Research has shown that far-right success can worsen the condition of foreigners, cutting social welfare provisions and unleashing the hostility of specific groups of natives. Can other citizens compensate for this, by increasing their efforts to protect vulnerable groups? Using close municipal elections in Italy, I estimate the causal effect of far-right administrations on the creation of local volunteering associations. Over a mayoral term, far-right governance leads to the creation of one additional association per 20,000 inhabitants. This result is entirely explained by associations providing social welfare, while no impact is detected on other types of associations. Using individual-level survey data, I document how such an increase is likely to be driven by citizens with positive attitudes towards migrants, who engage more in volunteering activities during far-right mayoral spells. These findings complement our understanding of the consequences of far-right success, demonstrating its potential to trigger positive behaviors that may attenuate the detrimental effects of far-right governance in equilibrium.