This study examined the influence of leader–member exchange on volunteers’ job satisfaction and intention to stay, using supportive supervisor communication as a mediator. A regression analysis undertaken showed that the independent variable (leader–member exchange) had a direct and significant impact on the dependent variables (volunteers’ job satisfaction and intention to stay) in community-based organisations in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Further analysis showed that supportive supervisor communication partially mediated the influence of leader–member exchange on job satisfaction and intention to stay in the community-based organisations examined. These findings confirm previous findings about the impact of workplace relationships on volunteers’ attitudes and behaviours, especially as they relate to the influence of supportive supervisor communication on the relationship between leader–member exchange and the identified workplace outcomes in this study. Implications of the findings for the management of volunteers in community-based organisations are discussed.

Despite the increased social significance currently attached to national identity, little is known about how national group attachment may correlate with the decision to donate to domestic versus international charities. The current study brings together literature on national identity and charitable giving to empirically validate a model of charitable ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism. The substantive study is based on an online survey administered to a sample of 1004 UK respondents. The findings indicate that internationalism leads to an increased preference for international charities and a negative inclination towards domestic alternatives. Conversely, nationalism leads to a preference for domestic charities, but a surprisingly non-significant view on international causes. This study adds to the limited empirical research on charitable choice, specifically international giving, and has implications for fundraisers of both domestic and international charities. The work also provides valid and reliable scales for the assessment of charitable ethnocentrism and charitable cosmopolitanism.

There are high political and policy expectations of local and voluntary initiatives of citizens collaborating to provide public services themselves. Despite rising attention, existing research lacks systematic knowledge on the actual outcomes of citizen initiatives and on stimulating or hampering factors. Therefore, we present a systematic literature review using the PRISMA approach on citizen initiatives and related terms. The studies show citizens being able to achieve outcomes touching upon a broad range of public values. Furthermore, the review presents contributing factors, like government support and boundary spanning leadership. Yet, the field of citizen initiatives in the social sciences can benefit from more methodological and analytical rigor. We therefore conclude with a conceptual framework for community self-management that identifies relationships between outcomes and relevant factors and discuss future research directions.

As an institution that often seeks to redress global inequality and poverty, philanthropy is commonly dismissed as either masking structural causes, an insufficient response, or a contribution to the problem itself. Either way, philanthropy is increasingly labelled as philanthro-capitalism because it serves the interest of capital. But what about philanthropy that engages, seeks to transcend, and tries to provide alternatives to the status quo? Such philanthropies have been highlighted in the literature, but their radical foundations could be further clarified. In seeking to do so, this article (a) engages a radical theory of poverty, (b) teases out key principles of radical philanthropy, and (c) critically highlights the need to consider radical philanthropy as an alternative to philanthro-capitalism. Radical philanthropy is quite distinct and, while it can be unrealistic for individual foundations to embody all its principles, as a collective, they can be considered as one important and concrete contribution towards realising the aphorism, popularised by the World Social Forum, that ‘another world is possible’.

Volunteer recruitment and retention continue to be important issues for not-for-profit organisations. A theoretical framework that has demonstrated considerable potential to better understand the factors influencing volunteer recruitment and retention is the concept of the psychological contract (PC); the set of beliefs individuals hold in relation to how organisations value their contributions as volunteers. To date research has predominantly examined the relationship between volunteer retention and individuals’ PC after a volunteer has spent considerable time with an organisation. The research reported in this paper provides evidence that volunteer recruitment practices and volunteer’s expectations directly influence the development of volunteers’ PCs from the very first interactions they have with an organisation, and before they even commence their voluntary duties. The results indicate that a better understanding of volunteers’ PC development processes and the influence of volunteer manager actions during the volunteer recruitment phase can support the formation of realistic expectations amongst potential volunteers and thus enhance volunteer recruitment outcomes.

Despite the benefits of volunteering to the individual, organization and community, the retention of volunteers within volunteer and not-for-profit organizations remains a significant challenge. Examining the motivations of individuals who have ceased their engagement in a volunteer organization may provide insights to improve retention rates. The perceptions of 64 volunteers formerly involved in an international volunteer organization were examined through community telephone interviews and online surveys. Results show that while volunteers valued their participation in the volunteer organization, their decision to cease engagement in the organization was driven by five major themes: ‘Work overload and burnout,’ ‘Lack of autonomy and voice,’ ‘Alienation and cliques,’ ‘Disconnect between volunteer and organization’ and ‘Lack of faith in leadership.’ Strategies to improve and refine organizational practice and culture may contribute to a strengthened membership and retention.