Create a New Mail Merge

Before you create a new mail merge, be sure your intended groups are already defined and available so you can select them for the Mail Merge. You cannot edit a Mail Merge to add groups after you have created and generated it.

To create a new mail merge

1. On the Mail Merges List page, click the Create a New Mail Merge link. The Mail Merges List page opens.

2. On the Mail Merge Information page, for:

   1. Mail Merge Name, type a descriptive label that may help administrators identify the purpose of this Mail Merge when looking in the Mail Merges List.

   2. Author, type your name or title to identify that you created this Mail Merge.

   3. Description, type in a short description about the purpose of this Mail Merge to help administrators identify this Mail Merge when looking in the Mail Merges List.

   4. Security Category:

      • Leave the General category selected for most mail merges to enable any administrator to work with the mail merge.

      • Or, click the pull-down menu and select another appropriate option (especially if you have a special category of administrators authorized to work with Mail Merges).

   5. Log mail merge as interaction for constituents:

      • Leave the checkbox blank if you are not going to record the Mail Merge interaction to track constituents who are included in this Mail Merge.

      • Or, click the checkbox to have the system record the Mail Merge interaction in the profiles of constituents who are included in this Mail Merge.

   6. Please select the field for which the mail merge should be generated, click the appropriate fields from the All Selections box and then click the Add Selected button to move them to the Your Selections box.

      • To select multiple options at one time, press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard as you select each option with the mouse.

      • To narrow your mail merge result file to only those constituents who accept mail, click the Address/Accept Mail option, or to only those who accept email, click the Email/Accept Email option.

      • For descriptions and assistance with the Transaction Information options, refer to Creating a Mail Merge using a Transaction Information Option.

3. Click the Next Step button. The Select Groups page opens.

4. On the Select Groups page, all available kinds of groups are listed under the Group Type pane.

5. Click on the Group Type you want to locate. The list in the second pane (to the right) will display only groups of that type.

6. If necessary, enter terms from the Group Name and/or Description in the Search box and then click Search. The Search tab will be selected by default and any groups that match your search criteria will be listed under a single pane labeled Search Results. Click on a group to add it to the Selected list.

   Note: The Search feature will honor any Group Type that is selected in the pane at the left of the list.

7. Depending on the group to which you want to add the contact, there may be further subgroups. If so, the subgroups will display in the third pane to the right of the Group Type pane when you click on the larger group named in the second pane.

   Note: You have to open a new window and go to Constituent360 > Groups to find more information about a group you are adding to a list.

8. Check the Group (or Groups) in which you want to place this contact. The Group (or Groups) will display in the Selected list pane for this contact.

9. When you are finished adding groups, click the Next Step button.

10. On the Confirm page, look over the information and then click the Confirm button. The system closes this page and displays the Mail Merges List page with your new Mail Merge in the list. The Status will be displayed as In Process until the system completes the Mail Merge and changes the Status to Generated.

    Tip: If you click a group name link to view the members of the group, the system opens the Groups application. You can get back to this Mail Merge by clicking the Back button on your browser.

11. When the Status changes to Generated, to:

    • View the Mail Merge CSV file:

      1. Click the Download icon and then click the Open button on the dialog box displayed.

      2. When you are finished, either Save the file to your computer or a shared network resource or simply close it by clicking the red X in the corner.

    • Save the Mail Merge CSV file to your local computer or a shared network resource:

      1. Click the Download icon, and then click the Save button on the dialog box displayed.

      2. On the Save As window, browse to the location where you want to save the file and click the Save button.