The Australian Not-for-Profit Strategic Decision-Making Research Program

Australia’s first national study of strategic decision-making in NFPs, developing evidence-based tools and frameworks for sector leaders.

The Australian Not for Profit (NFP) Strategic Issues and Decision-Making Study the first ever national study of strategic issues and decision-making in charitable NFPs.

This Study addresses a critical knowledge gap: a growing body of knowledge examining strategic issue management and decision-making in for-profit organisations, and a lack of evidence-based knowledge about how NFPs navigate these same challenges.

Our research builds on other recent studies of Australia’s NFP sector, including the Not-for-Profit Sector Development Blueprint (2024), the Centre for Social Impact’s State of the Social Economy in Australia Report (2025), and the AICD’s NFP Governance and Performance Study (2026).

These works identify system-level challenges, changes and policy reform agendas.

However, there remains an absence of granular, evidence-based knowledge about how NFP senior leaders identify, interpret, and respond to the strategic issues their organisations face.

Our aim is to develop evidence-based, context-relevant strategic decision-making tools and frameworks for use by the sector.

Read more about the 2026 Australian NFP Strategic Issues and Decision-Making Study:

https://mbs.edu/news/australian-not-for-profit-strategic-issues-and-decision-making-study