Information & Research

The Tindall Foundation regularly commissions and receives research reports. Some of these reports are available to download on this website.

Social lending

The Tindall Foundation and ASB Community Trust jointly commissioned Glen Saunders to look into the emerging field of social lending and investment overseas, and prospects for developing this in New Zealand. This report was produced in October 2009 and is now publicly available. You can download a short summary and the full report below.

Social lending - think-piece (4 pages, 200 KB PDF)

A new funding paradigm: Prospects for social lending and investment by foundations in New Zealand (400 KB PDF)

Conduct Problems - Best Practice

The Advisory Group on Conduct Problems (AGCP) provides cross-departmental advice to government officials on the identification, treatment and management of childhood conduct problems. The group, including childhood specialists Professors Richie Poulton and David Ferguson, has recently completed Conduct Problems - Best Practice Report 2009. This report sets the background for policy relating to childhood conduct problems, goes on to look at programmes and interventions to manage these problems, and then examines issues arising in the translation of evidence into policy.

A summary has been written for internal use by The Tindall Foundation. A more complete understanding of these issues can be had by reading the full report: Conduct Problems - Best Practice Report 2009.

The earlier Inter-Agency Planreport claimed to be 'the first step towards a more comprehensive and effective cross-government approach to conduct disorder/severe anti-social behaviour' and led to the compilation of the Best Practice Report 2009.

Conduct Problems - Summary (34 KB Word doc)

Conduct Problems - Best Practice Report 2009 (460 KB PDF)

Inter-Agency Plan for Conduct Disorder/Severe Anti-Social Behaviour 2007-2012 (895 KB PDF)

School-Based Education on Alcohol and Drugs and Mental Health Promotion

School classroom-based alcohol, drug and mental health programmes have been popular in New Zealand, but how effective are they?

A research project was initiated and funded by The Tindall Foundation and several other funders concerned about the effectiveness of externally provided programmes in schools. The research was undertaken by Massey University's Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SHORE).

SHORE aimed to discover 'best practice' principles for the delivery of effective alcohol and drug education and mental health promotion to young New Zealanders. They found that most of these programmes focused on learning outcomes with the assumption that behavioural change would follow. However, the majority of evidence suggests that classroom-based teaching alone will not necessarily improve health and safety in later years. Recommended directions included:

Adopting a 'whole school' approach, including connectedness with home and wider community initiatives
Cross-sector community-wide action limiting supply and marketing of alcohol and drugs

Download a four-page summary think-piece on the research, dialogue and findings:

A Review of School-based Education on Alcohol and Drugs and Mental Health/Suicide Prevention

Grassroots Voices

In February 2009, the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) published the Grassroots Voicesresearch report. This research, funded by The Tindall Foundation, focused on the experiences of people receiving family support services from Christian social services and government agencies throughout New Zealand. The report outlines findings in the areas of effective practice, poverty and housing, and collaboration, and highlights a need for an overarching 'Family Support Strategy'. For more information on NZCCSS, go to: www.justiceandcompassion.org.nz

Grassroots Voices (full report) (2.43 MB PDF)

Summary of Grassroots Voices research (729 KB PDF)

Microfinance

This research report, by Glen Saunders, presents strategies for the financial sustainability of members of Ethical Investment Aotearoa (EIA) - a grouping of community loan and microfinance funds in New Zealand. It provides valuable insights for funds and funders into the opportunities and challenges they face in achieving sustainability.

Microfinance Funds in New Zealand (349 KB PDF)

Making things simpler for fundseekers

In 2008, a number of New Zealand funders employed Adrian Feasey to research ways to make applications and monitoring reports more user-friendly for fundseekers.

Making things simpler for fundseekers(4 pages, 194 KB PDF)

Funder Collaboration Research & Scoping Project (68 pages, 5 MB PDF)

SCOPE

The SCOPE capacity building pilot evaluation reports and 'legacy document' are available to download on the main SCOPE page.