Online cross-religion donation during COVID-19: mediating role of empathy and trust

Abstract

Purpose Most donation-related studies have extensively examined in-group donation behavior, but it is difficult to find similar studies that consider donations to out-group members. This study aims to understand online cross-religion donation during COVID-19 in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach The online questionnaire is distributed using the purposive and snowball sampling technique. From July to August 2021, 753 respondents are obtained, comprising Muslims, Catholics, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Confucian. Findings This study found that online cross-religion dona tion is strongly influenced by the social presence, trust in fundraiser and empathy. Interestingly, this study also reveals a partial mediation effect of trust in fundraiser and empathy in the relationship between social presence and online cross-religion donation. Future studies are encouraged to investigate and explore how care for others may affect online prosocial behavior. Originality/value This study provides two theoretical contributions. First, this study empirically evinced that charitable donation is blind to religious belief. Second, it promotes the mediating role of empathy and trust in fundraisers to improve online cross-religion donation.