Create Individual Documents in Word from a Mail Merge

Create Individual Documents in Word from a Mail Merge

For on-premises FIMS version 14.73 and later, you can create individual statements and letters from a Mail Merge document directly in FIMS instead of running macros in Microsoft Word.

The Create Individual Documents in Word feature takes a Microsoft Word mail merge document and creates individual Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF files into a location you choose all while you work directly in FIMS.

This process is available for Fund Statements, Gift Acknowledgement Letters and Grant Letters.

Gift and Grant Letters

Note: To use this feature, you must have the Fund and Profile folders set up beforehand:

Link Parent and Individual Folders for Profile and Fund

1. Create and merge the Grant or Gift letters in Microsoft Word and save the merged document:

How to Create and Run Grant Letters in Microsoft Word 

How do I Create and Run Gift Acknowledgement Letters?  

2. In FIMS, select Reports > Create Individual Word Documents.

3. In the Merged Document field search for and choose the saved merge grant or gift acknowledgement document that was created when you merged your letters in Microsoft Word. This would be the document that has all of your letters together in one file after you merged them, not the merge template itself. Select the folder icon, open the correct folder, select the file, and click Open.

4. In Destination, select either Gift Acknowledgements or Grant Letters from the drop-down options.

5. In Destination, select the checkboxes for the location to which to create the individual letters. Each option corresponds to a macro that is being run in the background to perform that specific function. These macros are the equivalent to the FIMS macros in Microsoft Word.

• Gift Acknowledgements:

To Fund Folders: Creates an individual document and saves that document to fund folder of the fund on the gift.

To Profile Folders: Creates an individual document and saves that document to the profile folder of the profile of the donor.

with Full Profile Path: Not typically used.

• Grant Letters:

for Grantees: Creates an individual document and saves that document to the grantee profile folder.

to Donor Advisors: Creates an individual document and saves that document to the donor advisor profile folder

to Fund Folders: Creates an individual document and saves that document to the fund folder of the fund on the grant

to Grantee Grant Number Folders: Creates an individual document and saves that document to the grant folder within the grantee record folder with the grant number as the name of the folder.

to Payee Folders: Creates an individual document and saves that document to the to the Payee folder of the payee on the grant.

6. (Optional) Click the Defaults button and save your settings for future use.

7. Select Checkbox for file type: Create Word DOCX file which creates an individual Word document in the destination specified or Create PDF file which creates an individual PDF document in the destination specified.

8. Click Create.

9. When complete, a confirmation message displays, and the destination folders that were selected contain the new, individual documents.

Fund Statements

A. Individual Fund Statements for Fund Folders or Profile Folders

Note: To use this feature, you must have the Fund and Profile folders set up beforehand:

Link Parent and Individual Folders for Profile and Fund

1. Create and merge fund statements using steps 1-20 in the document attached to the article below and saved the merged document.

• Be sure to stop at step 20 because steps 21-23 will be done during the Create Individual Documents from a Word Merge process for fund statements described in subsequent steps below:

How to Create Fund Statements in Micrsoft Word  

2. In FIMS, select Reports > Create Individual Word Documents.

3. In the Merged Document field search for and choose the saved fund statement merge document that was created when you merged your Fund Statements in Microsoft Word. This would be the document that has all of your fund statements together in one file after you merged them, not the merge template itself. Select the folder icon, open the correct folder, select the file, and click Open.

4. In Destination, select Fund Statements from the drop-down options.

5. In Destination, select the checkbox for one of the options in the bullet points below. Each option corresponds to macros being run in the background that are the equivalent to the DonorCentral macros in Microsoft Word. 

• Individual Statements for Fund Folders creates an individual fund statement and saves that individual document to the Fund Folder
• Individual Statements for Profile Folders creates an individual fund statement and saves that individual document to the Profile Folder of the Fund Rep

Tip: The Amount column Right Flush is done automatically.

6. (Optional) Click the Defaults button and save your settings for future use.

7. Select Checkbox for file type: Create Word DOCX file which creates an individual Word document in the destination specified or Create PDF file which creates an individual PDF document in the destination specified.

8. Click Create.

9. When complete, a confirmation message displays, and the destination folders that were selected contain the new, individual documents. 

B. Individual Fund Statements for DonorCentral 

1. Create and merge fund statements using steps 1-20 in the document attached to the article below and saved the merged document.

• Be sure to stop at step 20 because steps 21-23 will be done during the Create Individual Documents from a Word Merge process for fund statements described in subsequent steps below:

How to Create Fund Statements in Micrsoft Word  

2. In FIMS, select Reports > Create Individual Word Documents.

3. In the Merged Document field search for and choose the saved merge fund statement document that was created when you merged your fund statements in Microsoft Word. This would be the document that has all of your fund statements together in one file after you merged them, not the merge template itself. Select the folder icon, open the correct folder, select the file, and click Open.

4. In Destination, select Fund Statements from the drop-down options.

5. In Destination, select the checkbox Individual Statements for DonorCentral. This option corresponds to a macro being run in the background that is the equivalent to the DonorCentral macro in Microsoft Word.

Tip: The Amount column Right Flush is done automatically.

6. (Optional) Click the Defaults button and save your settings for future use.

7. Select a File Type of Create PDF file.

Tip: DonorCentral always uses PDF files.

8. Click Create. This creates individual fund statement documents in the eAdvisor\Statements folder as set up in the DonorCentral_Download_Directory in User Preferences.

9. A window flashes to state that the individual documents are being processed. When done, the window below displays:

• Choose Yes to immediately upload the individual documents to DonorCentral. The Fund Statements are then available on DonorCentral. 
• Choose No to review the documents first, then upload to DonorCentral later.

Note: If you chose No, the PDF documents you created can be uploaded at a later time using these instructions:

How do I upload Fund Statements to DonorCentral?