Responding to COVID-19: Community volunteerism and coproduction in China

The COVID-19 pandemic created a critical need for citizen volunteers working with government to protect public health and augment overwhelmed services. Our research examines the crucial role of community their effective deployment during crisis. We analyze individual collaborative service activities based on usage data from 85,699 gathered through China’s leading digital volunteering platform, as well survey conducted among sample 2,270 these using platform interviews 14 civil society leaders in charge coordinating activities. Several results emerge: value collaboration local citizens, including community-based groups, regional fill gaps services; key experienced volunteers, who rapidly shifted other causes peaked; an example state-led coproduction long-term relationships. analysis provides insight into volunteerism China's response pandemic, laying groundwork future research. findings can help support crises by more effectively leveraging human capital technology delivery.