Did the Pandemic Shift the Balance Between Time and Money Giving? An Interrupted Time Series Analysis in the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT This study investigates how the COVID‐19 pandemic affected two core forms of civic engagement: institutional financial donations and volunteering. We analyze monetary contributions and the estimated economic value of volunteer labor using national‐level time series data from the Czech Republic (2016–2023). Applying interrupted time series analysis (ITSA), we find that while financial donations—particularly from corporate donors—increased in absolute terms during the pandemic period, these changes are not statistically significant in the interrupted time‐series model, whereas volunteering declined sharply, both in hours contributed and imputed value. However, the combined economic volume of giving remained relatively stable, suggesting a reconfiguration rather than an overall decline in civic engagement. Disaggregated analysis by legal form of nonprofit organization further reveals that the impact was uneven across the sector, reflecting differences in structure and organizational characteristics. Our study contributes to ongoing debates about measuring and valuing civic contributions, offering a rare macro‐level comparison of time‐ and money‐based giving. While our findings remain exploratory, given the short time series and reliance on institutional data capturing primarily formal forms of engagement, they point toward the need for more integrated, multidimensional approaches to understanding civic engagement during periods of crisis.