Dr Cassandra Chapman

Principal Research Fellow, ARC Fund

School of Business
Faculty of Business, Economics and Law

Overview

Dr Cassandra Chapman holds a PhD in the psychology of charitable giving (University of Queensland) and is now an Associate Professor of Marketing and ARC DECRA Fellow, specialised in donor psychology and fundraising.

Having come to academia with a background in nonprofit marketing, Cassandra’s research focuses on the psychology of charitable giving, trust in nonprofits, and public responses to charity scandals. She uses diverse methods to understand when and why donors are more (or less) willing to give to particular causes and the implications such preferences have for how charities communicate.

Cassandra’s research has won national and international research awards, including the AFP Early Career Emerging Scholar Award (AFP, 2023), the Skystone Partners Prize for Research on Fundraising and Philanthropy (AFP, 2020), and the Gabriel G. Rudney Memorial Award for an Outstanding Dissertation in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research (ARNOVA, 2019). She has published over 30 articles in international journals, such as Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Psychology & Marketing, and the Journal of Business Ethics, and serves as Associate Editor of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

Research Interests

  • Psychology of Charitable Giving
    Research questions include: How do people choose which types of charity to support and which to neglect? What roles do identity and social norms play in determining who gives to charity, how much is given, and which causes are supported? How important is trust in giving decisions? How do fundraisers influence donation decisions? What kinds of aid are offered and why? Do consumers respond to effectiveness information about charities—why or why not?
  • Charity Scandals and Trust in Nonprofits
    Research questions include: What do people think about nonprofits (vs. commercial organisations)? How do consumers respond to ethical violations occurring within nonprofits? Do specific charity scandals affect overall trust in the nonprofit sector? What sectoral influences may affect the likelihood that scandals emerge?

Research Impacts

Cassandra's research helps to understand and promote generosity within Australian society--ensuring essential community services are delivered and encouraging social harmony through increased community participation. Insights from her research can also help charities and nonprofits to raise money more effectively and develop evidence-based best practice in how to communicate about their important work.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Publications

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Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Available Projects

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Publications

Featured Publications

Book Chapter

  • Chapman, Cassandra M., Louis, Winnifred R., Masser, Barbara M. and Thomas, Emma F. (2023). Neglected fundraisers in the charitable triad. The Fundraising Reader. (pp. 463-470) London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003145936-100

  • Chapman, Cassandra M., Masser, Barbara M. and Louis, Winnifred R. (2023). The champion effect in peer-to-peer fundraising. The Fundraising Reader. (pp. 263-266) London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003145936-56

  • Louis, Winnifred R., Chonu, Gi K., Achia, Tulsi, Chapman, Cassandra M. and Rhee, Joshua (2018). Group norms and identities in societal transitions: from democracy to dictatorship and back again. The road to actualized democracy: a psychological exploration. (pp. 27-57) edited by Brady Wagoner, Ignacio Bresco de Luna and Vlad Glaveanu. Charlotte, NC, United States: IAP-Information Age Publishing.

Journal Article

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.