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Literature review

Do Skills Matter? A Literature Review on Skills and Workforce Development in the Third Sector provides a comprehensive review of current thinking and contextual information about skills and workforce development issues in the third sector. It also covers voluntary workers in the UK.

It covers areas such as:

  • The workforce profile of the third sector,
  • The state, regulation and the third sector,
  • Skills gaps and shortages,
  • Managing change,
  • Recruitment, retention and turnover in the sector, and much more.

The report, published by Skills - Third Sector, is available to download here (pdf).

Summaries

There are also two summaries of the literature review available - one covering paid workers and one volunteers. Download these below.

The list below gathers together all the texts, publications, articles and research papers on third sector skills that were reviewed for the report.

It can be used as a useful library of all the research into skills that is available, and can be used by anyone who needs to know more about the skills needs and development in charities, social enterprises and other not for profit organisations.

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A

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Title:
A Framework Towards IT Appropriation in Voluntary Organisations
Source:
2008, International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 4 (5): 438-451.
Themes:
IT support; organisational practices; voluntary organisations; NGOs.
Description:

This paper analyses the types and organisational structures of voluntary organisations to find out the factors that differentiate the IT support in these organisations as compared to other organisations. The authors advocate the need for more ethnographic work to closely examine the work practices of voluntary organisations and the requirements of the varied operations, and how IT may add value to them.

Title:
A Job to Believe in: Recruitment in the Scottish Voluntary Sector
Source:
2008, Human Resource Management Journal, 18 (1): 20-35
Themes:
recruitment; social care; Scotland.
Description:

Based on interviews with 137 managers and employees in 7 voluntary organisations offering social care in Scotland this article examines issues surrounding recruitment in the voluntary sector in Scotland. They examine managers perceptions of recruitment, employees experiences and the perceptions of the sector held by potential employees. They conclude that finding appropriate labour is a key difficulty (rather than attracting applicants). They also suggest that employees within the sector seem to be highly motivated and committed and experience high levels of job satisfaction. There are extensive misconceptions of the sector from those outside it and the article argues this further exacerbates recruitment problems.

Title:
A Race to the Bottom? Exploring Variations in Employment Conditions in the Voluntary Sector
Source:
2008, Public Administration, 86 (4): 1033-1053
Themes:
social care; employment relationship; state-third sector relationships; third sector independence; third sector autonomy; employment conditions; pay.
Description:

This article presents the findings of a study to explore state-voluntary sector inter-organisational relationships. Cunningham argues that different organisations are differently placed to be able to resist the pressures on employment conditions. Uses qualitative interviews with staff in personnel and managers responsible for personnel issues to examine the impact of state-voluntary sector relationships on employment in 24 voluntary organisations in Scotland. All the organisations reported increasing pressure to reduce costs which in turn created intensification of work and pressure to routinise work and reduce skills. However, organisations were not homogenous in their responses to these pressures. Some types of organisations were better able to resist the pressures. Cunningham classifies the organisational responses into 3 types 'on the inside track', 'holding their own' and 'struggling to care' the last of which was the category most vulnerable to the efforts of external bodies to reduce costs through dilution of skills, work intensification and pressure on pay and conditions.

Title:
Adaptive Capability in Israeli Social Change Nonprofits
Source:
2008, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37 (2): 224-248.
Themes:
Nonprofits; Israel; shared vision; system thinking; social capital; networking; learning.
Description:

The authors develop a theoretical framework for assessing a nonprofit's organisational readiness to improve its adaptive capacity. This is then applied to 10 emerging social change nonprofits in Israel. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the adaptive capacity conceptual framework while providing insight into the day-to-day realities of organisational life that help to shape the adaptive capacity of the 10 nonprofits in the sample.

Title:
An exclusive construct? Exploring different cultural concepts of volunteering
Source:
2001, Voluntary Action, 3 (3): 87-109
Themes:
Volunteering; culture; political; social; meaning; exclusion; transferrability.
Description:

This article explores the implications of the dominant Western construct of volunteering. It argues that there is a need to recognise the diversity of actions often hidden within that construct. The overuse of a single term can serve to marginalise many activities, especially informal, that take place at community level. The second half of the article examines how transferable this Western construct is. Rather than imploring the term 'volunteering' academics and practitioners should work with communities to develop bottom-up interpretations of culturally specific civil life.

Title:
Assessing the Impact of Investment in Leadership Training
Source:
2008, MLA East Midlands
Themes:
Leadership training; behaviour; confidence; networking; people skills; service delivery.
Description:

A survey and interviews on leadership training and impact on voluntary organisations and those who work in them.

Title:
Assessing Volunteer Motives: A Comparison of an Open-ended Probe and Likert Rating Scales
Source:
2002, Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 12: 243-255
Themes:
motivation; assessing motivation; Volunteer Functions Inventory; recruitment; career; Research methods.
Description:

Combines the use of a Likert scale survey and an open-ended probe within the same survey to assess volunteer motivation. The authors were seeking to examine whether the different methods would identify the same motivations and ranking of motivations and to assess which method provides better prediction of the frequency of, and related to this commitment to, volunteering. The sample is drawn from a non-profit making organisation in Phoenix, Arizona. The authors found that the value motive was most important followed by esteem and understanding. Motives around career, protective and social were not as important. Concluded that the Likert scale, the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI motive scores did have an important predictive function whilst the open-ended probe did not. Understanding motivation is argued to be important in successful recruitment of effective and committed volunteers.

B

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Title:
Benchmarking Voluntary and Community Sector Involvement with the Learning and Skills Council 2005
Source:
2005, Cambridge: EDuce.
Themes:
LSC; voluntary; learning; VCOs; workforce development; South East of England; FE provision; Business Links.
Description:

Trough an online survey, the report examines the level and nature of VCO involvement and benefits to LLSCs.

Title:
Board Roles in the Strategic Management of Non-profit Organisations: Theory and Practice
Source:
1999, Corporate Governance, 7 (4): 346 - 362
Themes:
Board roles; Strategic management.
Description:

Based on a study of the role of boards in organisations in the public and third sector. Concludes that there is wide variation in the contribution made by boards and that this depends on a complex interaction between regulatory systems, organisational and governance norms, recruitment practices and the skills and experiences of board members as well as aspects such as the organisations size. Institutional pressures can impinge on the strategic contribution of such boards

Title:
Briefing 5: Effective Use of Volunteers
Source:
2008, Research briefing, Birmingham: MLA.
Themes:
Employability; volunteering; management; recruitment; expectations.
Description:

This briefing aims to provide an overview of research on 'what works' to practitioners in the museum, library and archive sector, including effective use of volunteers; who is volunteering in the MLA sector; good volunteer management, recruitment and retention.

Title:
Burnout Amoung Volunteers in the Social Services: The Impact of Gender and Employment Status
Source:
2006, Journal of Community Psychology, 34 (5): 541-561
Themes:
Israel; burnout; volunteer careers; social services; gender.
Description:

Based on a study of 375 volunteers in Israel, found that employment status (whether high school students, employed persons, retirees or unemployed) had more significance for experiences of 'burnout' than did gender. Kulik did find evidence of some gender differences. In particular men were more likely to experience burnout as a result of difficulties in relationships with the beneficiaries whilst women were more likely to experience burnout as a result of difficulties in relationships with the organisation. Most vulnerable to burnout were female students and unemployed men.

C

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Title:
Change, HRM and the Voluntary Sector
Source:
2001, Employees Relations, 23 (3) 240-255.
Themes:
Organisational change; voluntary organisations; HRM; communication; stakeholders; skills.
Description:

This paper examines the context of the voluntary sector and its impact on organisational change processes. It looks at alternative models that could facilitate understanding of change processes in the voluntary sector. Hay et al argue that there are important HRM lessons for the wider voluntary sector, and there are some important contextual factors that have to be considered when applying the generic models of change.

Title:
Charity E-volution? An evaluation of the attitudes of UK charities towards website adoption and use
Source:
2007, International Journal of Nonpro?t and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 12: 33-46
Themes:
Website adoption, marketing, client interaction, fund raising.
Description:

The paper shows that while most charities have launched websites, the majority of them are using their Internet presence for information and general publicity purposes and not for acquiring new supporters, fund raising or interacting with clients.

Title:
Charity Law Reform: Implementing the Strategy Unit Proposals
Source:
2004, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 9 (3): 191-201.
Themes:
Charity law; Charitable Incorporated Organisation; Community Interest Company; self-regulation; fund-raising; public collection; accountability; performance.
Description:

This is likened to be a lobbying paper written in the times running up of the new Charities Act 2006. The paper spells out key issues and proposals arising from the Strategy Review Unit review for updating the law reform governing charitable organisations.

Title:
Charity Reform Poll
Source:
2002, London NCVO.
Themes:
Charitable status; law; voluntary organisations; reform.
Description:

Poll results conducted during the period running up to the charities reform, supporting the common understanding that there had been wide spread misunderstanding regarding what a charity was.

Title:
Compact: Working Together
Source:
1998, London: COI. or at http://www.thecompact.org.uk/
Themes:
Voluntary organisations; Compact; government.
Description:

A official document that explains how the Compact works, the responsibilities of the respective partners: the state, its departments and the voluntary organisations.

Title:
Creating Positive Change in Community Organisations: a Case for Rediscovering Lewin
Source:
2008, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 18 (4): 485-496.
Themes:
Lewin; organisational change; client awareness; strategic planning.
Description:

The authors explore the application and usefulness of Lewin's planned change model in the voluntary sector. Lewin's model may provide a set of guiding principles for examining an organisation's readiness for implementing change in terms its structure, decision-making process and development needs.

Title:
Crossing the Boundaries Between 'Third Sector' and State: Life-Work Histories From the Philippines,
Source:
2008, Third World Quarterly, 29 (1): 245-257
Themes:
Philippines; UK; Bangladesh; Transitions; Third Sector; Careers; Public Sector.
Description:

Presents early results from a study of individuals who have made the 'cross-over' between the third sector and the state. Lewis questions the value of the three sector model and suggests that whilst aspects of these borders are very real others are more artificial. Argues that political structures and policy frameworks are fundamental for how cross boundaries is experienced. At the individual level motives are varied but there is an expectation that things will be different in the new sector. Cross over brings valuable opportunities for creativity through the use of new skills, ideas and approaches in different sectoral contexts.

D

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Title:
Defection...Why? An Insight Into the Reasons For Volunteers Leaving
Source:
1992, York, England: Kestrecourt Ltd
Themes:
Recruitment; retention; volunteers.
Description:

This paper examines turnover of peer volunteers, especially close friends and people who started volunteering in the same period, can lead to reduced commitment and to additional turnover.

Title:
Determinants of Voluntarism: A Crossdisciplinary Review and Research Agenda
Source:
1996, Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing 4, (4) : 3-26
Themes:
Volunteers; Motivations to volunteer.
Description:

A literature review of existing research in the field. Looks at this from a number of perspectives including more psychological perspectives and more sociological ones.

Title:
Differentiating Literacy Volunteers: A Segmentation Analysis for Target Marketing
Source:
2003, International Journal of Noprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 8, (3): 267-285
Themes:
volunteers; marketing; US.
Description:

Criticises much of the existing research into the voluntary sector for being either too broad or two narrow and response to calls for a more robust methodology by utilising a segmentation analysis. Uses literacy volunteers to examine a method to determine whether sub groups really can be differentiated and to explore the variables that would be appropriate for this. Wymer concluded that literacy volunteers could be distinguished. However, some personality variables that had been expected to be the most important (empathy and self esteem) did not prove significant. Demographic variables of gender, income, age, volunteering intensity and employment were all significant in differentiating literacy volunteers.

E

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Title:
Economic Downturns and the Voluntary and Community Sector: a Short Review of the Evidence
Source:
2008, London: NCVO.
Themes:
Volunteering; recruitment; staffing; funding; donation; skills shortages.
Description:

The brief review looks at a wide range of recent reports and literature to arriving at its assessment of the likely effect of the economic downturn on the voluntary sector, covering topics such as funding, donation, volunteering, staffing and skills implications.

Title:
Empowering Active Citizens to contribute to Wales - A Strategic Action Plan for the Voluntary Sector
Source:
2007, Cardiff: Welsh Assembly.
Themes:
strategic plan; volunteering; citizenship; third sector; service delivery; skills.
Description:

This is a consultation report documenting feedback and issues raised during the consultation process.

Title:
Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan 2008-2011
Source:
2008, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/228582/0061861.pdf
Themes:
Third sector; Scotland; skills; social entrepreneurship; leadership; learning; profile.
Description:

This plan aims at creating appropriate conditions for developing the third sector in Scotland, containing 7 aspects. One of these aspect is the specific investment in skills and learning.

Title:
Expert Knowledge, Cognitive Polyphasia and Health: A Study on Social Representations of Homelessness
Source:
2007, Journal of Health Psychology, 12 (5): 779-790
Themes:
Homelessness; Health; Expert Knowledge; Policy.
Description:

Used qualitative interview with homelessness professionals working in London to explore how they constructed definitions about homelessness. Found that the way in which this occurred was affected by 'definitional clashes' between voluntary and state sectors. Suggested that the knowledge that these workers have was necessary for a real understanding of homelessness and that this should be recognised in policy design.

F

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Title:
Factors Associated with Abuse in Residential Child Care Institutions
Source:
2002, Children & Society 16: 33-44
Themes:
child care.
Description:

This paper examines factors associated with such abuse, including: failings in relation to staff recruitment, training, and supervision; ineffective management and systems of accountability; the development of inappropriate institutional cultures; public ambivalence towards children in care; the slow footed response to the threat posed to children and young people by dangerous men and other youngsters in care; and the long-term policy failure to develop coherent and integrated systems of child welfare in the UK.

Title:
Factors impacting burnout: HIV/AIDS volunteers
Source:
2000, Dissertation Abstracts International, 60 (8B): 420
Themes:
Volunteers; Burnout; motivation; turnover.
Description:

This paper examines burnout in volunteer workers in the HIV/AIDS area and its impact on service delivery.

Title:
From Paid Worker to Volunteer: Leaving the Paid Workforce and Volunteering in Later Life
Source:
2003, Social Forces, 81 (4): 1267-1293
Themes:
Volunteer activity; Age; retirement; volunteer recruitment; USA.
Description:

Uses the American's Changing Lives Survey to examine the association between employment status (full-time, part-time, or not in paid employment) and volunteering activity. Suggests that there is evidence that being involved in full time employment is negatively associated with volunteering activity.

Title:
Funding and Procurement: Compact Code of Good Practice
Source:
2008, London: COI. or at http://www.thecompact.org.uk/
Themes:
Funding; procurement; voluntary organisations; Compact.
Description:

A official document that explains the principles and code of good practice concerning funding and procurement.

Title:
Future Skills 2003 - A Skills Foresight Research Report on the Voluntary Sector Paid Workforce
Source:
2003, The Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation
Themes:
Paid employees; Demographics; Skills.
Description:

This detailed study involved 1000 voluntary organisations across the United Kingdom, identifying the skills (in 2003) and projected skills needs within the voluntary sector.

H

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Title:
Helping Out: A national survey of volunteering and charitable giving
Source:
2007, National Centre for Social Research and the Institute for Volunteering Research
Themes:
Volunteering; profile; recruitment; benefits; limitations; organisation; management; charitable giving.
Description:

This report details the main findings of a national survey of volunteering and charitable giving. It examines a wide range of topics such as the extent of volunteering, the profile of the volunteers, what they do, routes into volunteering, volunteering organisation, benefits and limitations etc.

Title:
Hold on to what you've got: the volunteer retention literature
Source:
2003, Voluntary Action, 5 (3): 81-09
Themes:
Retention; volunteers; personal factors; life events; management; motivation; commitment; job satisfaction.
Description:

This review finds many areas of disagreement among researchers especially in the areas of 'personal factors' and 'life events'. Likewise, the literature review is unable to provide a clear picture on the effects of demographic factors, personalities, attitudes and religion orientation. There is also little agreement on factors that have consistent influence on the commitment, job satisfaction and motivation of volunteers

Title:
Human Resource Challenges in Human Service and Community Development Organisations: Recruitment and
Source:
2003, Review of Public Personnel Administration
Themes:
IT Skills; recruitment; retention; non profit organisations; human resource management.
Description:

Surveyed small and medium sized non-profit organisations to examine the extent of difficulties in recruiting and hiring professional staff. Although there were problems recruiting this was not considered to be of crisis proportions. Particular difficulties were found in the recruitment of IT staff.

I

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Title:
I Want to Move Once I have Got Things Straight: Voluntary Sector Chief Executives Career Accounts
Source:
2005, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 16 (1) : 79-100
Themes:
chief executives; career paths.
Description:

Qualitative study of 60 chief executives in the voluntary sector in England. Identifies a typology of career types for chief executives. Paid philanthropists who are completely committed tot he sector. Careerists who believe that their skills are best suited to the sector and the Non-aligned who have come to the sector in an unplanned manner but who do not have a long term commitment to the sector

Title:
Identifying Promotional Appeals for Targeting Potential Volunteers: An Exploratory Study on Voluntee
Source:
2004, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 9 (3): 261-274
Themes:
USA; motivations of volunteers; age.
Description:

Exploratory research to examine the impact of age on decisions to volunteer. Based on qualitative in-depth interviews with 8 senior citizens seeks to examine the array of motivations and experiences of older volunteers. Argues that it is important not to see older volunteers as a homogenous group.

L

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Title:
Learning About the Practice of Change Management: the Case of Not-for-profit Organisations
Source:
2006, Working Papers, No. 122, Kent Business School, University of Kent.
Themes:
Change initiatives; failure; voluntary organisations; EFQM; management development; training.
Description:

The paper examines the nature of these change initiatives, the use of various tools of organisation change, the form of management involvement in the process of change, employees commitment to change and more importantly, factors that affect the effectiveness of change programmes.

Title:
Learning to Perform? A Comparison of Learning Practices and Organizational Performance in Profit- an
Source:
2007, International Journal of Training and Development 11 (4): 265-281
Themes:
UK Training and development; Learning; Non-profit making organisations.
Description:

Using interviews with training and development managers in 368 organisations across different sectors in the UK this study compares the individual level and team level learning practices that are utilised and examines how these relate to organisational performance. Concludes that non-profit organisations are better in terms of the range of individual learning practices offered to and taken up by staff.

Title:
Line Managers and Workplace Learning: Learning from the Voluntary Sector
Source:
2006, Human Resource development International, 9 (1): 99-119
Themes:
voluntary sector; social care; managers; HRD.
Description:

Reports research from observation and 60 interviews in two case study voluntary organisations in the social care sector. The research aimed to examine what senior and first line managers actually do in their roles of facilitators of learning amongst their staff. Concludes that managers are critical in facilitating (or inhibiting) learning. Learning climates can be successfully created by building on the person-centred values of social care and by enabling employees to engage in guided reflection whilst integrating workplace learning with other HRM processes.

M

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Title:
Making a Reality of Community Governance. Structuring Government-Voluntary Sector Relationships at t
Source:
1999, Public Policy and Administration, 14 (2): 49-61
Themes:
community governance; local government.
Description:

Explores the issues of 'community governance' in the UK context and the partnerships between local government and voluntary and community organisations following the election of the Labour government in 1997. The article argues that community governance offers both opportunities and threats. The nature of the partnership between local governments and voluntary and community organisations is central to how this will work.

Title:
Management matters: a national survey of volunteer management capacity
Source:
2008, London: IVR
Themes:
Volunteer; management; recruitment; training; capacity.
Description:

This report examines a number of aspects of volunteering, e.g. organising, volunteer management, recruitment and building capacity for volunteer management.

Title:
Managing Employee Commitment in the Not for Profit Sector
Source:
2004, Personnel Review, 33 (5): 536-548
Themes:
not for profit sector; paid workforce; HRM; Employee Commitment.
Description:

This paper examines HRM in a major charity that provides services to adults with learning disabilities. It finds that the intrinsic commitment to the job held by employees can form a competing commitment towards different entities of the organisation which may be difficult to reconcile to organisational objectives and existing power structures and group dynamics. The results have implications for the management of employee commitment in other service sectors.

Title:
Managing Volunteers
Source:
2004, NCVO
Themes:
Volunteers; HRM; Managing Volunteers; Occupational Standards.
Description:

Outlines the National Occupation Standards to guide the management of volunteers. These standards have been replaced but the new standards developed by the UK Workforce Hub.

Title:
Mental Health Training Needs Amongst Staff of Probabtion Aprrovec Premises: A Comparison with Mental
Source:
2005, The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice, 52 (2): 137-152
Themes:
criminal justice system; mental health system; training needs; skills needs.
Description:

This article is based on a survey of staff in a number of different types of organisations and uses staff in voluntary sector mental health hostels as a comparison. Identifies difference in terms of skills needed, training needed and mechanisms to meet that training. Staff within the voluntary sector showed patterns of access to training opportunities that suggested that they may have been trained and have experience useful for their work in the voluntary sector that was obtained before they commenced their current role. The voluntary sector staff were more likely to hold vocational qualifications such as NVQs and in many areas of activity were more confident that they had the necessary skills, training and experience necessary to perform their roles effectively.

N

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Title:
Need Public Policy Ignore the Third Sector? Government Policy in Australia and the United Kingdom
Source:
2006, Australian Journal of Public Administration, 65 (3): 90-102.
Themes:
Australia; third sector; social enterprise; voluntary community sector; capacity building; funding innovation.
Description:

This paper argues that in comparison to the UK Compact policy, the Australian policy towards working with the third sector - both at the Commonwealth and state and territory - is patchy and piecemeal.

Title:
New Technologies, Embedded Values and Strategic Change: Evidence from the UK Voluntary Sector
Source:
2003, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 32 (1): 115-127.
Themes:
Advanced networked technologies.
Description:

This paper together with two others (Burt and Taylor, 2000 and 2001) utilise two case studies - namely Friends of the Earth and the Samaritans - to examine the extent to which voluntary organisations are changing the involvement practice, implementing new deployment of professional staff and volunteers for performance enhancement and the possibilities of IT help deepening voluntary organisations' own values.

Title:
Nonprofit Agency Dependence on Direct Service and Indirect Support Volunteers: An Empirical Investig
Source:
2007, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 17 (3): 319-334
Themes:
Volunteers; USA; Managing volunteers; volunteer training.
Description:

Used questionnaires and interviews to 42 voluntary agencies in the US to explore how they dealt with their varying levels of dependency on volunteers. Found that the level to which they were dependent on volunteers did not correlate to the type and extent of use of HRM practices.

Title:
Nonprofits: Check Your Attention to Customers
Source:
1982, Harvard Business Review, May-June, 60 (3): 105-110
Themes:
Marketing; customers focus; role of consumer research; generic competition.
Description:

Tighter financial circumstances mean that non-profit organisations need to pay more attention to financial performance. The paper argues that too often non-profit organisations fail to exploit marketing techniques which can be used to build support from users that leads to improved cash flow.

Title:
North East Third Sector Skills Survey 2007/8
Source:
2008, Newcastle upon Tyne: PNE Group.
Themes:
North East of England; training; qualifications; learning; career progression; rural areas.
Description:

This survey looks at current training needs of people working and volunteering in the third sector, highlighting any gaps in training provision and identifying the barriers to learning across the region.

Title:
Nursing Leadership and Management in Third-Sector Organisations
Source:
2008, Nursing Management, 15 (7): 24-29
Themes:
Health; NHS; Careers: Public Sector.
Description:

Explores the challenges and rewards for nurses and nurse managers of transferring from the NHS to the third sector. Suggests that this provides the opportunity to enhance skills.

O

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Title:
Of Market Failure, Voluntary Failure and Third-party Government: Towards a Theory of Government-nonp
Source:
1987, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 16 (1-2): 29-49.
Themes:
Market failure; voluntary organisations; government; nonprofit organisations; welfare state.
Description:

As the government in the United States relies more heavily on nonprofit organisations than on its own official departments to deliver government-funded human services, this paper theorises the emergence of the so-called 'Third-party Government' - an arrangement that is very similar to the UK Compact which defines the working relationship between the state and voluntary and nonprofit bodies.

Title:
On Trust: Increasing Effectiveness of Charity Trustees and Management Committees
Source:
1992, NCVO
Themes:
charity; management.
Description:

The report examines the effectiveness of trustees and their strategic role in charity development.

Title:
Opening the Boardroom Door: Membership of Locally Appointed Bodies
Source:
1995, LGC Communications
Themes:
Board; Executives; Governance.
Description:

This study argues examines the characteristics and attitudes of board members of local bodies. It argues that there is evidence of the emergence of a new political class.

P

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Title:
People Count - Benchmarks for Human Resources in the UK Voluntrary and Community Sector
Source:
2007, Agenda Consulting
Themes:
voluntary sector; profile; human resources.
Description:

HR Benchmarking is see as a valuable way to support the people management within the sector.

Title:
People Count 2008 - Benchmarks for Human Rsources in the UK Voluntary and Community Sector
Source:
2008, Agenda Consulting
Themes:
HRM; UK; Voluntary Sector; Medium and large organisations.
Description:

2008 edition benchmarking the human resources of 182 medium and large voluntary and community organisations.

Title:
Pride and Respect in Volunteers' Organizational Commitment
Source:
2008, European Journal of Social Psychology. 38 : 159-172
Themes:
Volunteers motivation.
Description:

Surveyed volunteers in a Dutch voluntary organisation and found that pride in the organisation was a good indicator of commitment to the organisation. Pride in the organisation and respect and support from the organisation were useful motivators for volunteers who were not motivate by instrumental tools such as money.

Title:
Public Services and the Future of the UK Voluntary Sector
Source:
2004, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 9 (2): 105-109.
Themes:
Funding; partnership; Compact; government.
Description:

The author takes the view that one of the most important issues for the UK third sector is the partnership with the government as many cross-cutting units or programmes initiated by the government look to the third sector as the key partner to delivering the desirable outcomes. There is clearly the need for the third sector to have the skills to manage a successful relationship while retaining independence.

R

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Title:
Race and Gender Differences in Philanthropy: Indiana as a Test Case
Source:
2002, New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, 37 :65-77
Themes:
US: volunteering; charitable giving; volunteer motivation.
Description:

Looks at the effects of race and gender on volunteering and on charitable giving. Additionally seems to explore the nature of the data obtained through eight different survey methodologies. The sample was of 885 individuals with at least 100 in each survey method. The article suggests that there may be differences between the way different ethic groups 'heard' and responded to question and further research with larger samples would be necessary to explore this further. they also conclude that racial differences disappear after controlling for education attainment and income suggesting that apparent differences are more a product of more limited access to resources amongst ethnic minorities rather than indicative of of more fundamental difference in attitudes towards giving and volunteering.

Title:
Regulating Voluntary Activity: The Post-2006 Impact of Charitable Status in the UK
Source:
2007, Conference Paper, NCVO/VSSN Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference, University of Warwick, 5-6 September 2007.
Themes:
Charities Act 2006; voluntary sector definition; charitable status; Community Interest Company.
Description:

This paper examines the impact of the Charities Act 2006 and a range of policy documents from the government as well as from the third sector running up to the legislative changes. The paper provides a historical account running up to the changes and it also contains the views voluntary sector practitioners on the legislative changes.

S

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Title:
Safer Recruitment? Protecting Children, Improving Practice in Residential Child Care
Source:
2007, Child Abuse Review, 16: 223-236
Themes:
Child Care; Recruitment.
Description:

Surveyed local authorities and private and voluntary organisation responsible for residential childcare to examine the practices and processes used to ensure effective and safe recruitment of staff. Concluded that whilst there was a widespread usage of mechanisms to prevent the selection of individuals who were deemed unsuitable, less attention was given to ensuring that mechanisms were in place to prevent individuals becoming unsuitable. Kay et al argue that such measures require a more fundamental examination of organisational cultures and effective management and monitoring practices

Title:
Sensation Seekers and Civic Participation: Exploring the Influence of Sensation Seeking and Gender o
Source:
2008, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 13: 287-300
Themes:
volunteer motivations; volunteer recruitment; gender and volunteering; leadership.
Description:

Studied approximately 1100 extreme sports participants. Evidence suggest that sensation seekers have skills associated with leadership. This study seeks to see if they would actually like to take up leadership positions and whether sensation seeking impacts upon their volunteering behaviour. Finds that sensation seeking is not a good indicator of volunteering behaviour. Female sensation seekers reported higher levels of volunteering behaviour and were more likely to show interest in volunteering in the future. Both male and female sensation seekers showed a preference for leadership.

Title:
Social Capital and Non Profit Leaders
Source:
2004, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 14, (2): 471-486
Themes:
social capital; nonprofit organisations; leadership.
Description:

Explores the concept of social capital and argues that this is a useful concept for understanding the activities of leaders and board members within nonprofit organisations, The article also explores methods for measuring social capital.

Title:
Social Care: The Growing Crisis
Source:
2004, London: Social Care Employers Consortium
Themes:
social care; recruitment; retaining; workforce development.
Description:

This report aims to establish the scale of the difficulties that voluntary sector care providers face in order to provide high quality services. It raises awareness with both purchasers/commissioners in local authorities and primary care trusts, and central government of these issues, so that social care is allocated appropriate investment, and voluntary sectors are given proper levels of support to deliver their side of the partnership of the provision of services.

Title:
Social Entrepreneurs and Social Inclusion: Building Local Capacity or Delivering National Priorities
Source:
2005, International Journal of Public Administration, 28: 797-806
Themes:
Community sector; not for profit organisations; capacity building.
Description:

Uses community projects as a part of the UK's Neighbourhood Support Fund as a means of exploring the types of skills needs of such projects. Concludes that not only do they need to be close to the community and to be flexible and innovative but they increasingly are required to be able to meet government's demand for detailed performance data and in the current policy environment if they are to be successful also need to have managerial skills that are not traditionally associated with not-for-profit organisations.

Title:
Standing Apart, Working Together: A study of the myths and realities of voluntary and community sect
Source:
2004, London: NCVO.
Themes:
Voluntary organsations; independence; partnerships; VCS; market; informal sector; state; volunteers; funding; self-governing; nonprofit.
Description:

The report explores the issues around voluntary and community sector (VCS) independence. It looks at what 'independence' means, who and what can constrain independent action, the implications of these relationships and constraints for the third sector, and makes suggestions for future action.

Title:
State of the Sector V
Source:
2009, Belfast: NICVA.
Themes:
Volunteering; skills gaps; skills shortages; training; funding; recruitment.
Description:

State of the Sector V provides a snapshot of this diverse and dynamic environment within which the voluntary and community sector operates. State of the Sector assesses where the voluntary and community sector receives its funding from, how many people it employs and how many volunteers are involved with organisations.

Title:
Students' Vocational Choices and Voluntary Action: A 12-Nation Study
Source:
2008, Voluntas, 19: 1-21
Themes:
volunteering; motivations; recruitment; cross cultural research; students; vocational choice; educational choice.
Description:

Surveys students in 12 countries to examine whether subject of study impacts upon volunteering behaviours (volunteering, intentions to volunteer, and giving). Finds that there is cross cultural variation in this relationship and there is no universal link between subject of study and volunteering activity.

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Title:
The Careers of NGO Field-Workers in Bangladesh
Source:
2007, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 17, (3) : 349-365
Themes:
Bangladesh; Training needs; NGOs.
Description:

Explores the roles of field workers in 4 types of NGOs (International, Large national, regional and grass roots) in Bangladesh through a study of field workers in Argues that these are an important resource which are underpaid and undervalued and unappreciated. The majority of these workers are from middle class backgrounds and are young due to the physical nature of the jobs. However, they are insufficiently trained (in for example motivational techniques, aspects of care, clinical skills, and would benefit from periodic refresher training). Owing to the lack of value placed on these roles, Ahmed argues that careers cannot be easily developed in the field.

Title:
The Compact: Attempts to Regulate Relationships between Government and the Voluntary Sector in Engla
Source:
2003, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 32 (3): 415-438.
Themes:
Compact; voluntary sector; local government; Deakin Report; Active Community Unit; NHS.
Description:

This paper reviews the background against which a new collaborative arrangement called the 'Compact' emerged between the state and third sector bodies. It discussed the landmark Deakin Report and recommendations. The paper also makes conjectures regarding the potential obstacles lying ahead of the promotion of the Compact arrangement.

Title:
The Decline of Motivation?: From Committment to Dropping out of Volunteering
Source:
2008, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 19 (1): 65-78
Themes:
volunteer motivation; volunteer drop out; volunteer training; health; social services.
Description:

Very interesting study of why volunteers drop out. Explores volunteers working on a hotline to support victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence in Israel. Found that intensive training led to 'motivational saturation' after which many individuals failed to take up their volunteer role. Others dropped out after a considerable period of time having been unable to resolve discrepancies between 'ought' and 'actual' experiences.

Title:
The Development of Strategic Management in the Non-profit Context: Intellectual Capital in Social Se
Source:
2008, International Journal of Management Reviews, 10 (3): 281-299
Themes:
Strategic management; public sector reform; intellectual capital; core competency; Knowledge-based view; resource-based view; balanced scorecard.
Description:

The paper examines the use of strategic management including the use of SWOT analysis, core competency, balanced scorecard and 'intellectual capital' (IC) in the context of non-profit organisations. The paper argues that in an era of reforming the public sector, there is a need to establish a 'competent strategic management framework'. And as such, IC is a more effective tool than other management techniques in the non-profit environment.

Title:
The Governance Gap: Quangos and Accountability
Source:
1994, LGC Communications
Themes:
State- third sector relationships.
Description:

The report finds that there is great variety and inconsistency in the ways in which quangos are governed, and a remarkable lack of clarity about how they should be governed and to whom they are accountable.

Title:
The Impact of ICT on the Mnanagement of Canadian Volunteer Programs - Information and Communications
Source:
2004, Ontario: Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
Themes:
ICT; effectiveness; organisational, social and technical effects; digital divide.
Description:

This is a survey study in Canada that looks at two specific questions: (a) What affect the amount and type of ICT used in Canadian volunteer management programmes? (b) What affects how managers of volunteer resources (MVRs) perceive the effectiveness of ICT applications?

Title:
The Indispensable Backbone of Voluntary Action: measuring and valuing the contribution of older v
Source:
2006, London: WRVS.
Themes:
Voluntary; older workers; leadership; fundraising.
Description:

The findings demonstrate the importance of the contribution made by older volunteers to the work of a large number of voluntary organisations and statutory agencies across the country.

Title:
The Influence of Age on Volunteer Cotrnibutions in a Nonprofit Organization
Source:
2008, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 29: 311-333
Themes:
volunteers; recruitment and selection; age; US.
Description:

Using a survey of 458 volunteers in a US non-profit organisation the authors explore the relationship between age, job role performance and selection and training practices. They argue that the relationship of age and performance is not straight forward and is mediated by chronological age, by age similarity or dissimilarity with the mean age of the group and by aspects of social integration with the group. Suggests the need for recruitment and training of volunteers to take age into careful consideration during design.

Title:
The Interchangeability of Paid Staff and Volunteers
Source:
2008, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37 (1): 76-92.
Themes:
Interchangeability; volunteer labour; paid labour; labour substitution; nonprofit.
Description:

This paper examines the possibility whether it is operationally feasible to complement or substitute for paid staff with volunteers or vice versa in nonprofit organisations.

Title:
The International Volunteering Market: Market Segments and Competititve Relations
Source:
2007, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 12 : 350-370
Themes:
Volunteer recruitment; segmentation; motivation.
Description:

Uses the World Values Survey to examine the characteristics of volunteers throughout the world in order to identify characteristics of particular groups.

Title:
The Motivations to Volunteer: Theoretical and Practical Considerations
Source:
1999, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8 (5): 156-159.
Themes:
Recruitment; psychological perspectives; job satisfaction.
Description:

The authors draw on a psychological perspective to identify the various motivations for volunteering. Six personal and social functions have been identified. The paper argues that greater and sustainable recruitment of volunteers is possible is employers in the voluntary sector pay attention to the 'matching' of opportunities on offer to those six personal and social functions.

Title:
The Position of traditional Skills in the MLA Sector in the East of England: a Research and Evidence
Source:
2007, Birmingham: MLA.
Themes:
Heritage; culture; MLA; traditional skills; conservation.
Description:

This MLA report finds a picture of marked accelerated decline in traditional and conservation skills, provider capacity and commitment in culture and heritage sector over the last decade. In addition, this decline has been accompanied by difficulties in securing sustainable funding for training and recruitment of young people.

Title:
The State, Popular Participation and the Voluntary Sector
Source:
1995, World Development, 23 (4): 593-601.
Themes:
State; NGOs; developing countries; donors; policy environment; governance; collaboration; coordiantion.
Description:

The author argues that the effectiveness of the work of NGOs in the developing world is often mediated by the extent to which NGO managers are able to manage their relationships with the host government. The author identifies a number of critical factors which are relevant to this discussion.

Title:
The Strategic Role of Knowledge Management in Nonprofit Organisations
Source:
2008, International Journal of Nonprofit Voluntary Sector Marketing, 13: 129-140.
Themes:
Knowledge management; organisational maturity; ICT; leadership; performance management; culture.
Description:

This paper examines the usefulness of knowledge management (KM) in nonprofit organisations. The authors argue that the applicability of KM may depend on its relevance in the nonprofit context which is generally under researched. Furthermore, nonprofit organisations have 'unique' missions, varied organisational structures and operational maturity that requires a 'customer approach' to KM, if the technique is to be useful.

Title:
The Strategic Use of Information Technology by Nonprofit Organizations: Increasing Capacity and Unt
Source:
2007, Public Administration Review, May/June: 474-487
Themes:
Information technology; strategic management; relations building; financial sustainability; IT planning.
Description:

The study finds that there are significant deficits in a number of the strategic areas in relation to the utilisation of IT. These areas are using IT for financial sustainability, strategic communication, relations building, collaboration and partnerships.

Title:
The Third Sector in Europe: Five Theses
Source:
2004, in A. Zimmer and C. Stecker (eds.) Strategy Mix for Nonprofit Organisations: Vehicles for Social and Labour Market Integration, Springer.
Themes:
EU; european integration; voluntary organisations; strategy.
Description:

This chapter of a book argues that the process of the European integration is a route to overcome 'path-dependent' restrictions which up to now have hindered the nonprofit sectors in various European countries to develop into a common approach to social innovation.

Title:
The UK Voluntary Sector Almanac
Source:
2004, London NCVO Publications
Themes:
voluntary sector; demographic background.
Description:

Workforce profile.

Title:
The Unbearable Lightness of Skill: The Changing Meaning of Skill in UK Policy Discourses and Some Im
Source:
2000, Journal of Education Policy, 15 : 353-369
Themes:
skill; Education and Training; Policy.
Description:

The paper traces how the meaning of 'skill' has broadened considerably since the 1950s through an examination of the relevant policy literature. It stresses the central role of both the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) and Further Education Unit (FEU) in re-defining 'skill' in the late 1970s and 1980s. Core (or key) skills, which have come to dominate contemporary education and training debates, are seen as an extension of this agenda. Recent usage of the term, skill, is found to be more applicable to a vision of a low skill economy than that of a high skill one, presenting policy makers with range of difficult problems with regard to vocational education and training (VET) policy.

Title:
The Voluntary Sector Skills Survey 2007, South East England
Source:
2007, London: UK Workforce Hub.
Themes:
Skills gaps; skills shortage; recruitment; funding; IT; legal knowledge; training; budget; South East of England.
Description:

This report examines the nature, scope and impact of skills shortages and skills in the paid voluntary workforce in the South East English region.

Title:
The Volunteer Needs Profile: A Tool For Reducing Turnover
Source:
1983, Journal of Volunteer Administration, 2: 17-33
Themes:
Volunteers; Management of volunteers; Retention and Turnover.
Description:

The paper finds that volunteers are discouraged from teaching because of competing interests, the logistics of organising the classes, and the anxiety generated by teaching them. Strategies that increase the fit between the needs of a volunteer and the job to be performed will increase the longevity of that individual with the program.

Title:
The Volunteer Stages and Transitions Model: Organizational Socialization of Volunteers
Source:
2008, Human Relations, 6 (1): 67-102
Themes:
Israel; Volunteer career Volunteer socialisation; motivation; transitions.
Description:

Based on a study of volunteers helping street children in Israel, develop a Volunteering Stages and Transitions Model to show how volunteers are socialised from the point of entry to exiting an organisation. Five stages are identified: nominee, newcomer, emotional involvement, established volunteering, retirement. Each stage reflects different emotions, different skills levels, different support needs.

Title:
Third Sector Skills Research 2008: Further Evidence and Recommendations on Skills Gaps
Source:
2008, London: UK Workforce Hub and NCVO.
Themes:
Skills gaps; specialist skills; management; soft skills; informal processes; learning; training; planning; evaluation.
Description:

This focus group-based study looks at skills gaps, how to identify them, how they vary with establishment size, how employers deal with them and what barriers to skills development there are within third sector organisations in order to overcome skills gaps.

Title:
Third Sector Summit Interim Research Briefing - November 2007
Source:
2007, http://www.scvo.org/scvo/Information/ViewInformation.aspx?al=t&page;=&all;=&from=DSR&Info=1550&TCID=27&PageName=Facts
Themes:
Third sector; workforce; challenges; priorities; fund-raising; sustainability.
Description:

General briefing of the size, workforce and organisational issues of Scottish voluntary organisations. Some information is derived from the SCVO member survey.

Title:
Third Sector: First Choice
Source:
2006, NCVO. ATA Management Ltd
Themes:
Graduate recruitment; Training.
Description:

Looks at the possibility of developing a graduate training scheme for the Voluntary and Community Sector. Evaluates existing models (Teach First, National Graduate Development Programme, NHS Management training scheme and Existing VCO graduate training schemes). Produces 10 key principles on which a third sector graduate training programme might be based.

Title:
Turnover and Retention Among Volunteers in Human Service Agencies
Source:
2003, Review of Public Personnel Administration, 23 (2) : 114-132
Themes:
volunteers; managing volunteers; retention turnover.
Description:

Uses Herzberg's 'hygiene' theory to explore how organisational factors affect volunteers' experience and compares the experiences of active volunteers with those who have given up volunteering. Concludes that pre-service training, in service training and being given sufficiently challenging and varied tasks with opportunities for personal growth are crucial to retaining volunteers.

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Title:
U.S. Nonprofit Organizations - Demand for Temporary Foreign Professionals
Source:
2007, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 18 (2): 121-40
Themes:
Professional Skills; Recruitment; Skills Shortages; US; Foreign Labour.
Description:

Used applications to the US Department for Labor for work visas as a means of examining voluntary organisations use of foreign profession workers as a means of bringing in skills that appeared not to be present in the domestic market. Found that large organisations in particular most likely to utilise this practice as they had the resources to do so. Also found that organisations in the area of health in particular but also national security sought skills in this way.

Title:
Understanding the Volunteer Market: The What, Where, Who and Why of Volunteering
Source:
2001, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 7 (3) : 244-257
Themes:
volunteer motives; recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Description:

Argues that if an organisation is to successfully recruit and retain volunteers understanding the population that they are targeting is crucial. Article review current literature on volunteering and suggests that those who volunteer are a diverse group.

Title:
Undertsnading the Volunteer Market: the What, Where, Who and Why of Volunteering
Source:
2001, International Journal of Nonpro?t and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 7 (3): 244-257.
Themes:
Volunteer; motivation; commitment; corporate volunteering; skills development; recruitment.
Description:

Through reviewing a wide range of earlier research papers, this current paper gives a thorough analysis of the complexity of the volunteer market, and that a successful recruitment strategy will require the managers in the third sector to fully appreciate the many dimensions and issues relevant to the volunteer market.

Title:
Using third-party services to reduce the development cost and improve the effectiveness of charity w
Source:
2002, International Journal of Nonpro?t and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 8(4): 328-336
Themes:
Free Internet functional facilities; Internet trading; customer interaction; website management; IT skills.
Description:

The authors argue that there are real advantages in using freely available Internet facilities (e.g. en-riching site content; building online communities; fund raising; online auctions and trading; recruitment and monitoring) that have been developed by third parties. The impact of this approach is to allow charities to concentrate on charity activities and avoid having to build up costly in-house IT expertise.

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Title:
Virtual Promise - From Rhetoric to Reality: A Report on Charities - Use of the Internet between 2000
Source:
2004, http://www.icthub.org.uk/research/charity_internet_report.pdf
Themes:
Internet use; wen design; outsourcing; e-marketing; online fund raising; IT strategy.
Description:

This study looks at the changing use of the Internet among UK charities. The findings cover the most frequent reasons for using the Internet; the extent of out-sourcing; the level of sophistication in terms of content management and how the Internet and mobile telephony have changed the way charities work.

Title:
Voluntary Community Sector Skills Survey 2008
Source:
2008, Belfast: Skills for Justice, Northern Ireland.
Themes:
SSCs, skills gaps; skills shortages; legal knowledge; IT; planning; recruitment; funding.
Description:

The survey examines the nature, scope and impact of skills shortages and skills gaps in the paid voluntary workforce of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. Thus, the report covers employers' experience with hard-to-fill vacancies, employers' views on recruitment and skills gaps, the extent of formal training plans and training budget and collaboration with SSCs.

Title:
Voluntary Sector - Sector Briefings
Source:
2006, Sheffield: AGCAS
Themes:
Careers; paid workforce; graduates.
Description:

Briefing and main points only.

Title:
Voluntary Sector Skills Survey 2007: England
Source:
2007, NCVO
Themes:
Paid employee; skills shortages.
Description:

Report commissioned by UK Workforce Hub and Skills for Health to build on the Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation's research Futureskills conducted in 2003 (Wildling et al., 22003) examining skills gaps and skills shortages in paid employees in the voluntary sector. Based on interviews with 2564 employers, provides information on employers experiences of hard to fill vacancies, recruitment, skills gaps (their causes and impact).

Title:
Voluntary Sector Skills Survey England
Source:
2007, London: NCVO and Skills for Health
Themes:
Skills gaps; skills shortages; hard-to-fill vacancies; training; recruitment.
Description:

This report examines the nature, scope and impact of skills gaps and skills shortages in the paid third sector workforce. In particular, the survey covers topics such as 'hard-to-fill' vacancies, employers' views on recruitment and the extent of skills gaps at the workplace.

Title:
Voluntary Sector Skills Wales 2005
Source:
2005, Cardiff: WCVA.
Themes:
voluntary; recruitment; Wales; skills gaps; skills shortages; training; Investors in People.
Description:

The report looks at the profile of the workforce, recruitment issues, skills gaps, shortages and training issues.

Title:
Volunteering
Source:
2000, Annual Review of Sociology, 26: 215-240
Themes:
Volunteers; Motivation; Activism; Commitment; Human capital; Social capital.
Description:

Critically explores the variety of theories of volunteering. Examines the contributions of different schools of thoughts from Sociological , Psychological, cost-benefit analysis and social capital arguments.

Title:
Volunteering Insight
Source:
2007, Cardiff: Welsh Assembly.
Themes:
Volunteering; Wales; sector skills councils; strategy; lifelong learning; qualifications; skills development.
Description:

This is a report that covers many aspects of volunteering in Wales. It describes current activities, challenges and various schemes to raise the profile and level of volunteering.

Title:
Volunteering: Compact Code of Good Practice
Source:
2008, London: COI. or at http://www.thecompact.org.uk/
Themes:
Volunteering; voluntary organisations, Compact.
Description:

A official document that explains the principles and code of good practice concerning volunteering.

Title:
Volunteers in Charity Retailing: Recruitment and Training
Source:
1996, Journal of Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 6 (3): 255-270
Themes:
Recruitment: Training; Retail; Volunteers.
Description:

Examine recruitment and training of volunteers in the charity retail sector. Argue that methods of recruitment and training should be examined carefully if organisations are going to be able to retain and build and appropriately skilled workforce.

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Title:
We Hate It Here, Please Let Us Stay! Irish Social Partnership and the Community/Voluntary Sector's
Source:
2005, Critical Social Policy, 25 (3): 349-373.
Themes:
Civil society; corporatism; state; participatory democracy.
Description:

The author argues that social partnership between the state and community/voluntary organisations in Ireland has an unintended consequence, namely the policy input role of voluntary bodies is diminished because of the overwhelming funding role of the state. An alternative, the author argues is for voluntary/community organisations to widen their alliance strategy.

Title:
What Determines Alumni Generosity? Evidence for the U.K.
Source:
2000, Education Economics, 8: 65-80
Themes:
Demongraphics; Philanthropic behaviour; volunteering activity.
Description:

This paper examines the scale and determinants of alumni giving, using datasets from two public-sector, doctoral-granting universities in the UK. The importance of alumni generosity-both as revenue and as a performance measure-is considered, comparing new UK evidence with extant findings on US donor behaviour. Evidence is presented on systematic differences in alumni generosity, based on personal characteristics, solicitation efficiency, and the characteristics and quality of the Higher Education received by graduates. Distinguishing the propensity to give from the scale of giving, there are evident differences by gender, income, by type of campaign and by subject studied.

Title:
What Makes Boards Effective? An Examination of the Relationships Between Board Inputs, Structures, P
Source:
2001, Corporate Governance, 9 (3): 217 - 227
Themes:
Non-profit organisations; Boards; management practices; strategic management.
Description:

Conceptualises board performance in input and output terms. Inputs being the board members' time and skills and the outputs being the functions and tasks that the board performs.

Title:
Which is the Fair Sex? Gender Differences in Altruism.
Source:
2001, Quarterly Journal of Economics, (1): 293-312
Themes:
Gender; Altruism; volunteering.
Description:

The paper shows that the question 'which is the fair sex?' has a complicated answer - when altruism is expensive, women are kinder, but when it is cheap, men are more altruistic.

Title:
Who gives time now? Patterns of participation in volunteering.
Source:
2007, London: IVR
Themes:
Volunteer; organisation; recruitment.
Description:

This is one of a series published by the Institute for Volunteering Research to explore and disseminate aspects of Helping Out: a national survey of volunteering and charitable giving (2007).

Title:
Will the Boomers Volunteer During Retirement? Comparing the Baby Boom, Silent, and Long Civic Cohor
Source:
2009, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 38 (2): 181-199
Themes:
Volunteers; Demographics; who volunteers; motivation.
Description:

Data from the 1995 and 2005 waves of the Mid-life in the United States panel study were used to compare rates of volunteering among the baby boomers with earlier cohorts and to predict boomers' future volunteering.

Title:
Workforce Development in the South West Voluntary and Community Sectors: Skills Shortages Study
Source:
2006, Social Research & Regeneration Unit, University of Plymouth, Plymouth: SRRU.
Themes:
Skills shortages; skills gaps; training; retention; South West Region; learning; attitudes; workforce development; barriers to training; online training.
Description:

The report is comprehensive and covers many issues such as skills gaps, local, sectoral and occupational differences of skills gaps and skills needs. The data are derived from a telephone survey with employers, interviews and an employee survey.