Abstract

This paper aims to enhance understanding of the community and voluntary sector of New Zealand through an analysis of secondary data obtained from the Charities Register data New Zealand. Using this data, three areas of the charitable sector are explored: 1) factors that contribute to the establishment and growth of charities and the changes over time; 2) funding sources for various charities across different social sectors and geographical areas; and 3) government funding contribution and implementing government objectives. The findings from the research highlight the potential within the Charities Register data to inform about the charitable sector in New Zealand, and identified some of the factors that government and non-government agencies can consider when making decisions on funding allocation among charitable organisations.