> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Which families can I message from the coach portal?

> Who shows up as a possible recipient when you start a chat from the coach portal.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * You can message any guardian in your active organization — not just the families whose athletes are in your own programs.
  * The recipient must be a guardian (a parent account), not an athlete.
  * You can only message families in the one organization you're currently active in.
</Note>

When you start a new conversation, the recipient list is the **guardians in your active organization**. A guardian is the parent-level account that manages one or more athletes.

You're not limited to families connected to the classes you coach. Any guardian in the club is reachable, so you can follow up with a parent even if their athlete isn't in one of your programs. Type a name into the search box to narrow the list.

Two things scope who you can reach:

* **Guardians only.** You start a chat with the parent account, not with an athlete. If you want to reach a specific athlete's parent, the fastest route is the **Message guardian** shortcut on that athlete's profile.
* **One organization at a time.** The inbox is tied to the organization you're currently working in. If you coach at more than one club, switch your active organization to message its families — you won't see families from your other clubs in the current inbox.

**Related:** [How do I start a chat with a family?](/coaches/coach-messaging/coach-chat-start-conversation), [How do I message a guardian from an athlete's profile?](/coaches/coach-messaging/coach-chat-message-from-athlete-profile), [What is the chat inbox in the coach portal?](/coaches/coach-messaging/coach-chat-inbox-overview)