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PurposeThis paper explores the factors that are associated with a capacity of non-profits to develop social innovations (SIs). The purpose of this paper is to examine factors in the Russian national context with weak non-profit sector with an ambiguous governmental policy toward the sector.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on survey data (n=850 NPOs, 2015, Russia). The paper analyses the likelihood of a non-profit to introduce SIs due to external framework and organizational factors. Regression analysis was applied in the study. The study is based on a new sampling approach and examines non-profits as producers of SIs, but not cases of SIsper se.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the capacity of an NPO to develop SIs is explained by the following enabling factors: cross-boundary collaborative relations, volunteer involvement and diversity of the revenue structure. Composition of innovative sub-sector, opportunities and chances of getting into this group are explicitly determined and regulated by the current governmental policy toward the sector. That is that large and established non-profits are more likely to be innovative in Russia, unlike expected grass-roots.Originality/valueThe paper applies a theoretical framework to analyze the SI concept in a non-western context with weak civil society and an influential government. From this perspective, the results present empirical quantitative verification of the determinants of SI capacity of NPOs. The paper is among the first to apply a reverse sampling principle and examine SIs via NPOs as producers. The paper produced, for the first time, an empirical description of the nature of innovative activity by NPOs and an estimation of the extent of this activity in Russia.

Liberal scholars attribute an essential role to nonprofit organizations (npos) in the process of democratization, due to their roles in raising public awareness and supervising the hegemony of the state. Nevertheless, the current literature has yet to pay sufficient attention to the ways in which governments respond to the dynamics of power. As argued inpublic rational choice theory, the government is a self-benefit maximizing bureaucrat that spares no effort to adopt various strategies aimed at keeping society under control. We have studied this postulation by comparing the two contrasting civil societies of China and the Netherlands. Results from our investigation of campaigningnpos from China and the Netherlands confirm that states tend to apply a range of strategies (e.g., political restrictions and financial instruments) in order to assimilatenpos into the developmental planning of the government (e.g., by stimulating the economic functions ofnpos while weakening their democratic functions in intangible ways).

Purpose
The I DO project connects business students to the European branch of small private international development organizations (PIs), using experiential service learning, which combines skill-based and hands-on volunteering opportunities, to achieve learning objectives with students (learning) while helping PIs (service). This paper aims to summarize the experiences and learnings of the pilot project.


Design/methodology/approach
Students work in four-person teams, guided by a student-coach, an academic supervisor and professional support, on a service project for one PI. Students provide indirect service to the PI through skill-based activities (e.g. creating marketing strategies or improving organizational efficiency) or hands-on volunteering (e.g. fundraising). In this program, students do not provide direct service to beneficiaries (i.e. they do not travel abroad). "I DO" will be established as a scalable regular course within the RSM Bachelor's program. A pilot involving 22 students and 6 PIs was started in September 2020.


Findings
The teaching brief describes lessons learned from the non-credit bearing 2021 pilot. As skill-based volunteers, students performed hands-on support tasks, conducted analyses, and formulated strategic recommendations. In the pilot, however, the students did not take on the active role of skill-based volunteer consultants, concentrating instead on the safer, easier role of hands-on support volunteers. Future improvements could thus be realized in the preparation phase, as well as by focusing the guidance of the coaches and academic supervisor on the stated learning objectives. The project and the students' motivation were negatively affected by the lockdown. In the future, including after the pandemic, measures will be added to maintain motivation, including a focus on the personal development of students, social events between students and stronger involvement on the part of the coach.


Originality/value
The teaching brief presents a new approach to service learning in international development as the service is giving to Western "headquarters" in both hands-on as skill-based volunteering.

Since the New Public Management Movement, privatization has become a popular approach for delivering public services. However, few studies empirically assess the relationship between privatization of public service delivery and citizen participation in coproduction. Taking advantage of a national survey of U.S. local government chief administrators, this study aims to contribute to the literature by exploring the link between these two important mechanisms of public service provision. Our findings indicate that local governments are more likely to involve citizens in coproduction when a larger proportion of service delivery is privatized. Regarding various types of coproduction, privatization in public service delivery is positively associated with the likelihood of citizen involvement in co-planning, co-design, and co-assessment, but not in co-delivery. Finally, compared to for-profit service providers, involving nonprofit organizations in public service delivery is likely to create more opportunities for citizens to be involved in the coproduction of public services.

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is a youth achievement Award program that aims to engage young people in purposeful activities focused on gaining knowledge, broadening horizons and accumulating a diversity of experiences. The program promotes positive youth development through an experienced based learning approach and is known to play a vital role in providing opportunities for young people to develop essential life skills, complementing their formal education. Comprised of three levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) and four sections (Service, Skills, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey) the Award is designed to provide a balanced programme of personal development. The Award operates worldwide in over 140 countries and territories, through the International Award Association. This article will discuss The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award program and its non-formal educational framework. Participants reported that it has enabled them to grow in confidence and in their ability to contribute positively to their communities.