Constituent field is also used on Constituent records to create organizational hierarchies. This is commonly used for structures like universities and departments, regional offices, fiscal sponsors, or umbrella organizations with multiple programs.

“Primary Contact defines ownership or employment.”
Incorrect.  The Primary Contact is the main point of contact for your foundation with a Constituent. It does not indicate employment, legal ownership, or reporting structure. Employment and affiliation are represented through the Contact’s Parent Constituent.

“The same person shouldn’t appear as a Primary Contact for multiple Constituents.”
Incorrect.  It is valid for one person to serve as the Primary Contact for multiple Constituents. This is common in volunteer roles, fiscal sponsorships, or shared administrative staff. akoyaGO is designed to support these real‑world relationships without duplicating Contact records.

“These fields should always mirror each other.”
Incorrect.  While the Parent Constituent and Primary Contact fields often align, they are not required to (and should not) align. Treating them as interchangeable can lead to inaccurate data modeling and confusion in reporting.

Keywords: parent constituent, constituent, primary contact, contact, record, basics, akoyaGO