Conditional Mail Merge Help

Michael, I feel your pain. I've been practically pulling my hair out and losing sleep over attempting to get my conditional merges to run right these last two weeks and no matter what I try after reading through every possible post/thread/tip/video--I can't get mine to come out right, either. My organization did have fourteen different letter templates stored, which I did export, but we have decided to narrow it down to using only five--with three being changed out each month. My template letters look great. All of the formatting is correct--the font/spacing right, etc., and my bosses signature shows up--all I do within the template is link to that exact same letter, and it doesn't matter whether or not I check the keep formatting box, or not, my end result is an address all on one line, different fonts, huge spaces and blank pages. I have tried every different suggestion and nothing works for me. Time is running out and I am super stressed. We are a very small organization and I am the only one here working on this right now. I've been using RE for over 5 years and we too rely on the daily running of these letters.

Hi Cristy, I would love to get a copy of your process. I am new in my role and could use all the help provided.

Thank you

Mary Ellen

Hi Cristy, I would love to have a copy too, that would be great help. Thanks

Hi Mara, Do you want to post one of the letters you are having issues with and we can have alook.

Hi @ Christy Dearaujo,

Please may I also have a copy of your processes, I am working on O365 and was trying to set up PA Workflows but want to have this set up as a backup as I'm finding PA hard to get right. I also work on my own and finding this whole issue very tough on top of my regular role commitments.

TIA

Hi Cristy,

Would it be possible to send me a copy of your process also

Thank you

Cindy Hornbeck

This is what I've found that works. I have successfully built a Multi-Conditional Merge.

• Before starting anything, edit the “Normal” Theme for your word documents, and make sure to select “New documents based on this template”
• I utilized a Master Merge document that lists out the Add/Sal + Address at the top and Signature + Tax Statement at the bottom, with conditional statements in the middle. The conditional statements are linked by file path to multiple documents stored within the same folder. The documents contain only the body of each letter that needs to be brought in.
• If following the above idea of a Shell Master Merge document, you may need to re-create your parameter file templates downloaded from RE. Check out this thread for more information: https://community.blackbaud.com/forums/viewtopic/143/58143
• If MERGEFORMAT or CHARFORMAT are included in your conditional statements, remove them. I found these prevented the formatting in my templates from appearing in the final merge doc (formatting = bold and italics).
• Make sure your export from the system is a CSV and any ‘amount’ column is formatted to “Currency” within the excel document prior to using it for a merge.

Sorry for the image but it was the only way I could share the instructions.

My final mail merge removes the italics from the original letter template. How do I keep the italics in the final merge?

Hi @Michael Catrino and Community friends. I have posted my organization's “nested if" conditional merge documents (export template with example gifts, merge letter template, and instructions) here if they are helpful to you:

Mara, I too am stressed and having formatting issues. I've had to take out all bullet points, bold, and italics in our letters. I did find that deleting a file path in my Main Template letter, redoing the letter, then adding the file path back to my Main Template letter helped with one letter.

Michael Catrino:

Cristy,

Thank you for these instructions! Can you send to me a picture of the formatting that you had configured under “Paragraph?” I can't read it (the print is simply too small). Thanks.

Michael

@Michael Catrino This version is a bit easier to see, I think the posts constrain the size a bit with the formatting etc.

https://static.prod01.ue1.p.pcomm.net/blackbaud/user_content/photos/000/145/145563/1fc035daef7d520da8057b32df89966c-original-how-to-set-up-conditional-merges.jpg