Page Index
Give Us a Project
CPNS actively encourages the suggestion of research topics and projects from the philanthropic and nonprofit sector.
Please contact Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes, CPNS Director, to discuss your research ideas and projects.
Funding for projects can be sourced from a number of areas, including QUT internal funds. To access information about these grants:
Projects Underway
The following are just some of the research projects and programs either recently or currently being undertaken by CPNS researchers:
Developing Your Board (DYB)
Gavin Nicholson, Prof Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Dr Cameron Newton
In conjunction with the School of Accountancy, this project is aimed at assisting nonprofit boards to be reflexive by using an evaluation tool to assess their performance and inform their deliberations about their future governance arrangements. It is based on the premise that such tools empower users to have ownership of their evaluation and planning processes.
Nonprofit Standard Chart of Accounts (SCoA)
Prof Chris Ryan, Prof Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Prof Margaret Steinberg, Ted Flack, Stephen Marsden and Dr Dawn Butler
Researchers have been working for several years on a standard chart of accounts for nonprofit organisations funded by the Queensland Government. This standard chart of accounts and data dictionary will simplify the financial acquittal of grants by all parties using a common data dictionary. This will cut compliance and administration costs, allow better accountability and financial benchmarking.
The COA has been approved by Treasury and Departments are beginning to adopt it, nonprofit organisations are starting to implement it and QUT is negotiating with small business accounting package firms to accommodate the standard. Interest for similar projects is actively being followed up in Victoria, New South Wales and the Commonwealth.
Nonprofit Car Fleet Safety
Prof Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Dr Sharon Newnam, with CARRS-Q Assoc Prof Jeremey Davey
Preliminary research in conjunction with QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q) indicates that the most dangerous activity to workers and volunteers of nonprofit organisations is the operation of motor vehicles. Motor vehicle accidents are much higher in fleets of nursing, charity bin collection trucks, meals on wheels delivery and senior employees such as ministers and CEOs.
A three year research program will be prepared in late 2005 to commence in 2006 to investigate and trial managerial solutions to these issues in a very large nonprofit organisation. It has several large fleets as well as small areas containing older drivers, MOW volunteer drivers and senior employee drivers in all areas of Queensland.
Professional Advisers & Philanthropy
Dr. Kym Madden
Following on CPNS's pilot study in 2002 and survey in 2005 this project continues work in identifying the attitudes and behaviours of Australian professional advisers towards advising High Net Worth clients about planned giving.
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.
Planned Giving Project
Charitable Bequests
Dr Kym Madden and Dr Wendy Scaife
This study builds upon the UK work of Prof Adrian Sargeant to conduct donor-centred Australian research relating to planned giving, particularly bequests. It is the first Australian study to seek insight into the factors influencing the decision to make charitable donations or not, with implications for nonprofit organisations and the Australian community at large. The survey includes questions about attitudes and opinions on giving to charities, about decisions to make a donation or not, and on donors’ relationships to the organsiations to which they have donated.
Family Provision and Philanthropy
Prof Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Frances Hannah
This project investigates the connection between family provision law and legacies or bequests to charity. Bequests are an important source of funds for some charitable organisations in Australia. They have the potential to be far more important in the future given the generational transfer of wealth that will occur over the next decades. Many organisations are beginning to foster the encouragement of donors to make provision in their wills through the use of bequest officers and other promotional activities. Over the last decade legal challenges to wills by disappointed family members have become more common and many charities faced with the prospect of a disputed bequest have been reluctant to pursue the matter in the courts.
Private Wealth Advice Needs
Dr Kym Madden and Dr Wendy Scaife
This project aims to understand the use of financial advisers and the opportunities for non-traditional services including philanthropic planning assistance.
NPOs, Organisational Change and Identity
Dr Cameron Newton
A longitudinal survey investigating perception of multiple identities and change in nonprofit organisations and their impact on employee well-being and work-related attitudes and behaviour.
NPOs, Organisational Culture and Effectiveness
Dr Cameron Newton
This project investigates organisational values and typologies of values in nonprofits. This project represents the first stage of a larger project aimed at developing tools for nonprofit organisational assessment (diagnosis) and intervention.
Survey of Fundraising and Alumni Relations
Prof Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Dr Cameron Newton, Dr Daniel McDiarmid, Dr Wendy Scaife
A benchmarking exercise of Australian and New Zealand universities designed to enable these education institutions to assess their fundraising and alumni activities and results in any one year and over time. This survey is conducted online.
Activities and results of institutions can be compared to identify effective practice. Measuring all educational levels will enable different performance to be analysed. Comparing the institutions of two nations will enable commentary on the various educational and philanthropic environments.
In the first years, this online survey will provide baseline data. In future years, trends can be observed and the impact of influential factors measured. Ongoing comparison between institutions of two countries has the potential to measure the impact of legislative or other changes that are made in one of the countries.Ongoing Research Programs
Regulation, Law and Taxation
Researchers in this area have a national and international reputation in respect of philanthropic and nonprofit taxation and legal and regulatory structures. CPNS addresses most Australian reform proposals which relate to nonprofit organisations such as taxation, incorporated associations, fundraising, companies limited by guarantee, charitable gaming, privacy and government funding. It is working with the Nonprofit Roundtable in relation to an agenda to reform the regulatory environment of nonprofit organisations in Australia.
Nonprofit Civil Liability
Over the last decade, CPNS has engaged in various research projects, publications, training and consultancies about civil liability and risk management for nonprofit organisations. In 2001, it became clear that the longest running global soft insurance market of recent times had come to an end and nonprofits were severely impacted by sourcing insurance covers and funding premiums.
Research about the implications of the new civil liability reforms has been completed by published work on the general issues and a series of articles on volunteer liabilities and reform immunities.
In progress is examination and analysis of the insurance required by government departments in their contracts and grants to the sector and transfer of risk to the nonprofit sector through legal agreement. Research has already commenced with the creation of a database of grant and funding agreements from all departments and agencies. Recommendations will be made on the appropriate principles for the placement of risk between the State and nonprofit sector.
Research on the effective implementation of risk management and legal compliance in the systems of nonprofit organisations including:
- Best practice risk identification;
- Best practice risk treatment;
- Best practice volunteer risk management;
- Best practice governance risk management.
Research on the issues of insurance for nonprofit risks including:
- Best practice broker/agent service delivery to nonprofit organisations;
- Best practice offshore insurance;
- Best practice negotiation of insurance policies (coverage and exclusions);
- Feasibility of alternative collective risk management including group purchasing, risk pools, captive insurance companies and risk retention groups.
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