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Search Contributions
This search feature allows you to search all of the available contribution information for all candidates and committees filing on the EFS.  There are several search criteria and sorting options available to retrieve contribution information from the EFS database.
You can search for contribution information using any combination of the available search criteria.  You must choose at least one of the search criterion to execute a search.  The available search criteria are:
  • City / Town - You can make your selection from a drop down list of the 351 official cities and towns in the Commonwealth.

  • Zip Code - You can retrieve all contribution information by USPS postal code.

  • Contributor's Last (or Entity) Name - All of the search fields support wildcard searches so you can search for contributions with a whole or partial name.

  • Employer - Search for contributions by a known Employer.  This field has been programmed with the Autosuggest feature.  To use this feature, type in the first three letters of a word and a dropdown list of potential matches will be generated based upon the information in the EFS database.  You can then select the desired match from the list or continue typing to enter the search criterion in this field.

  • Occupation - Search for contributions by the contributors' occupation.  This field has been programmed with the Autosuggest feature.  To use this feature, type in the first three letters of a word and a dropdown list of potential matches will be generated based upon the information in the EFS database.  You can then select the desired match from the list or continue typing to enter the search criterion in this field.

  • Amount (Greater than or equal to) - The search results will match or exceed the value entered.

  • Received Date - From - The results will exactly match the value entered.  To assist in data entry, this field has been programmed with a "Date Picker."  When you start to type in the field, a drop-down calendar will open that you can use to enter the date.  The date picker will always open to the current month.  You can use the arrow buttons at the top of the calendar to scroll to other months.  When on the desired month, you can click on a day to insert it into the data entry field.  In the alternative, you can type in a date.  If manually entering a date, please use the following date format:  MM/DD/YY.  For example: 01/01/07.

  • Received Date - To - The results will exactly match the value entered.  To assist in data entry, this field has been programmed with a "Date Picker."  When you start to type in the field, a drop-down calendar will open that you can use to enter the date.  The date picker will always open to the current month.  You can use the arrow buttons at the top of the calendar to scroll to other months.  When on the desired month, you can click on a day to insert it into the data entry field.  In the alternative, you can type in a date.  If manually entering a date, please use the following date format:  MM/DD/YY.  For example: 12/31/07.

  • There are three different ways to search contributions by Registered Filer:

    • You can use the two related dropdown lists to assist you in searching by filer name:

      • Filer Type - Use this dropdown list to select the type of filer you wish to search on.

      • Filer - Use this dropdown list to select the specific filer you wish to search on.

    • CPF ID - Use this data entry field to enter the Registered Filer's CPF ID, if known.  You can find the CPF ID for any filer by looking up the filer in the Registered Filer List.

    • Filer Name - Use this data entry field to type in the name of the filer.  This field has been programmed with the Autosuggest feature.  To use this feature, type in the first three letters of a person's name and a dropdown list of potential matches will be generated based upon the information in the EFS database.  You can then select the desired match from the list or continue typing to enter the search criterion in this field.
NOTE:  All of the search criterion text fields support a wildcard search using "%" (the percent symbol).  For example, to search for all candidates whose last name begins with an "S", enter "S%" in the Filer Name field.

Sorting your search results is optional.  You do not have to select any sort options to execute a contribution search.  If you choose to sort the search results, you can use up to four of the following sorting options:
  • Contributor Full Name,
  • Contributor City/Town,
  • Contribution Amount,
  • Contribution Date,
  • Contributor Occupation,
  • Contributor Employer, and
  • Reciptient Full Name.
Multiple sorting options can be used for a single contribution search and all of the sorting options are available in ascending (A to Z) or descending (Z to A) order.

The Search Results Page

Once you have executed a search on the EFS, a page holding your search results is added to the left navigation menu under the menu option, "Last Results."  The Last Results page will hold your search results data for your entire session, allowing you to visit other sections of the EFS during your session without losing your search results.  When you log off or time out of the EFS system (end your session), the search results on the Search Results page are not saved.  To save your search results, you can either print or download the data to your computer.

The search results page displays your search criteria at the top of the results table to assist you in analyzing the data in your search results record set.  The following information is displayed:
  • Record Count - Records are displayed 50 at a time on the Search Results page.  A record counter lets you know where you are in viewing your results.  In addition, a total record count is displayed to let you know how many records matched your search criteria.

  • Dollar Total - The total amount of the records that matched your search criteria is displayed in parentheses after the total record count.

  • A written expression of your search criteria is displayed directly beneath the record count.

  • If more than 50 records match your search, a "Next 50" navigation button will appear at the top right of the results display to let you navigate through the entire record set.
The Search Results Toolbar

There are three tools available on the Search Results page toolbar:
  • Export to Text - Once you have executed a search on the EFS, you can download the search results as a tab-delimited text file by clicking on the "Export to Text" button, which is the first button on the Search Results toolbar at the top of the page.  This file format allows you to easily import your search results data into other programs such as Microsoft Excel or Access for further analysis.

  • Print Version - This tool exports your search results to a printer-friendly page for easier printing.

  • Link to Grouping Charts - This is feature will display your search results as charted data on a separate results page.
The Grouping Charts Page

This page is used to display search results data as charts for easier visual analysis of the data.  There are two chart types available:
  • Pie - This charting option will display the data as a divided circle or "pie."  The chart will express the data as appropriately-sized, color-coded "slices" of the pie, labeled with the percentage of the total that it represents.

  • Bar - This charting option will display the search results data sets as bars on a labeled graph.  The chart will express the data as appropriately-sized, color-coded bars that appear on a graph that is labeled with a dollar amount range that will accomodate the graphed data.  For example, if the largest bar in your record set exceeds $200,000.00, the x-axis of the graph may be labeled from $0 to $250,000.00, in $50,000 increments, to accomodate the results displayed.
To the right of every chart, a legend will be displayed showing the color of each bar or pie slice, the type of record set that it represents, the number of records in the record set for that type, in parentheses, and the dollar total of the record type represented.  To see which records are represented by each bar or pie slice, you can click on the total dollar amount in the legend.  A detail window will appear displaying a listing of the records in that record set.  The detail section has a scroll bar for easier viewing and clicking on the push-pin icon in the top right corner of the detail section will temporarily hide the detail section.  You can click on the bars in a bar chart to also view the detailed listing of the records in that record set, however, you cannot click on the pie chart to view the detail listing; you must use the legend to view the record sets.

Charting the record sets in your search results is dynamic.  You can choose between the two charting types and can chose how to group the data multiple times for a single search results set.  The records in the search results can be grouped in different ways for display on the Grouping Charts page and you can move between grouping types as often as you like.  The contribution search results data can be displayed based on any of the following groupings:
  • Contributions by City/Town - This is the default display mode.  Contributions are grouped by the city or town from which they were made, based on the contributor's address information provided in filed campaign finance reports.  The records are divided into sets and the top ten results are displayed in the chart form selected.

  • Contributions by Zip Code - Contributions are grouped by the zip code from which they were made, based on the contributor's address information provided in filed campaign finance reports.  The records are divided into sets and the top ten results are displayed in the chart form selected.

  • Contributions by State - Contributions are grouped by the state from which they were made, based on the contributor's address information provided in filed campaign finance reports.  The records are divided and displayed in two ways:
    • In-State / Out-of-State - First, the results are broken down by in-state (MA) and out-of-state (all other states/regions), based on the contributor's address information provided on filed campaign finance reports.  The information is then displayed in the chart form selected.

    • Out-of-State (Detail) - The out-of-state records are then divided into sets representing each state and/or region and the top ten results are displayed in the chart form selected.

  • Contributions by Amount Range - Contributions are grouped in the following dollar ranges:
    • Under $50
    • $50 - $99.99
    • $100 - $199.99
    • $200 - $499.99
    • $500
    • Over $500

  • Contributions by Contributor Type - Contributions are grouped by the receipt type provided by the recipient on filed campaign finance reports and the top ten results are displayed in the chart form selected.  Examples of contributor types include: individuals, (political) committees, unions and associations, candidate loans, and bank interest.