Variables

Variables are easy to get confused about. My definitions are broad - my goal is to get more people in Washtenaw County to sign up to be organ donors. I could really go after nearly anyone, Gift of Life's website clearly states that almost everyone is eligible, and that no donation goes unnoticed. This is not helpful in my quest for main and dynamic variables.

This might seem like the easy way out, but I got stuck this weekend on these questions, and felt like without the answers I couldn't go forward.

Which segments of the population are already likely to donate?
What marketing efforts are already in place, and therefore will capture what portion of what markets?

There is demographic and behavioral segmentation - I think in my case it will be much easier to start with the latter. The demographics of donors can run the gamete, but behaviors - maybe not. The 'testimonials' I've read suggest that most donors are:

Volunteers in one organization or another
Closely tied to others - have partners, kids, living parents, etc.
Healthy
Active in their communities

..... or maybe these are the characteristics of people who like to give testimonials. I suppose both include a time/effort donation...


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Another amazing while I'm at it:

"An average organ donor provides 30.8 additional life-years distributed over an average 2.9 different solid organ transplant recipients, whereas utilization of all solid organs from a single donor provides 55.8 additional life-years spread over six organ transplant recipients."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16095511