DATA MINING Techniques for Fundraisers: Explaining the Portuguese Donors Behavior

• In Event: Experiments and Data Innovations in Philanthropy

Abstract

Fundraising managers in nonprofit sector are constantly challenged to obtain donations from the general population. Rather than simply requesting donors to donate, it has become a far and wide practice to suggest a set of amounts – the appeals scale.
We study the relationship between what is requested and what is received incorporating donor psychological profile into a comprehensive, ‘attraction’-based model of donation behavior. Using data collected from 612 Portuguese charities donors, we compare several data mining algorithms to explain donation behavior.
The models evidence good quality and the extracted knowledge is useful for fundraisers and marketing campaigns allowing higher efficiency.

Authors

• Raul M. S. Laureano, Instituto Universitrio de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL)

• Madalena Eça Abreu, ISCTE-IUL, University Institute of Lisbon (BRU-IUL), Portugal

• Marcia R Cadete Santos, Instituto Universitrio de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Programa Doutoral em Gesto