Document Editing Problems

How to Mail Merge Multiple Donors into One Organization Letter

WPS Editor Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to group multiple donor records that share the same organization ID into a single consolidated letter.

How to Mail Merge Multiple Donors into One Organization Letter

Product: Word Processing
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating grouped letters for organizations that have multiple associated donor records in an Excel or Access data source.
Observed behavior: Standard mail merge processes each row individually, creating a separate letter for every donor instead of grouping them by organization.

Before you start

Verify that your Excel data source is properly formatted, with all field names in the first row containing only alphanumeric characters and not starting with a number.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Many-to-One Mail Merge Utility

Since standard mail merge creates one document per data row, using a third-party Many-to-One Add-in is the most efficient way to group multiple records into a single letter.

A many-to-one mail merge allows you to group multiple lines of data (like individual donors) under a single category (like an organization) within one document. Because native word processors often require complex macro coding to achieve this, using a dedicated add-in like 'Merge Tools' simplifies the process significantly.

Prepare the data source

Open your Excel or Access file. Ensure the organization ID field is populated for all records to act as the grouping field.

Format header rows

Check that all column headers (field names) are strictly in the first row, contain no special symbols, and do not begin with a number.

Set document type

Open your word processor, create a new blank document, and set the mail merge main document type to 'Letter'.

Connect the data source

Link your prepared Excel or Access file to the document through the Mailings or Mail Merge tab.

Execute the many-to-one merge

Run your installed Many-to-One merge utility. Select your organization ID as the 'Key Field' or 'Grouping Field' to generate the consolidated Word or PDF documents.

PDF Output: Many many-to-one merge utilities allow you to output the final letters directly as individual PDF files, which is ideal for emailing or printing.

Efficient Document Generation

Perform Seamless Mail Merges with WPS Office

WPS Writer offers a powerful and intuitive built-in Mail Merge feature. It seamlessly integrates with WPS Spreadsheet and Microsoft Excel files, allowing you to easily manage large data sources and generate batch letters without compatibility issues.

1. Launch Mail Merge: Open WPS Writer, navigate to the 'Mailings' tab on the top ribbon, and click on 'Mail Merge'.
2. Open Data Source: Click 'Open Data Source' and select your clean, prepared Excel (.xlsx) or WPS Spreadsheet (.et) file.
3. Insert Merge Fields: Place your cursor in the document where you want the data to appear, and click 'Insert Merge Field' to add your headers.
4. Merge to Document: Once your template is ready, click 'Merge to New Document' or 'Merge to Printer' to generate your letters.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) formats.Built-in, easy-to-use Mail Merge wizard for streamlined document generation.Lightweight and free alternative to heavy office suites.Easily import extensive data sources with high performance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does standard mail merge create a separate letter for every donor instead of grouping them?

Standard mail merge is designed as a one-to-one process, meaning it reads one row of data and creates one page or document. To group multiple rows into a single document based on a common field (like Organization ID), you must use a many-to-one merge tool or advanced directory merge fields.

What are the strict rules for Excel field names in a mail merge?

To ensure the merge tool reads your data correctly, field names must be placed in the very first row of your spreadsheet. They should consist only of alphanumeric characters, avoid special symbols, and must not begin with a number.

Can I output my merged letters directly to PDF?

Yes. While standard mail merge typically outputs to a new Word document or a printer, many third-party many-to-one merge add-ins offer the option to directly generate and save individual PDF files for each grouped letter.

Document & File Issues