The Latent Classes of the Volunteer Satisfaction Index and Donation During the Pandemic in Singapore

Voluntary associations reduced traditional volunteer activities because of governmental restrictions on face-to-face social interactions that aimed to control the spread of the coronavirus disease during the pandemic. Therefore it is expected that those whose level of satisfaction in organized volunteerism was high took alternative ways, such as donative behaviors, to practice their altruistic values. The study used data from the Individual Giving Study in Singapore, which was administered in 2021 when the pandemic hit the country hard. The study utilized a Latent Class Analysis (LCA) of the Volunteer Satisfaction Index (Galindo-Kuhn, and Guzley, 2001. Journal of Social Service Research 28:45–68). The LCA identified five subgroups of the current and former volunteers. The multivariable regression results showed that a minority of volunteers with the highest overall satisfaction (14%) or the high participation efficacy and group integration satisfaction (13%) were more likely to donate. The results demonstrated that volunteer satisfaction may encourage volunteers to donate generously to more causes despite the impact of a pandemic. In conclusion, volunteer satisfaction was positively associated with donation during the pandemic when onsite and face-to-face volunteering was limited.