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Australia's first women's refuge was established in 1974, marking a crucial outgrowth of women's liberation activism that placed domestic violence on the public agenda. To maintain refuges, feminists seized opportunities presented by the progressive Gough Whitlam Labor government. This convergence between a reforming government and the women's movement meant that Australian feminist refuges were among the first in the world to receive state support, in 1975. Maintaining this support required feminist activists to engage with the Australian state. They framed their claims in two ways: they foregrounded women's traumatic narratives of experiences of domestic violence, and they asserted that refuges were a distinctive feminist service. Adapting to a constantly changing political context, however, advocates found it difficult to distinguish their activities from charitable refuges. Their emphasis on women's trauma foregrounded a victimized political subject while the movement's emphasis on fostering "self-help" was co-opted by advocates of neoliberal governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pluralism is a key component of liberal democracy, ensuring that diverse groups of citizens have opportunities to contribute to the governance of their society. Third sector organisations (TSOs) are central to pluralist democracy, representing diverse interests through advocacy. Advocacy has many forms but the most visible are protests or public demonstrations aimed at widespread public engagement. However, curtailing advocacy capacity for TSOs has been a political objective of conservative governments for several decades, with the Morrison-led Liberal/National Party government re-engaging in this behaviour. The article illuminates this behaviour through a case study of a recent legislative proposal (2021) to limit TSO advocacy. A qualitative discourse analysis of government and parliamentary materials shows how the state masked proposed changes through an illiberal and populist tactic that narrowed the focus to a narrative of 'trust' and uncertainty lacking an evidentiary basis and despite recognition of the potential impact on Australian democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Philanthropy in Australia and Aotearoa 2020-2023" examines the impact of recessions on philanthropy and investigates the trends in giving during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study finds that while there were disruptions to economies during the pandemic, philanthropic revenue did not significantly decrease. In Australia, individual giving declined in 2020 but increased in 2021, while giving by high-net-worth individuals and through private ancillary funds continued to rise. In Aotearoa, the number of individuals giving decreased in 2020, but the total value of gifts grew in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Grant giving in Australia increased in 2020 and 2021, and corporate community investment also increased during this period. However, company charitable giving in Aotearoa decreased from 2019 to 2023. The study highlights the need for better collection and analysis of giving data in Aotearoa and acknowledges the challenges that charities and nonprofits face during downturns. [Extracted from the article]

Charities play an increasingly important role in helping people experiencing poverty. However, institutionalized charity shifts the burden of poverty reduction away from the state and exposes recipients to stress and stigma. In this paper, we examine whether the need for institutionalized charity can be offset through enhanced state support. As in other countries, the Australian government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by substantially increasing the level of income support to citizens through several temporary payments. We draw on this natural experiment and time-series data from the two largest charity organizations in Queensland, Australia to examine how these payments altered the demand for institutionalized charity. We model these data using difference-in-difference regression models to approximate causal effects. By exploiting the timing and varying amounts of the payments, our analyses yield evidence that more generous income support reduces reliance on charity. Halving the demand for charity requires raising pre-pandemic income-support by AUD$42/day, with supplements of approximately AUD$18/day yielding the greatest return on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of an extensive survey of persons who govern Australian charities (known as ‘responsible persons’) in relation to governance duties and conflicts of interest. These results are significant in light of the complexity of the legal framework governing Australia’s charities sector and in light of the shortage of empirical research into the sector. The results, combined with comprehensive legal analysis, enable critical evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the governance and regulatory system of charities in Australia, in turn enabling recommendations to ameliorate the difficulties caused by complexity and to facilitate improved governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explores the barriers to food security for vulnerable women from the perspective of charity managers within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Region. Interviews were conducted with six charity managers. Analysis of charity's perspectives identified nine themes across two overarching areas: barriers to charity providing food security services (charity accessibility, inter-charity support and charity reliance on donations) and barriers to women attaining food security (income, accommodation type, transport, women's attitudes and beliefs, stigma/trust and food literacy). Understanding the barriers to women's food security is essential in addressing the underlying social and economic issues creating food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of charities compete for donations, yet no empirical study has examined patterns of shared giving behavior across the nonprofit sector. To understand which types of charities are more likely to share donors, we conducted a social network analysis using behavioral data from 1,504,848 donors to 52 large charities in Australia. Three hypotheses were tested, which considered how patterns of shared donations may be determined by charity sub‐type (e.g., health, social services, religious), type of beneficiaries (i.e., humans, animals, the environment), or geographic focus (i.e., international, national, regional). Overall, results indicate that patterns of shared giving are strongly shaped by geography: international charities typically share donors, as do charities operating in the same local region. Some—albeit inconsistent—evidence also emerged to support the notion that sub‐type may be an organizing principle for donation distributions, but little support was found for the idea that beneficiaries influence shared giving patterns. A key managerial implication is that the practice of supporter list swapping may be most beneficial when lists are shared between organizations that both operate in the same geographic region rather than between organizations that both operate as the same sub‐type of charity or both share similar beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 1900, a new type of charity event – the advertising poster ball – was introduced to Australia. The event brought together a range of pre-existing cultural forms to promote mass market brands, facilitated by a new, visual advertising culture. Over the next forty years, the poster ball was adopted by community groups, becoming a regular feature on the social and fundraising calendar. By harnessing people's innate longing for creative expression and shared social activity to the promotion of commercial brands, the poster ball linked these brands to pleasurable social events, helping embed them in Australian cultural memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of an extensive survey of persons who govern charitable entities in Australia and in England & Wales in relation to governance duties and conflicts of interest. The results help discern respondents' understanding of, and confidence with, their governance duties, their enthusiasm for practical assistance with these duties, the strength of their conflicts management procedures, as well as compliance motivations and perceived barriers to enhanced governance and compliance. This in turn assists in critical evaluation of the effectiveness of the governance and regulatory system in each of Australia and England & Wales, and enables valuable comparisons between the jurisdictions in this respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across rich nations with welfare states, charity continues as a dominant force in the lives of people who are poor. Inadequate state welfare and high housing costs drive people in poverty to seek daily support from charities. Based on in-depth interviews with 24 volunteers providing charity and 57 people receiving charity in Australia, as well as on observations of the provision and receipt of charity in practice, this article examines the experiences and meaning of charity from those who provide and receive it. The analysis shows that people receiving charity feel shame, and this shame derives from the judgements of volunteers and the position of recipients as passively receiving what is given. The findings also show that some volunteers actively engage with recipients to mitigate shame, and the dynamic interaction between provider and receiver of charity can reduce the shame people experience. Despite these successes in mitigating shame, the unidirectional provision of charity to people in poverty fails to take account of the value people place – and society expects – on reciprocity. Prioritizing the interests of those in poverty who receive charity, the article argues for the necessity of transforming charity to create conditions for reciprocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to membership organisations that serve the interest of members, members of charities operating as companies limited by guarantee are responsible by law for ensuring the charity serves its broader charitable purpose. This study examines how members of these large charitable companies discharge accountability through annual report disclosure. We analyse data on 630 company‐year observations for a sample of 153 Australian charitable companies limited by guarantee that lodged annual reports with regulators. Results show that members encourage the disclosure of financial and non‐financial information in the annual report and this in turn influences charities' future donations and grants revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charities are an essential part of Australian civil society and make fundamental contributions to social cohesion and well-being, as well as to the Australian economy. Public trust and confidence in the sector has, however, been damaged by high profile governance failures, despite the advent of a new national regime overseen by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. This article draws attention to gaps in the regulatory frameworks applicable to Australian charities in relation to misuse of charitable assets and makes reform suggestions. Strengthening the charities sector by deterring and sanctioning such misuse more effectively is important in order for the law to hold those who govern and control charities to account and to ensure that such power is not misused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statutory interpretation is an important aspect of teaching law and its practice. The Australian Government funds a nation-wide Tax Clinic Program. This program allows university students enrolled in tax-related courses to provide services to eligible taxpayers on their tax affairs. Eligible taxpayers may be unrepresented individuals, small business, not-for-profit organisations, or charitable institutions. The services may be advice, representation, and general support for taxpayers. Students provide the services under the supervision of qualified clinic managers and tax practitioners. Interpretation and application of Australian tax legislation is highly relevant to the provision of the services, and highlights the importance of skilful legislative drafting in plain English, which avoids jargon, and expresses the law concisely and definitively. Taxpayers should not need to consult cross-referenced provisions in multiple Acts and a plethora of subordinate statutory instruments. This article examines superannuation-related legislation introduced by the then Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Hon Scott Morrison MP, which commenced on 1 July 2017. The article highlights some difficulties inherent in this legislation due to its departure from legislative drafting standards and indicates the consequences for tax clinics and their clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses and profiles public ancillary funds (PubAFs), charitable trusts that act as intermediaries between public donors and approved nonprofit beneficiary organisations. PubAFs are an important part of Australia's philanthropic landscape given their public benefit purpose, yet little is known about this sector's characteristics and identities. This paper examines PubAFs, analysing online databases and reports and PubAF websites (where available). Based on the analysis of data from three sources: the Australian Charities and Not‐for‐profits Commission, Australian Taxation Office, and websites of 991 PubAFs (where available), this study provides valuable insights for the public, philanthropic practitioners, and researchers. Findings systematically map the field to develop an extended taxonomy, as a basis for promoting understanding and legitimacy beyond PubAFs' moral intentions, providing valuable insights into an opaque group of organisations at a time when the philanthropic sector's transparency is limited and legitimacy is being questioned. This paper systematically maps the field of Public Ancillary Funds (PubAFs) to develop an extended taxonomy, as a basis for promoting understanding and legitimacy beyond PubAFs' moral intentions. It provides valuable insights into an opaque group of organisations at a time when the philanthropic sector's transparency is limited and legitimacy is being questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, titled "Measuring religious volunteering and donation behaviour in Australia," discusses a research project conducted by Dr. Brendan Long from Charles Sturt University. The study aimed to measure the impact of volunteering and donation behavior among all religious individuals in Australia, rather than just those who came to faith in adulthood. The research found that traditionally religious individuals are 74% more likely to volunteer for non-religious causes and 50% more likely to donate compared to those without faith. The economic benefit of these additional volunteering hours was estimated to range from $9 billion to $20 billion per year, with additional donations equating to $1.4 billion per year. This research highlights the significance of the religious sector in philanthropic activity and emphasizes the importance of effective regulatory structures. [Extracted from the article]

The reasons why people donate to charities have been extensively researched, but how this behavior relates to political values is less well understood. We also know little about how the rise of populist values among the electorate will influence charitable giving in the future. Using a national election survey conducted in Australia in mid-2019, this article examines the influence of populist values on charity donations. The results show that populist values are strong predictors of charitable giving and that those who hold these values are significantly less likely to donate. Among those who do choose to donate, the choice of charity is also strongly influenced by populist values. These results demonstrate that the increasing importance of populist values among the public will have significant implications for the future level and direction of charity donations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Is cord blood DNA methylation associated with having been conceived by medically assisted reproduction?Summary Answer: This study does not provide strong evidence of an association of conception by medically assisted reproduction with variation in infant blood cell DNA methylation.What Is Known Already: Medically assisted reproduction consists of procedures used to help infertile/subfertile couples conceive, including ART. Due to its importance in gene regulation during early development programming, DNA methylation and its perturbations associated with medically assisted reproduction could reveal new insights into the biological effects of assisted reproductive technologies and potential adverse offspring outcomes.Study Design, Size, Duration: We investigated the association of DNA methylation and medically assisted reproduction using a case-control study design (N = 205 medically assisted reproduction cases and N = 2439 naturally conceived controls in discovery cohorts; N = 149 ART cases and N = 58 non-ART controls in replication cohort).Participants/materials, Settings, Methods: We assessed the association between medically assisted reproduction and DNA methylation at birth in cord blood (205 medically assisted conceptions and 2439 naturally conceived controls) at >450 000 CpG sites across the genome in two sub-samples of the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and two sub-samples of the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) by meta-analysis. We explored replication of findings in the Australian Clinical review of the Health of adults conceived following Assisted Reproductive Technologies (CHART) study (N = 149 ART conceptions and N = 58 controls).Main Results and the Role Of Chance: The ALSPAC and MoBa meta-analysis revealed evidence of association between conception by medically assisted reproduction and DNA methylation (false-discovery-rate-corrected P-value < 0.05) at five CpG sites which are annotated to two genes (percentage difference in methylation per CpG, cg24051276: Beta = 0.23 (95% CI 0.15,0.31); cg00012522: Beta = 0.47 (95% CI 0.31, 0.63); cg17855264: Beta = 0.31 (95% CI 0.20, 0.43); cg17132421: Beta = 0.30 (95% CI 0.18, 0.42); cg18529845: Beta = 0.41 (95% CI 0.25, 0.57)). Methylation at three of these sites has been previously linked to cancer, aging, HIV infection and neurological diseases. None of these associations replicated in the CHART cohort. There was evidence of a functional role of medically assisted reproduction-induced hypermethylation at CpG sites located within regulatory regions as shown by putative transcription factor binding and chromatin remodelling.Limitations, Reasons For Cautions: While insufficient power is likely, heterogeneity in types of medically assisted reproduction procedures and between populations may also contribute. Larger studies might identify replicable variation in DNA methylation at birth due to medically assisted reproduction.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Newborns conceived with medically assisted procedures present with divergent DNA methylation in cord blood white cells. If these associations are true and causal, they might have long-term consequences for offspring health.Study Funding/competing Interests(s): This study has been supported by the US National Institute of Health (R01 DK10324), the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC Grant agreement no. 669545, European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant agreement no. 733206 (LifeCycle) and the NIHR Biomedical Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol. The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 102215/2/13/2) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. Methylation data in the ALSPAC cohort were generated as part of the UK BBSRC funded (BB/I025751/1 and BB/I025263/1) Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies (ARIES, http://www.ariesepigenomics.org.uk). D.C., J.J., C.L.R. D.A.L and H.R.E. work in a Unit that is supported by the University of Bristol and the UK Medical Research Council (Grant nos. MC_UU_00011/1, MC_UU_00011/5 and MC_UU_00011/6). B.N. is supported by an NHMRC (Australia) Investigator Grant (1173314). ALSPAC GWAS data were generated by Sample Logistics and Genotyping Facilities at Wellcome Sanger Institute and LabCorp (Laboratory Corporation of America) using support from 23andMe. The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research, NIH/NIEHS (Contract no. N01-ES-75558), NIH/NINDS (Grant nos. (i) UO1 NS 047537-01 and (ii) UO1 NS 047537-06A1). For this work, MoBa 1 and 2 were supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z01-ES-49019) and the Norwegian Research Council/BIOBANK (Grant no. 221097). This work was partly supported by the Research Council of Norway through its Centres of Excellence funding scheme, Project no. 262700.D.A.L. has received support from national and international government and charity funders, as well as from Roche Diagnostics and Medtronic for research unrelated to this study. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.Trial Registration Number: N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical genomics represents a paradigm shifting change to health service delivery and practice across many conditions and life-stages. Introducing this complex technology into an already complex health system is a significant challenge that cannot be managed in a reductionist way. To build robust and sustainable, high quality delivery systems we need to step back and view the interconnected landscape of policymakers, funders, managers, multidisciplinary teams of clinicians, patients and their families, and health care, research, education, and philanthropic institutions as a dynamic whole. This study holistically mapped the landscape of clinical genomics within Australia by developing a complex graphic: a rich picture. Using complex systems theory, we then identified key features, challenges and leverage points of implementing clinical genomics. Methods: We used a multi-stage, exploratory, qualitative approach. We extracted data from grey literature, empirical literature, and data collected by the Australian Genomic Health Alliance. Nine key informants working in clinical genomics critiqued early drafts of the picture, and validated the final version. Results: The final graphic depicts 24 stakeholder groups relevant to implementation of genomics into Australia. Clinical genomics lies at the intersection of four nested systems, with interplay between government, professional bodies and patient advocacy groups. Barriers and uncertainties are also shown. Analysis using complexity theory showed far-reaching interdependencies around funding, and identified unintended consequences. Conclusion: The rich picture of the clinical genomic landscape in Australia is the first to show key stakeholders, agencies and processes and their interdependencies. Participants who critiqued our results were instantly intrigued and engaged by the graphics, searching for their place in the whole and often commenting on insights they gained from seeing the influences and impacts of other stakeholder groups on their own work. Funding patterns showed unintended consequences of increased burdens for clinicians and inequity of access for patients. Showing the system as a dynamic whole is the only way to understand key drivers and barriers to largescale interventions. Trial Registration: Not applicable [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: food insecurity; human rights; hunger EN food insecurity human rights hunger 6 12 7 02/04/21 20210101 NES 210101 INTRODUCTION The 2030 "Zero Hunger" target, set as part of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, intends to ignite an international agenda to reduce the global prevalence and severity of poverty and food insecurity. Nationally, Australia has no clear mechanism for ensuring the human right to food for all of its citizens; no systematic monitoring of food insecurity; and no recognised and current national food and/or nutrition policy. GLO:GXU/01jan21:hpja324-fig-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 1 Six vital domains for action to achieve a rights-based approach to food security in Australia gl Who should be involved in progressing the roadmap to achieve a rights-based approach to food... A rights-based approach to food security necessitates a coordinated effort with leadership from all levels of government (hence their elevated position in Figure 1). Stakeholders such as health promotion practitioners are ideally positioned to advocate for policy-makers to use evidence-based and context-specific strategies such as those proposed in this commentary, to progress towards an Australia where the right to food is protected, respected and fulfilled by 2030 and beyond. [Extracted from the article]

Food insecurity is a significant problem in many countries, including Australia. Consequently, food hubs, through which food is distributed using a supermarket style layout, have become an important new source of charity food provision. However, little is known about users' experiences. We draw on ethnographic research to understand the everyday experiences of people using South Australian food hubs. We suggest that attempts to produce a more dignified experience by creating a normalizing experience of shopping is not being achieved, because of the shame and stigma surrounding poverty, confusing operational processes, poor food quality, staff attitudes, and the disciplinary capacity of food hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian donors making large charitable gifts are increasingly specifying the purpose for which their donated funds can be used by the recipient charity. While government policy encouraging philanthropy through tax incentives endeavors to facilitate these donor-restricted charitable gifts, such gifts also require appropriate oversight by the tax system to ensure that the boundary between what is public and benefifits the community and what is private and benefifits the individual is preserved. This paper examines the legal response in Australia to donor-restricted charitable gifts and considers the implications of the tax treatment accorded to these gifts for charities and their donors. The examination reveals that to qualify as a 'gift' for tax purposes, donors should not specify the use of the donated funds by recipient charities, but instead should only indicate a non-binding preference as to how the donated funds are to be used. This approach has created uncertainty for charities and their donors, with important legal and practical consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]