Can Government Intervention Increase Volunteers and Donations? Analyzing the Influence of VISTA With a Matched Design

The United States has long relied on private organizations to provide public services to poor communities. However, while the federal government’s support of the civic sector through grants and contracts is well studied, little research investigates how it subsidizes voluntary organizations through national service programs, such Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). In this article, we assess whether nonprofits that receive VISTA members show higher levels of donations and volunteers than matched nonprofits that did not receive VISTA members in the years following the Great Recession. We find that nonprofits that participated in the VISTA program had higher numbers of volunteers 2 years after participation, suggesting that national service was effective at supporting local organizations and building local civic infrastructure during an economic recovery. We also follow VISTA receiving organizations from 2010 to 2016 in a longitudinal design, finding a robust relationship of VISTA service and volunteering. These findings suggest VISTA is a resource for organizations and invite further research on the relationship between national service and anti-poverty work.

To die and let die: A just theology of ceding space

Over the past few years, there has been a significant intel­lectual and artistic emphasis on the manner in which one considers or approaches the end of life. This is in con­junction with a renewed ethical discussion about choosing the manner and time of one’s death in light of a diminished quality of life. Large populations across the world are ageing, presenting unique challenges to healthcare and civic infrastructure. The planet is suffering because of a climate crisis, due to the overburdening of resources. In light of all this, it is argued in this contribution that a renewed theological consideration of death is necessary. In his theology about the Trinity, Jürgen Moltmann makes a remark about his understanding of the perichoretic unity of the persons of the Trinity, in which the persons of the Trinity “cede” space for one another. Ceding space creates space (room) for authentic existence. This con­­tribution considers and utilises Trinitarian “spatial” theology as foundation for rethinking the complexity and balance of life and death. It is ultimately argued that “creating space for death” could serve as a foundation for an ethical framework for decision-making, as well as foster a compassionate community that provides space for each other’s diversity – in life and in death.

Provocations for Boundary Spanning from Mohammad Nagar’s Community Toilet

Collaborative research endeavours, such as the ‘Boundary Spanning and Intermediation for Urban Regeneration’ project, can help unpack boundary spanning from the viewpoint of communities in informal settlements who engage with the state through certain actors operating as their citizen–state interface. This article builds on the story of a community toilet in Mohammad Nagar settlement in Bholakpur, a neighbourhood in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, where solid consumer waste is processed, recycled and regenerated with value. Tracing the struggles to build a functional community toilet from 2012 to 2017 amidst a gentrifying real estate landscape, this article asks: what does the process of working through a fragmented community to claim a community toilet from the state say to the idea of boundary spanning? By describing the boundary-spanning activities of three different actors invested in working through a divided settlement to co-produce an effective claim, it seeks to enquire about the different knowledge types these actors hone. How are these knowledge types generated? How do different actors deploy them in the neighbourhood? Through its analysis of the post-2017 scenario, when the toilet stood built but unmaintained and unused, the article argues for studying boundary spanning over time and spatial change, especially in places like Mohammad Nagar, where securing basic and usable civic infrastructure relies on multiple iterations of boundary-spanning activities.

Nový nástroj pre miestny rozvoj v Slovenskej republike

In order to address the coherence between intensive construction by development companies and the need for capacity building of the corresponding infrastructure, which is by law provided by the municipality, a new act of legislation was adopted in the Slovak Republic with effect from 1 January 2016. The Local Development Fee Act is meant to be a tool that would enable funding and support building of civic infrastructure and amenities. The aim of the paper is to analyze how the fee was implemented in municipalities. Due to its facultative character - the municipality may or may not adopt it by a generally binding regulation (local ordinance) - it can be assumed that it has been implemented first in larger towns and cities and/or municipalities within the metropolitan areas of these cities. This is where the most intensive residential housing construction takes place. Small municipalities and peripheral municipalities would arguably not apply it, as it could eliminate the interest in housing construction in their territory. Their aim is to retain or attract new residents and investors. To verify this, two hypotheses are set: 1. The local development fee has been implemented by large towns and municipalities in their metropolitan areas. 2. Boroughs of Bratislava applied the maximum amount stipulated by law when levying the fee. The results of the research brought confirmation of the hypotheses as well as some interesting facts.

Financing capital expenditure through municipal bond market in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation

In India, the urban local bodies do not have decentralization in various functions. Therefore, municipal corporations find various issues in functioning and revenue generation. It has resulted into either shortfall or low quality infrastructure services to people. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation is developed as modern municipal corporation. Municipal corporation invested financial resources in development for civic infrastructure. Therefore, population, industries, educational institutions, markets, transport and other facilities are expanding very fast. The ordinary least square regression results shows that the municipal corporation has positive co-relation with revenue receipts from LBT, property tax and town planning. The revenue expenditure is positively co-related with municipal estate, public health and hospitals, primary and secondary education. The engineering work for poor is negatively correlated with revenue expenditure. The capital receipts are positively co-related with fire brigade, auditorium, sports and cultural programs and security deposits and water supply. The capital expenditure is positively co-related to women and child welfare schemes, primary education, environment monitoring. It is negatively co-related with dumping grounds. The municipal corporation must raise funds from capital market through municipal bonds. More investment must be made in civic infrastructure. Similarly, corporation must spend more funds on poor, welfare of women and children. Municipal corporation must monitor and protect environment. It must give more priorities for processing of solid and e-waste, protect local culture, primary and secondary education, health care for all and technology in provision of civic services. It must develop human resource and create best place to live in metropolitan region.