Participant Information for QUT Research Project

Corporate Giving and Community Investment Survey - Giving Australia 2016
QUT Ethics Approval Number: TBA
Australian Government Statistical Clearing House Approval Number: TBA

DESCRIPTION

This project is being undertaken as part of the Giving Australia 2016 study on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Social Services and the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership.

The purpose of the Giving Australia 2016 research project is to collect comprehensive, up-to-date information on giving by individuals, collectives and businesses in Australia. This includes the giving of time, information, goods and services, voice and influence, as well as money, to improve the wellbeing of humanity and the community. This data collection will refresh and expand on information gathered through the Giving Australia 2005 project. The Giving Australia 2016 project will provide critical information about giving and volunteering behaviours, attitudes and trends to support priority policy objectives to foster an Australian culture of giving. The information will specifically support the work of the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership.

As part of the business component of this research, this survey seeks to gather information from small and medium businesses (less than 200 employees) in Australia about their giving during their last financial year for which records are available.

As this survey asks about your resourcing, it is essential that whoever completes it has access to information on the organisation’s financial position, corporate giving and community investment.

You have been asked to participate in this project because our records show that you are an Australian registered business with less than 200 employees.

PARTICIPATION

Participation will involve completing a confidential questionnaire that will take approximately 20 minutes of your time. Questions will include: general information about your business and on any community investment activities including giving by employees, philanthropic donations, business and community projects / partnerships, and community sponsorship - undertaken by your business over your organisation’s last financial year.

Examples of questions include:

- What are the main benefits from corporate giving or community investment for your business?
- Did your business make any unconditional donations to organisations or individuals during your last financial year?
- Was your business involved in any community project / partnerships during your last financial year?

Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary. If you agree to participate you do not have to complete any question(s) you are uncomfortable answering.

Your decision to participate or not participate will in no way impact upon your current or future relationship with QUT, Swinburne University of Technology, the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs, Department of Social Services or the Prime Ministers Community Business Partnership.

If you do agree to participate you can withdraw from the project without comment or penalty until questionnaire completion. Should you close the browser without submitting, data collected will be included in the analysis. Once you have submitted the questionnaire, data will be de-identified and it will not be possible to withdraw any of your responses.

EXPECTED BENEFITS

It is expected that this project will benefit Australian nonprofit organisations and the communities they serve by providing current data on the nonprofit sector and philanthropic giving by individuals, collectives, trusts and foundations, and businesses.

You will be able to use the findings from the Giving Australia 2016 project to compare your organisation’s involvement with corporate giving and community investment with other data collected. You will also be able to gauge differences between business and nonprofit expectations and the capacity for partnerships and employee volunteering.

RISKS

There are no risks beyond normal day-to-day living associated with your participation in this project.

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

All comments and responses are anonymous and will be treated confidentially unless required by law. The names of individual persons or organisations are not required in any of the responses.

Any data collected as part of this project will be stored securely as per QUT’s Management of research data policy. Please note that non-identifiable data collected in this project may be used as comparative data in future projects, published in academic journals or stored on an open access database for secondary analysis.

The project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services and they will have access to the de-identified data obtained during the project.

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE

Submission of the online questionnaire is accepted as an indication of your consent to participate in this project.

QUESTIONS / FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT

If you have any questions or require further information please contact one of the research team members below.
For content issues or overall project queries, please contact the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs (CCPA) the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). For technical issues, please contact McNair Ingenuity Research Pty Ltd.

Mr Wayne Burns, CCPA, 02 8272 5106, w.burns@accpa.com.au
Ms Sophie Wang, CCPA, 02 8272 5110, s.wang@accpa.com.au
Assoc. Prof. Wendy Scaife, QUT, 07 3138 8051, w.scaife@qut.edu.au
Ms Marie Crittall, QUT, 07 3138 4554, marie.crittall@qut.edu.au
Ms Angela Brooks, McNair, 1800 699 133, Angela@mcnair.com.au

RESEARCH TEAM

QUT, Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS)
Principal Researcher: Assoc Prof. Wendy Scaife Director, ACPNS
Associate Researchers: Prof. Myles McGregor-Lowndes Professor
Dr Matthew Flynn Senior Research Assistant
Ms Marie Crittall Research Assistant
Ms Alexandra Williamson Senior Research Assistant
Ms Sandy Gadd Project Manager
Ms Denise Conroy Associate Researcher
Ms Tess McGlone Research Assistant

Centre for Corporate Public Affairs
Principal Researcher: Mr Wayne Burns Director, CCPA
scAssociate Researcher: Ms Sophie Wang Manager

CONCERNS / COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE CONDUCT OF THE PROJECT

QUT is committed to research integrity and the ethical conduct of research projects. However, if you do have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of the project you may contact the QUT Research Ethics Advisory Team on 07 3138 5123 or email ethicscontact@qut.edu.au. The QUT Research Ethics Advisory Team is not connected with the research project and can facilitate a resolution to your concern in an impartial manner.

Thank you for helping with this research project. Please print this sheet for your information.