This study examines the signaling effect of support from nonprofit experts on celebrity credibility regarding advocacy efforts. Furthermore, we provide detailed insights into celebrity–nonprofit partnerships by exploring the congruence between the celebrity and advocacy content, and examining whether the impact of support from nonprofit experts differs based on the celebrities’ source characteristics. A survey experiment manipulating the support of nonprofit organizations for celebrity advocacy was conducted, and data from 776 Japanese respondents collected through an online panel were analyzed. The results indicated that signals of nonprofits’ support significantly enhanced perceptions of celebrity expertise but only when strong congruence existed between the celebrity and advocacy content. However, these signals did not enhance the perception of celebrity trustworthiness. We present a causal explanation of how nonprofit experts’ support affects perceived celebrity expertise, which ultimately leads to increased cognitive involvement in social issues. The findings integrate signaling theory and the source credibility model to explain the mechanisms underlying celebrity–nonprofit partnerships in advocacy efforts.

This article examines the sustainability strategy for local NGOs in Indonesia through empowering the urban middle class. Based on qualitative research in Makassar, the largest city in Eastern Indonesia, our study reveals that the decision to empower the urban middle class was made by leveraging collective consciousness and contextual mobilization. We argue that by targeting the urban middle class, local NGOs increase their sustainability by mobilizing internal funds from communities and gaining human resources that can continue their membership. This article reinforces the claim that NGOs that can choose issues aligned with their target groups’ interests tend to be more sustainable.

Since its emergence in the 1970s, the Italian social and solidarity economy (SSE) has been characterized by an emphasis on volunteers’ contribution, overshadowing the presence of paid workers and the role they play in sustaining such a vital social and solidarity infrastructure. The tension between paid and unpaid work generates concrete consequences for workers. Misrepresented as volunteers, social economy employees are imagined as subjects primarily driven by devotion and non-economic motives. Their work is, in turn, feminized and invisibilized. Drawing on theories of gendered labour and feminist critiques of unpaid work, this article reviews the development of the SSE in Italy by focusing on the history of social cooperatives, its main organizations. My goal is to trace the origins of the tension between paid work and volunteering, and query its consequences on the development of the SSE as an employment field. I identify three subsequent phases that shaped SSE work, invisibilizing it in ways that normalize its casualization and limited professional recognition: origins (1970s–1980s), institutionalization (1990s–2000s), and austerity (2010s–2020s). Despite its progressive origins and unique success, the Italian SSE is underpinned by important tensions that require further attention.

This study investigated a multilevel, multisector governance model regarding the incorporation of Eritrean asylum seekers in Tel Aviv, from perspectives of both Israeli civil society organization (CSO) professionals and asylum seekers, through semi-structured interviews, using a qualitative phenomenological design. The research revealed a complex interplay among governmental agencies, local authorities, and CSOs in negotiating legal actions and resource allocation. This interaction ranges from integration initiatives by the municipality and CSOs to separation and exclusion policies at the government level, and results in only partial integration, or “incorporation,” into Israeli society. While the government maintains significant influence over migrants’ lives, the municipality must balance governmental decrees, native-born residents’ opposition, and human rights commitments. Likewise, CSOs navigate a dual role of municipal cooperation and opposition. Over time, all stakeholders have recognized CSOs as an essential component of the interdependent governance structure. The findings illuminate how this multilevel and multisector framework shapes asylum seekers incorporation by community strengthening, education, and social and legal services. Despite maintaining dominant authority, the central government frequently engages in deliberative governance with municipalities and CSOs.

Aging in the twenty-first century presents a multifaceted global challenge, demanding subtle understanding for effective solutions. Shifting from merely extending life expectancy, active aging seeks to enrich the quality of later life, aiming to boost the well-being and life satisfaction of older individuals. As demographic and familial structures evolve, the involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in aging affairs emerges as a pivotal force within civil society. These NGOs, operating across diverse countries and regions, undertake a spectrum of activities. Such activities bring considerable benefits to both physical and mental health of older individuals. Through a meticulous review of 31 studies from Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus databases, this study delves into the multifaceted roles of NGOs in promoting active aging. It uncovers three primary contributions: care services, lifelong learning, and volunteer engagement. Furthermore, this research critically examines the status and challenges faced by NGOs in advancing active aging principles, probing their impact on the life satisfaction of older adults. By elucidating these insights, this study offers collaborative pathways for future social policy enhancements in aging.

Numerous studies support the identifiable victim effect that donors prefer a single and identifiable beneficiary over multiple and unidentifiable beneficiaries. However, there is little understanding of how presenting pictures of single versus multiple beneficiaries interacts with donors’ traits. This research focuses on donors’ sense of power and explores its impact on the comparative effects of presenting different numbers of beneficiaries. We adopted an online experimental design and collected data from 515 participants across two studies. These two studies provide convergent results that high-power donors donate more when they view pictures of multiple beneficiaries, whereas low-power donors donate more when they view pictures of a single beneficiary. Besides, Study 2 finds that the interaction effect of sense of power and number of beneficiaries on donation effectiveness is mediated by perceived responsibility and self-efficacy. The findings provide implications for managers on how to present pictures featuring different numbers of beneficiaries to donors with varying senses of power.

Multi-organizational cross-sector partnerships on social media involving nonprofits, governments, and corporations are increasingly important for addressing complex social issues. Such large-scale cross-sector networks would not be possible without brokers who connect otherwise disconnected clusters. Nevertheless, cross-sector brokers are not always positively received by the public. Drawing from the brokerage typology literature, we classify five distinctive types of brokers (i.e., representative, gatekeeper, liaison, itinerant, and coordinator) and explore public responses associated with them, and how such effects spill over to connected same-sector organizations. Our findings show that different types of brokers receive different public responses, which are moderated by organizations’ sectors. In particular, nonprofits playing brokerage roles are more likely to be positively received by the public compared to government agencies.

Volunteering in emergency situations can involve the risk of injury. Overcoming such risks may motivate some volunteers, but may also deter those who are risk-averse. This presents a challenge, as recruiting and engaging volunteers with different risk attitudes is important to ensure response capacity and a balanced organizational culture. This cross-sectional study uses data from online surveys of search-and-rescue (SAR) volunteers (n = 1,659) and the general population (n = 3,185) in Norway to examine whether trust moderates a negative relationship between risk aversion and motivation in high-risk volunteering. Results from OLS regressions show that SAR volunteers have higher levels of risk propensity (B = 0.25, p < 0.001), trust (B = 1.47, p < 0.001) and felt trust (B = 1.36, p < 0.001) than other volunteers. Risk-averse volunteers report lower motivation and participation, but trust mitigates much of the negative impact (interaction term B = −0.10, p < 0.01). These findings underline the importance of strong cultures of trust within SAR volunteer teams.