Models of database marketing

Database systems are intimately associated with fundraising effectiveness, but often leave much to be desired in the way they are implemented. This paper looks at the strengths, weaknesses and origins of three main database types: island, integrated and transitional. Observations support the view that database systems are created reactively in the face of strategies for fundraising. Where marketing strategy dictates a holistic approach to donor management, then systems will ten to the integrated or ‘contacts’ model. However, where there is no co-ordinated view on donoi development and maximised lifetime value, then fragmented island-type databases will be found.     

Is fundraising with a tailor-made information system effective?: The Insead experience with CAFE — the major gifts tracking system

The purpose of this article is to describe INSEAD'S major gift-tracking system, the rationale for the Dean's decision for a tailor-made system, and the outcome of this choice.     

Using data analysis in strategic legacy marketing

This paper is about the application of database analysis to records of deceased persons who have made bequests to charity, in order to establish their key characteristics. All findings are based on researched findings, with sources disguised. The paper outlines the benefits of such analysis in strategic planning, with particular reference to understanding the profiles of future legators, reducing inappropriate or wasteful marketing, establishing segmentation criteria, positioning legators in demographic terms, locating them geographically, sizing the market, establishing the most attractive prospects and determining the earning power of the existing ‘live’ supporter database versus the wider general public, and anticipating the effects of competition. Finally the paper suggests ways in which an understanding of legator profiles can control the effort applied to incoming enquiries and pledgers, using database analysis to predict their potential.     

Pareto's law of income distribution,or the 80/20 rule

Pareto's Law of Income Distribution forms the basis of the well-known, but often overlooked, ‘eighty-twenty’ rule. The implication is that a small proportion of customers (or donors) are accountable for a very large share of sales turnover or income. This paper examines the impact on fundraising of the pioneering work of Vilfredo Pareto (1848–1923) concerning the distribution of wealth between groups in society, which was first published exactly one hundred years ago, in 1895. It discusses the relevance of Pareto's Law to contemporary fundraising, using case data from UK charities who have put Pareto's assertions to the test. The recognition of the Pareto principle is wholly dependent on data analysis and software tools to perform the calculations and then display Pareto-style reports. Such tools are beginning to be seen in UK and some overseas software packages and general tools, available in the UK nonprofit marketplace. Illustrations of software systems supporting Pareto-style diagnostic analysis are given. At its most basic, Pareto's principle compels fundraisers to look into their databases of supporters to identify the small but potent élite donating segments who always seem to exist among the general mass. The implications for fundraising that flow from such analyses are important and can be far-reaching. They allow fundamental supporter segmentation patterns based on historic donating history to be understood, and, if understood, managed productively. Finally, Pareto compels the decision to alter either fundraising management and allocation of resources, or to manage supporters, rather than appeals, which in the UK continues to be the most common management style.     

The Effect on Farmland Prices of Rural Severances in the Urban Field

The lengthy debate on appropriate public policy for agricultural land planning has had two major components: the regulation of severances of farmland and the orderly expansion of each growing city. Putting aside the latter issue, this paper reports research on the severance issue, which is perhaps the key controllable socio-economic policy variable in rural foodland protection. This paper examines data from one of the most complex areas, the intermediate rural fringe surrounding Toronto. A “severance theory” is presented, based upon a review of theories of externalities and land economics. To test the severance theory, a regression model is used. The research provides what may be the first quantitative information in North America on the extent of the pecuniary externalities alleged to arise from severances, and hence provides some of the information that would be required to evaluate empirically proposed and existing land use policies. The severance theory predicts that severance activity would increase the price of nearby farmland. From the statistical analysis, it is concluded that severances did affect farmland values but that the relationships were more complex than anticipated. Severances influenced farmer buyers to pay higher prices for farmland. However, the predominating nonfarm buyer of farmland in York Region consistently reacted as if there were negative externalities from severances and paid lower prices where severances had an influence. The implications of this study for public policies such as the Ontario Food Land Guidelines are limited by the study area and time period examined. The approach used in this study should be applied to other areas, especially ones less subject to purchases by nonfarmers, in order to define more precisely the impact of severance activity on nearby farmland values.     

INDONESIAN POLITICS IN 2006: STABILITY,COMPROMISE AND SHIFTING CONTESTS OVER IDEOLOGY

The second year of President Yudhoyono's term in office was distinguished by continuing political stability and important democratic gains, including the continued implementation of direct elections of local government executives and the enactment of the Law on Governing Aceh. But if these achievements reconfirmed Indonesia's membership of the club of electoral democracies, the shallow roots of its democratic system were also apparent, especially in the weakness of the political party system. In preferring pragmatic cross-party deal making, the parties often played down their ideological commitments. Within society, however, ideological debates over the vexed issue of religion and the state intensified, and became an important part of the national political agenda. Amounting to an Indonesian version of the ‘culture wars’, such controversies were sparked by concerns that a proposed national bill on pornography and controversial regional by-laws were an indirect attempt to introduce Islamic law.     

GROWTH OF SECTOR REAL PRODUCT*

This paper is concerned with the influence of different estimation procedures on the data for real output by industry group of a number of O.E.C.D. countries. The authors have examined the methods and indicators used in preparing sector real output data and have tried to assess the effect of the different methods on the recorded changes of sector real output. The data for real output, employment and productivity are compared for the different sectors and countries. The comparison between sectors lays particular emphasis on the dichotomy between the services and non-service sectors of the economy. In this comparison as well as in inter-country comparison it is seen that the data are influenced to a considerable extent by different methods. The survey of estimation methods also shows the incidence of use of double deflation techniques and other methods in the different countries, and the extent to which quality change, output specification and valuation problems are reflected in the different methods.     

A critical participatory and collaborative method for scoping the literature

The past decade has seen the development of an increasing number of techniques to appraise, summarize and assess published study findings. From systematic to synthesis to scoping reviews, these techniques have contributed to evidence-informed policy and practice. We outline a novel method developed to address the limitations of scoping review designs reported in the literature. A critical, participatory and collaborative method was designed to scope the literature on inequities in access to health care services for rural Aboriginal and African Canadians. Specifically, a community-university collaboration permitted a shared discussion and mapping of inequities in access to health care services and information. As a result of shared understandings from storytelling and discussion, bibliographic searches were better directed, taken-for-granted assumptions in the literature more easily located and questioned, and study findings verified by Aboriginal and African Canadian community representatives who also provided insight and oversight of the development of dissemination tools.