Gift Acknowledgments Export

Running the Gift Acknowledgments Export

The Gift Acknowledgments Export allows you to create a Gift.txt data file that you can use to create acknowledgment letters in Microsoft Word.

You can optionally create a second export file with the same Gift data and the name and address information for the Profile specified in the CC: ID Code field on the Acknowledgment tab.

Note: When you export your data, you must remember the destination directory and filename when you are asked to provide the data location for merging into Microsoft Word.

Note: IMPORTANT: You can only run this process for unposted Gifts. You can save the data file for use at a later date if you are not yet ready to create your letters.

Tip: Refer to the Gift History - Export for more information on exporting similar data after your Gifts have been posted.

Tip: Run the Gift Edit Report before running this export to make sure that you will be able to post (and that the Gift information is correct).

Tip: Below is a list of fields that export during the Gift Acknowledgment Export and the Gift History - Export.

1. In the Donor and Gift Management module, click the Unposted Gifts super tab, and then click the Processes tab.

2. Select Gift Acknowledgments – Export from the Gift Processes list, and then click the Run Process button. The FIMS Report Selections window opens with the Acknowledgment Format tab selected.

3. In the Date of acknowledgment field, enter the date that you want to use as the default acknowledgment date for the gift records you are exporting. The current date is entered into this field by default.

4. Select one of the Update Acknowledgment Date options to indicate when you want to use the date specified in the Date of acknowledgment field:

• Always: Uses the date specified in the Date of acknowledgment field for all of the Gift records you are exporting (overwriting any date that is already there).
• Never: Does not use the date specified in the Date of acknowledgment field for any of the Gift records you are exporting.
• When Blank: Uses the date specified in the Date of acknowledgment field only when the Acknowledgment Date field on the Gift record is blank.

5. (Optional) If you want to create a separate data file that contains information to create carbon copy acknowledgment letters (for the Profiles specified in the CC: ID Code field on the Acknowledgment tab), do the following:

• Select the Create Carbon Copy Acknowledgment File checkbox.
• Enter the path and file name for the secondary file in the text field below the checkbox.

Note: The file name for the secondary data file must be different than the initial data file.

6. Configure the desired Selections, Sorting, Affiliations and Send To criteria, and then click the Run Report button to export your data. Refer to Running Standard FIMS Reports for more information about configuring your export criteria.

Tip: For FIMS on-premises, if you have an existing gift acknowledgment merge document that you want to automatically merge your data into, click the Send To tab and enter the document’s path and file name in the Auto Launch Document field. Refer to Autolaunching Microsoft Word for Mail Merging in the Reports chapter for more information.

Tip: The Gift Acknowledgment export gift.txt file contains Honor and Memorial information. Column R - SpecialCode includes whether this gift is N-Normal, H-In Honor, or M-Memorial. Column O – SpecialName contains text from the Name field