Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes (Director, ACPNS) discusses two recent government initiatives that may affect the nonprofit sector; the first, an audit of the administration procedures of the Australian Taxation Office, and in particular their administration of Deductible Gift Recipient status; and the second, the release of The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ ‘Information Paper – Non-Profit Institutions – A Draft Information Plan.’ Colin Ball (Consultant, Writer, Researcher) examines the purposes of voluntary organisations both historically and in modern times. Mark Fowler (Director, Neumann Turnour Lawyers) provides an outline of the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) and the different ways that nonprofits organisations can be involved iin the scheme.