Getting Connected: An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship Between Social Capital and Philanthropy Among Online Volunteers

This study investigates the interrelationships between social capital and philanthropic activities, both online and offline, using data from a survey of online volunteers. It explores how the rapid growth of internet technologies and social media impacts social capital formation and its association with prosocial behaviors. Results indicate strong links between social capital levels and offline donations, but highlight key differences in relationships with online and offline volunteering. Two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression analysis is used to infer causal relationships.