How to perform a mail merge
The Mail Merge option in Family Directory allows you to use filtered and/or selected records on the Family List or the Member List pages to generate a letter or document that includes information from each applicable table.
- Select Family Directory from the Navigation Bar.
- Under either Family List or Member List, depending on your requirements, filter the list and/or select the records you would like to include in the merge.
- Click the Mail Merge button from the toolbar.
- If you choose to merge selected records, only checked records will be included.
- If you choose to merge all records, all records subject to the current filters will be included.
- For example, if on the Member List page, you have applied the Advanced Filters option for the birth month of January, simply select 'Merge All Records' to get only the January birthdates. You don't need to mark all of the records.
- As another example, if you have filtered for a Family Workgroup, there is no need to select each individual in that workgroup. Simply select the option to Merge All Records.
- If your preferred template exists, select it. If not, create it and then return to these instructions.
- If you know which template you want to use, click the pertinent tab and then select the template.
Please note: If the template was made from the Family List and you selected Mail Merge from the Member List (or vice versa), there will likely be missing data on your output because you are operating off of two different tables. Make sure to use a Family List template when you open Mail Merge from the Family List page and use a Member List template when you open Mail Merge from the Member List page.
- ParishSOFT Templates are provided by the program in a read-only format. If you want to change one, you must either save it to the templates page (click Save As) or to your local storage device, ie. hard drive, zip drive, etc.; (click Save (Local))
- Global Templates have been saved here by someone in your diocese and then marked as global to be shared with all organizations. They may be new from scratch templates or modified ParishSOFT Templates. If you create a new template or modify an existing one and save it as a Global Template, you will see it under My Templates. Everyone else will see it under Global Templates.
- My Templates are templates that you have created or that you have modified and saved.
- If you know which template you want to use, click the pertinent tab and then select the template.
- Once you have selected the template, the page will open showing the template formatting codes. You may modify this per your requirements.
- Click the Merge to File button, then click OK. Your resulting mail merge document will be saved to your browser's default downloads folder. Open and print the file.
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