The Latent Classes of the Volunteer Satisfaction Index and Volunteering during the Pandemic in Singapore

The retention of volunteers amid the COVID-19 pandemic was a grave concern for voluntary associations worldwide. Due to governmental restrictions on face-to-face social interactions, voluntary associations had to curtail traditional volunteer activities and thus experienced a significant reduction in their workforce. Therefore, who stayed in or left the volunteer fields during the Pandemic is crucial for the nonprofit sector. A plausible mechanism is the degree of volunteer satisfaction that may affect whether volunteers continue working for the public good despite harsh external conditions. We employed data from the Individual Giving Survey from Singapore. The survey was conducted between April and September 2021 amid the Pandemic. The study applied a Latent Class Analysis to the Volunteer Satisfaction Index. The LCA located five subgroups of volunteers as follows: (1) highest overall volunteer satisfaction (14%), (2) high Participation Efficacy and Group Integration satisfaction (13%), (3) high Organizational Support satisfaction (10%), (4) medium Participation Efficacy (19%), and (5) low overall satisfaction (44%). Regression analyses were applied to five outcome measures of volunteer behaviors and intentions, taking the latent volunteer satisfaction classes as the main independent variables. The results indicate that those with the highest overall volunteer satisfaction were more likely to maintain their volunteer status during the Pandemic, volunteer more frequently and recently, intend to volunteer in the future, and intend to encourage others to volunteer. In conclusion, volunteer satisfaction was a key factor that prevented volunteers from ceasing civic engagement during the Pandemic.