The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global economy and health care, but online donations from the public on social media have increased significantly. However, the role of social presence in motivating people to donate online during the pandemic has been largely unexplored. This study examines the relationship between social presence on social media and online donation behavior during the pandemic using social presence theory. We explore the interplay between social presence, perceived threat, social properties of social media, and donation intentions. The results showed that social presence based on social media, perception of others and social interaction significantly affected social media online donation participation, and the perceived threat of COVID-19 significantly moderated online donation participation. Our research contributes to the understanding of online donation behavior during a pandemic crisis and provides insights into how social media can be leveraged for effective donation campaigns
