Current Issues Information Sheets - one page briefs on current CPNS Research
Newsletters - a bi yearly summary of CPNS activities, research and alumni events
Reports - commissioned research for government and nonprofit organisations
Working Papers - over 150 CPNS working papers since the 1990's
Recent Journal Articles/Conference Publications - investigating recent and topical developments related to non-profit organisations and philanthropy
- Strategic issues for the not-for-profit sector
- Charity Law and Social Policy
- The Development of Community Foundations in Australia
Reports
Keeping Giving Going: Charitable Bequests to Australians
Dr Kym Madden and Dr Wendy Scaife
The study aims at a better understanding of those Australians who make a charitable bequest and those who might. The report examines the motivations, barriers and triggers to making a charitable bequest in Australia.
Download the full report and other important information by visiting the Developing Your Organisation (DYO) wiki.
Every Player Wins a Prize? Family provision applications and bequests to charity
Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes and Frances Hannah
This report examines the interaction of family provision law and charitable bequests in wills. The study includes qualtitative research relating to the practical issues arising with both legal practitioners and charities' bequest officers.
Download the full report and other important information by visiting the Developing Your Organisation (DYO) wiki.
Educational Development in Australasia: 2008 Benchmarking Survey
ADAPE Australasia Inc. and The Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies
This report examines the facts and issues surrounding educational development offices within Australasian schools and tertiary institutions.
Download the full report Educational Development in Australasia: 2008 Benchmarking Survey (PDF 2.71kB).
Good Times and Philanthropy: Giving by Australia's Affluent 
Dr Kym Madden and Dr Wendy Scaife
This report draws upon the latest research to examine giving trends by affluent individuals in Australia and how these compare with overseas counterparts.
Download the full report Good Times and Philanthropy: Giving by Australia's Affluent (PDF, 1.5kB) or Executive Summary (PDF, 54kB)
Giving Australia: Research on Philanthropy in Australia
'Giving Australia' is the most comprehensive survey ever conducted of the contributions made in money and time by Australian individuals and businesses with more than 10,000 people contributing to the quantitative and qualitative research.
The 'Giving Australia' project is an initiative of the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership, coordinated by the Australian Council for Social Services (ACOSS) in collaboration with the Centre for Australian Community Organisations and Management (CACOM) at the University of Technology, Sydney and The Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (CPNS) at Queensland University of Technology, Roy Morgan Research (RMR), McNair Ingenuity Research and Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA).
Reports available for download include:
- Summary of Findings (PDF 356kB)
- Giving Australia: Research on Philanthropy in Australia - Australians Giving and Volunteering Main Report (PDF 1.10MB)
Further reports are also available on the Deparment of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Website (FaHCSIA) wesbite.
Full list of working papers with abstracts (PDF 358 kB) including order form (for hard copies). To view or download individual working papers, visit QUT ePrints
CPNS 46 - The Australian Nonprofit Legal Sector Almanac 2008
CPNS 45 - An Examinations of Tax-Deductible Donations Made By Individual Australian Taxpayers in 2006-07 Myles McGregor-Lowndes. May 2009.
CPNS 44 - Looking for the 'value-add': Private advice needs of high-net-worth Australians. Kym Madden and Wendy Scaife. October 2008
CPNS 43 - Is Philanthropy Relevant? Professional Advisers in Australia - Kym Madden
CPNS 42 - From testamentary freedom to testamentary duty: Finding the balance. Frances Hannah and Myles McGregor-Lowndes. October 2008.
CPNS 41 - Key governance issues for funded nonprofit organisations in Queensland. Gavin Nicholson, Cameron Newton, Michelle Sheldrake. August 2008.
CPNS 40 - An Examination of Tax Deductible Donations Made By Individual Australian Taxpayers in 2005 - 06. Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Cameron Newton. May 2008.
CPNS 39 - How Long is a Piece of Red Tape? The Paperwork Reporting Costs of Government Grants. Christine M. Ryan and Myles McGregor-Lowndes. March 2008.
CPNS 38 - Survey of Fundraising and Alumni Relations (SOFAR) 2007. Cameron Newton, Daniel McDiarmid, Wendy Scaife, and Myles McGregor-Lowndes. February 2008
CPNS 37 - An Examination of Tax–Deductible Donations Made by Individual Australian Taxpayers in 2004-05(with special section on the 2004 Tsunami).Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Cameron Newton. May 2007
CPNS 36 - Associations Incorporation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2006. Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Xanthe Paltridge and Janet Mack. Feb.2007
CPNS 35 - Improving the Effectiveness of Fundraising and Alumni Programs Using International Benchmarks. Daniel McDiarmid. Oct 2006
CPNS 34 – Shared Services: Lessons from the Public and Private Sectors for the Nonprofit Sector. Peter Walsh, Myles McGregor-Lowndes and Cameron Newton. Aug 2006
CPNS 33 – An Examination of Tax-Deductible Donations Made By Individual Australian Taxpayers in 2003-04. Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Stephen Marsden. April 2006
CPNS 32 – Bounce-Back of Episodic Volunteers: What makes episodic volunteers return? Leonie Bryen, Kym Madden. April 2006
CPNS 31 – The Training Grounds of Democracy? Social Trends and Nonprofit Governance. Alan Hough, Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Chris Ryan. March 2006
CPNS 30 – Is the Tide Turning? Professional advisers' willingness to advise about philanthropy. Kym Madden and Cameron Newton. March 2006
CPNS 29 – An Examination of Tax-Deductible Donations Made by Individual Australian Taxpayers in 2002-03. Myles McGregor-Lowndes and Stephen Marsden. Dec 2005.
CPNS 28 – Structural Isomorphism in Australian Non-Profit Organization. Jeff Leiter. Feb 2005
CPNS 27 – An Examination of Tax-Deductible Donations Made by Individual Australian Taxpayers in 2001-02. Myles McGregor-Lowndes and Stephen Marsden. Sept 2004
CPNS 26 – The Mandatory Disclosure of Cost of Fundraising Ratios: Does it achieve the regulators’ purposes? Ted Flack
CPNS 25 – 2002 Study of the financial adviser’s role in philanthropy. Kym Madden
CPNS 24 – An Examination of Tax Deductible Donations made by Individual Taxpayers in Australia in 2000/01. Myles McGregor-Lowndes and Stephen Marsden
CPNS 23 – Domestic and International Grantmaking: The Comfort of Codes. Diana Leat
CPNS 22 – Introductory Chapter to The Economics of Nonprofit Enterprises. Richard Steinberg
CPNS 21 – Giving: The Next Generation - Parental Effects on Donations. Richard Steinberg and Mark Wilhelm
CPNS 20 – Using a Thimble to Drink from a Fire Hydrant: Information Anxiety and the Third Sector. Lara Cain
Books
Strategic issues for the not-for-profit sector, edited by Jo Barraket
Bringing together some of Australia’s leading and emerging researchers in nonprofit and public policy studies, Strategic Issues for the Not-for-profit Sector draws on original Australian and comparative research to provide an exploration of issues facing the sector, including: changing composition and resource bases, pressures to professionalise and demographic trends affecting patterns of volunteering. The book highlights current changes in nonprofit practice, policy, development and research.
Charity Law & Social Policy by Kerry O'Halloran, Myles McGregor-Lowndes and Karla Simon
Charity Law & Social Policy explores contemporary law, policy and practice in a range of modern common law nations. It does so in four parts and from the perspective of how this has evolved in the UK.
As progenitor of a system bequeathed to its colonies and after centuries of leadership in developing the core principles, policies and precedents that subsequently shaped its development, the contribution of England & Wales, the originating jurisdiction, is first described and analysed in detail. This is achieved in the seven chapters comprising Parts 1 and 2. These broadly sketch the parameters and role of ‘charity’ – seen as a mix of public and private interests - then address the law’s role in protecting, policing, adjusting and supporting charity. This provides the critical dimensions for the comparative analysis of experience in the common law nations that constitutes the main part of the book.
Part 3 (5 chapters) provides an analysis of the legal functions as they apply to type of need and thereby give effect to social policy in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America. Part 4 concludes with three chapters that appraise political influence as a factor in aligning charity law with social policy to create a facilitative environment for appropriate charitable activity. Attention is given to the central role of the regulator, contemporary charity law frameworks and definitional boundaries.
This publication will be available from Springer
Charity Law and Social Inclusion, An International Study- by Kerry O'Halloran
Book Review: International Journal of Civil Society Law by Karla Simon
Information on Publisher's Website (Routledge)
Developing Your Organisation 2008
Developing Your Organisation provides practical and current information essential to starting a community organisation. Eleven chapters may be downloaded individually making it easy to access the information most relevant to your organisation. Chapters include Starting A Community Organisation, Management Committees, Meetings, Employing People, Volunteers, Organisational Performance, When Things Go Wrong, Consumer Participation, Culturally Inclusive Service Delivery, Risk Management, Accountability and Legal Obligations. Each Chapter includes a "Useful Resources" section directing readers to helpful websites and publications. For free information and resources for community organisations visit our Developing Your Organisation site on the CPNS Wiki.
The Secretary's Handbook is designed to provide practical solutions for incorporated association secretaries. We have taken note of the types of inquiries from secretaries over the years and used this as the basis of the publication. The size and activities of associations vary dramatically from those with just a few members, no assets and a couple of hundred dollars in the bank, to multi-million dollar clubs with large trading concerns. While the provisions of the Act apply to secretaries regardless of organisational size, we have tried to point out variations in secretarial practice between simple and complex organisations.
View other information resources for incorporated association secretaries including forms and videos.
The Incorporated Associations Manual 2nd edition edited by Myles McGregor-Lowndes
The Incorporated Associations Manual is a valuable guide to starting and running an incorporated association. From incorporation to management committee roles, maintaining insurance, fundraising and employing staff, the manual covers the most important elements of managing an incorporated associations. A wealth of sample forms relating to accounts, altering association rules, meeting procedures and more are included.
View Table of Contents (PDF 8kB)
FREE download: First 3 chapters (PDF 2.85MB)
This publication is available from the Caxton Legal Centre for $70.00 (GST inclusive) + $15 postage.
Phone: 07 3254 1811, Fax: 07 3254 1356, Email: publications@caxton.org.au
The Development of Community Foundations in Australia: Recreating the American Dream by Dr Diana Leat 2004
Community foundations have been described as the fastest growing form of philanthropy. The Development of Community Foundations in Australia: Recreating the American Dream by Dr Diana Leat, is a report focusing on the development of community foundations in Australia as one important example of the growth of community foundations world-wide. Influenced by the success of the US foundation model, community foundations, and organisations to support them, began to grow dramatically around the world during the mid/late 1990s. However, social, economic and legislative differences between countries have resulted in differing success and development rates outside the US. The 'American dream' of community foundations has had some very positive functions in the growth of these foundations in Australia, but, if not fully understood, may have a damaging sting in its tail.
This publication is available from the QUT Bookshop for $33.00 each (GST inclusive) + $6.00 postage. Phone: 07 3138 5021, Fax: 07 3138 4187, Email: bookshop@qut.edu.au or
Download the order form (PDF, 34kB)