How to Create a Word Document to Print Multiple Thank You Letters
Conundrum
You have just exported a large file of donation records by batch number and you need to create thank you letters for each one receiving a receipt.
Issue One: Do you have a Letter code on all campaigns that received a donation?
For receipt transactions like monthly donors, the campaign should have a Letter code of Yearly.
For receipt transactions like Grants or revenue dollars, the campaigns should have a Letter code of NoLetter.
All donations which receive a receipt should have a Letter code that comes from the Campaign to which they are allocated.
Step One:
Build a mHeader.docx Word document so you can create an Inside Address document once and reuse it multiple times.
Step Two:
Build the required letters you will need. Remember that at different times of the year you will need letters which address the appeals you have run during those months.
This is a sample Letter document identifying some of the fields you could use in developing your merge letters.
When creating letters to thank donors we recommend using the following naming strategy:
mThxMemoriam.docx, mThxUnsolicited.docx, mThxUnsolGIK.docx, mThxInHonour.docx, mThxDirectMail.docx etc,
The names we have used identify the fact these are merge documents by the small letter m. They indicate they are a Thank You letter and finally the type of letter.
Naming conventions like this group together so locating them in a list is quick and easy.
Step Three:
Use Word to be what we call a schematic. The schematic is a merge document that does not contain any letters just the skeletal framework of where the letters can be place.
In our example, we are creating a mThxOriginalSpring.docx so that we might print either an In Memory letter or a letter of any other type which we call the default letter. The default is a letter where a Letter code may not be identifiable, or it may have been omitted. This would be the Unsolicited Donation Letter.
Step Four:
Once the schematic is built, you are ready to insert the letters. Please watch very carefully as placement of the cursor to import is particularly important.
Step Five:
Let's assume we have more than just two letters. The next video will show how you can extend the use of the If Then Else statement to add additional letters.
Working with Word successfully takes a little time and patience. Once you have mastered how word works your options will be unlimited.