In a method for collecting on judgments, zip code data is maintained in electronic form in a memory of a digital computer. The zip code data includes, for each given zip code, a list of respective zip codes all geographically contiguous to the given zip code. Bank data is also maintained in electronic form in the memory of the digital computer. The bank data includes bank identification information and address zip codes for banks covered by the bank data. In implementing the method, a zip code for a judgment defendant is entered into the computer. The computer is then operated to determine (i) a plurality of zip codes contiguous to the entered zip code and (ii) target banks with addresses having one of the entered zip code and the determined contiguous zip codes. Upon determination of the contiguous zip codes and the target banking institutions, the computer automatically prints (i) correspondence to at least some of the determined target banks and (ii) mailing addresses for use on envelopes for the correspondence.

A mailing list for an associated group of individuals, such as graduates of a college, is updated by requesting information on lost individuals from individuals with known addresses. Results are optimized by automated compiling of customized listings of lost individuals based on analysis of commonality of personal data items (such as class year and membership) between lost individuals and individuals with known addresses. Responses from recipients of the customized listings are used to update mailing list addresses.

Contributor/customer lists are created with a merge/purge program that identifies duplicate records even though key elements of the records (e.g. name/address or zip code) differ.

An electronic fund-raising monetary contributions terminal and a method of inducing and facilitating the solicitation and making of hundreds of monetary contributions with the terminal at fund-raising drives, fund-raising sessions and events attended by a large number of potential contributors including cardholders of card records constituting pre-authorization by card issuing organizations for monetary transactions using their card records such as credit cards and debit cards. The terminal is self-powered and has a housing in the form of a case dimensioned for being held on the palm of a contributor and passed from one contributor to another for making successively individual monetary contributions by a multiplicity of contributors using respective pre-authorization cards. A card reader is provided on the housing for reading indicia on the card records presented to it for making monetary contributions and identifying the individual cardholder making a corresponding contribution. The terminal has manually activated operators for designating and entering in the terminal numerical information of the monetary amount of the corresponding contributions made. The numerical information entered is immediately recorded and stored correlated with the corresponding contributor's identification indicia for future down-loading to a network for post-contribution processing of the information recorded.

An automatic donation system for a sales establishment includes an entry arrangement for entering the price of a product into a cash register and for entering the amount of cash being paid and a calculator for determining the excess cash payment. A card reader keypad receives a card number for accessing data including charity accounts concerning the card, and a computer apportions at least a part of the excess cash payment among said accounts, and then prints out the amounts entered.