What are the Workflows for Microsoft Word with FIMS on Azure Cloud?

You can still work with your FIMS information by using a local installation of Word in your desktop environment.
What MS Office version is fully compatible with FIMS?

The information below describes how you can use a local installation of Word with your FIMS information.

How do I create Form Letters using a FIMS data file? 

Create Form Letters from a FIMS data file by using a local installation of Word. 

1. In FIMS, run an export process to export your data. 
2. Save the data file to your local computer. 
3. Open a local (on your computer) installation of Word. 
4. Open the saved data file. 
5. Run the Mail Merge process in a local version of Word to create Form Letters. 

See Use Mail Merge to Create Form Letters with Exported FIMS Data for details.

See the following for specific letter types and macros:

How to Create and Run Grant Letters in Microsoft Word
How do I Create and Run Gift Acknowledgement Letters?
How do I Install FIMS Macros into Word?

 

How do I create custom reports? 

Create custom reports from a FIMS data file by using a local installation of Word. 

1. In FIMS, run an export process to export your data. 
2. Save the data file to your local computer. 
3. Open a local (on your computer) installation of Word. 
4. Open the saved data file. 
5. Run the Mail Merge process in a local version of Word to create a custom report. 

See Use Mail Merge to Create Custom Reports with Exported FIMS Data for details.  

 

How do I create mailing labels? 

Create mailing labels from a FIMS data file by using a local installation of Word. 

1. In FIMS, run an export process to export your data. 
2. Save the data file to your local computer. 
3. Open a local (on your computer) installation of Word. 
4. Open the saved data file. 
5. Run the Mail Merge process in a local version of Word to create mailing labels. 

See Use Mail Merge to Create Mailing Labels with Exported FIMS Data for details. 

 

How do I create individual documents for gift letters, grant letters or fund statements? 
Grant\Gift letter templates and fund statement templates and any other Word documents will need to be opened in the user's local Word installation.

Additionally, exports for gift\grant letters and fund statements and any other exports used for merging in Word will need to be changed to use the local version of Word and the templates themselves will need to be edited to use local paths.

You will run FIMS macros that are installed on the local version of Word as needed for gift and grant letters.

How to create individual documents from a FIMS data file by using a local installation of Word. 

1. In a local version of Word, install FIMS and DonorCentral Macros as described in the following articles:

How do I Install FIMS Macros into Word?
How do I get the DonorCentral Fund Statement Macro?

2. Open the exported data file in the fund statement, grant or gift letter template from within the local version of Word.

How to Move or Copy Files Between Local Drives and My Files
How to Setup Word Templates to use the Local Drive 
How can I tell if my Exports are set to Use my Local C Drive?

3. In the local version of Word, run macros to create and save individual documents in specified folders on either the organization's shared network drive or a user's local drive. See Use FIMS Macros to Save Documents for details.

The standard coding in the header will write individual documents to the fund and profile folders setup in FIMS system options which are set for S drive locations for Azure Cloud customers. You will need to edit the header in your template to point a local folder or a folder on a network drive because if you run a macro on a local version of Word that macro cannot write to the S drive.

Link Parent and Individual Folders for Profile and Fund
How do I save Gift Acknowledgements, Fund Statements, and Grantee Correspondence to Profile or Fund Folders?

There is new macro file added to the article below that includes the macros discussed in the article directly above:

How do I Install FIMS Macros into Word?


See also the following:

Grant Letters:
How to Create and Run Grant Letters in Microsoft Word

Gift Letters:
How do I Create and Run Gift Acknowledgement Letters?

Fund Statements:
How to Create Fund Statements in Microsoft Word

How do I add Gift and Grant Detail to a Fund Statement Merge Template

4. (Optional) Move individual documents to Fund and Profile folders in Azure Cloud S drive after having created them on local machine.

 

How do I export FIMS data to Word? 

Work with exported FIMS data using a local installation of Word. 

1. In FIMS, run an export. 
2. Save the export data as a file on your local computer.  
3. Open a local (on your computer) installation of Word. 
4. From within Word, open your saved file. 

See Open Saved Reports in Word for details. 

 

How do I create a formatted report from FIMS data using Word? 

Use a local installation of Word to create a formatted report linked to a FIMS data file. 

1. In FIMS, save or copy a data file from a FIMS report or export to your local computer. 
2. Open a local installation of Word. 
3. From within Word, open your saved file. 
4. Create a formatted report. 

See Adjust Report Data in Microsoft Word for details. 

 

How do I open saved report files using Word? 

Use a local installation of Word to open a FIMS report. 

1. In FIMS, save or copy a report file to your local computer. 
2. Open a local installation of Word. 
3. From within Word, open your saved file. 

See Open Saved Reports in Word for details. 

 

How do I refresh report data using Word? 

Use a local installation of Word to refresh data in a FIMS report that is saved on your local computer. 

1. In FIMS, run an export. 
2. Save the export data as a file on your local computer.  
3. Open a local (on your computer) installation of Word. 
4. From within Word, open your saved file. 

 

How do I copy report text into Word? 

Use a local installation of Word to copy report text into a FIMS report. 

1. In FIMS, open the report. 
2. Copy the report text. 
3. Paste the report text into a document on a local installation of Word. 

See Copy Report Data into Word for details. 

 

How do I copy and paste a Profile’s default address and salutation into a Word document? 

Use a local installation of Word to copy and paste Profile information. 

1. In FIMS, open the Profile. 
2. Copy the Profile’s default address and/or salutation. 
3. Open a local installation of Word. 
4. Open the document that you want to paste the information into. 
5. Paste the Profile text into the document. 

See Add a Profile's Address and Salutation to a Word Document for details. 

 

How do I copy and paste Contact/Tickle information into a Word document? 

Copy and paste a Contact’s name, address, phone numbers, date, time, and description into a Word document using a local installation of Word. 

1. In FIMS, open the Contact information. 
2. Copy the Contact's information, including any part of the name, address, phone number, date, time, and description. 
3. Open a local installation of Word. 
4. Open the document that you want to paste the information into. 
5. Paste the Contact text into the document. 

See Add Contact/Tickle Information to a Word Document for details. 

 

How do I copy and paste Notes information into a Word document? 

Copy and paste Notes information into a Word document using a local installation of Word. 

1. In FIMS, open the Notes information. 
2. Copy the Notes information. 
3. Open a local installation of Word. 
4. Open the document that you want to paste the information into. 
5. Paste the Notes text into the document. 

See Copy FIMS Notes into Word for details. 

 

How do I copy and paste text from Word into FIMS Notes? 

Copy and paste information from a local Word document into FIMS Notes. 

1. Open a local installation of Word. 
2. Open the document that has the text you want to copy.  
3. Copy the text. 
4. In FIMS, open the Notes information. 

Paste the text into the Notes field. 

See Copy Text from Word into FIMS Notes for details. 

 

How do I do a spell check from within FIMS on Azure Cloud?
The recommended new workflow is to copy the text to a local spell-checking application to check and make any edits.

If auto-launch is gone, how do I merge data in Microsoft Word?
After the data (text file) is exported out of FIMS open your Word template on your local computer and merge there.  You will need to be sure that your template is linked to the exported data file by going to Mailings > Select Recipients > Use an Existing List and choose the main export file then save the change. You will only need to do that once unless you change the location to where the text file exports.

Each Word merge type has a different data file:

How to Create and Run Grant Letters in Microsoft Word
How do I Create and Run Gift Acknowledgement Letters?
How to Create Fund Statements in Microsoft Word
How do I add Gift and Grant Detail to a Fund Statement Merge Template