2026 News & Events

The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is one of the inaugural Knowledge Partners of the World Bank Group (WBG) Philanthropy Hub. The WBG launched the Hub on 12 October 2026 at its first Philanthropy Forum, held during the WBG–IMF Annual Meetings in Bangkok. More than 200 leaders from foundations, networks, family offices and development institutions took part.

The Hub is designed as philanthropy's single front door to the WBG. It aims to connect good ideas to capital and move proven pilots to scale. WBG President Ajay Banga described it as a platform where philanthropy can "invest in answers at scale." Rockefeller Foundation Executive Vice President Elizabeth Yee called it an opportunity for ecosystem members to come together to co-create solutions to shared challenges. WBG Chief Knowledge Officer, Paschal Donohoe, said the Hub "will connect ideas, resources and partners to take those solutions to scale."

Key Design Ideas

• Country-led priorities. Each country shares their vision (e.g., top five priorities). Those priorities become the shared agenda.
• Each partner plays to its strengths. Connecting the World Bank Group with government and philanthropy is viewed as a multiplier, with each contributing their comparative advantage.
• Simpler systems and shared measurement. Partners will need to build trust and agree on shared frameworks (e.g., mutually agreed frameworks for due diligence, KYC, measurement, and co-financing).

Knowledge Partners will contribute research, practical experience, regional insight and specialist advice. In addition to academic institutions, knowledge partners include research institutes, philanthropic networks, and consulting firms. In addition to our school, fellow Knowledge Partners include LSE’s Marshall Institute, Bridgespan Group, Boston Consulting Group, the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), Dalberg, Latimpacto, Coefficient Giving and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Our shared objective, as members of the Hub, is to connect knowledge to action in countries and communities.

At the Forum, Dr. Dana R.H. Doan, Director of the School's Global Philanthropy Indices, facilitated a spark talk with Brian San, Secretary-General of the Institute of Philanthropy and Co-Convenor of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy. Their talk focused on findings and implications of the Commission’s newly released report, which explores the nature, scale, and future potential of Asia’s philanthropy ecosystems. Key insights from the report and their conversation:

• Definitions matter. Global North definitions focus on philanthropy that is private and voluntary while the Commission counts public discretionary spending and faith-required giving. That wider lens revealed five models of giving: community-led, faith-based, state-led, corporate-led and UHNWI-led.
• Philanthropy in Asia is more than money. Trusted local networks, social capital, corporate assets, legitimacy and patient commitment often matter as much as financial contributions. As we know, that lesson applies well beyond Asia.
• Learning from Asia’s "billion-dollar ideas". Six of the report's 12 growth playbooks describe models generating over USD $1 billion a year. Examples include mass digital giving in China, India's mandatory CSR, and the institutionalization of zakat in Indonesia.
• Building philanthropy ecosystems in Asia. The growth playbooks reveal the important role of ecosystems that support capable actors, foster connections, and provide reliable data. To foster such ecosystems, the report proposes three investments: make giving visible, share playbooks, and build platforms for collaboration.

The Commission’s call to make giving visible and to build platforms for collaboration closely mirrors the purpose of the new Philanthropy Hub. Both recognize that philanthropy achieves its greatest impact not in isolation, but when it works alongside governments, businesses, and communities, guided by shared priorities and reliable evidence. Both also point to the same need: better data on who gives, how, and to what effect, gathered in ways that reflect the diversity of giving across regions.

The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy looks forward to working with Hub members and fellow Knowledge Partners to gather, share, and connect evidence that is rigorous, comparative, and grounded in local context. “Philanthropy is most effective when decisions are informed by good evidence and an understanding of local context,” said Dr. Amir Pasic, Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “As a Knowledge Partner, our School looks forward to sharing our research, learning from the Hub’s members, and making sure the evidence we produce responds to the questions that matter most to the field.”

Link to WBG Philanthropy Hub press release: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/10/12/world-bank-group-launches-philanthropy-hub-to-unlock-capital-knowledge-and-network
Link to Commission on Asian Philanthropy’s Interrim Report: https://philanthropycommission.asia/insights-activities/new-report-finds-asias-philanthropy-is-shaped-by-everyday-giving-business-contributions-and-public-investment-with-more-than-us-1-trillion-expected-over-the-next-decade/
Link to IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s Global Philanthropy Indices website: https://globalindices.indianapolis.iu.edu/index.html

The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy invite submissions for a proposed special issue of VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations focused on “Philanthropy in Higher Education in Africa: Power, Equity, and Institutional Autonomy.” The special issue will examine the growing role of philanthropy in African higher education, including how philanthropic relationships shape institutional governance, policy priorities, knowledge production, academic freedom, and efforts to widen access to education.

The call builds on the School of Philanthropy’s Emerging Scholars in Philanthropy and Higher Education in Africa project, and seeks additional contributions that complement research already emerging from that initiative by addressing thematic, geographical, and institutional gaps. Interested authors should submit an extended structured abstract of 750–1,000 words by October 30, 2026. Review the full call for papers for submission details and instructions.

Lilly Family School of Philanthropy presents Global Philanthropy Tracker at Generosity Without Borders 2026

The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy participated in Generosity Without Borders 2026 (Generosidad Sin Fronteras), an online convening organized by the GivingTuesday Latin America and Caribbean Hub. The August event brought together researchers and philanthropy leaders to explore current trends in generosity and their implications for the region.

During the opening plenary, “The State of Generosity,” Matt Griffith, Research Associate at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, presented findings from the 2026 Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT), the School’s latest research examining cross-border philanthropic giving around the world. The GPT presentation was featured alongside recent research from GivingTuesday and Charities Aid Foundation as part of a series of brief presentations designed to provide participants with current data on philanthropy and generosity.

Griffith highlighted the scale of global cross-border philanthropy and its role within the broader landscape of international resource flows. The 2026 GPT analyzes philanthropic outflows from 47 countries, and compares philanthropy with official development assistance, remittances, and private capital investment. In 2023, the countries included in the study generated $82 billion in cross-border philanthropic outflows, accounting for approximately 10 percent of the $860 billion in total cross-border resources measured by the GPT.

The presentation also emphasized philanthropy’s relative stability. Although philanthropy represented the smallest of the four resource flows examined, it has shown consistent growth over time, even amid the significant economic disruptions of recent years.

Overall, the presentation showcased how the GPT can contribute to a stronger evidence base for understanding the scale, composition, and changing role of philanthropy in the global resource landscape.

Building Common Ground: IU LFSOP at WINGS Asia-Pacific’s 2026 Regional Convening in New Delhi

The WINGS Asia-Pacific Working Group’s 2026 Annual Regional Convening, held August 23–24 in New Delhi, India, brought together members from across the region including Dr. Dana RH Doan, Director of the Global Philanthropy Indices at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The convening took stock of progress to date, explored ways to deepen regional and global collaboration, and helped shape the region's key messages ahead of WINGSForum 2026. Over two days, members took part in working group meetings, Learning & Action Circle Town Halls, a workshop on multi-stakeholder partnerships, and a preview of a new WINGS guide to help governments engage and partner with philanthropy. Dr. Doan co-led the Use of Data Learning & Action Circle's Town Hall session, while also taking part in wider conversations across the network.

A connecting thread across the two-days was the value of embracing the uniqueness of Asian philanthropy while identifying shared interests. One area of shared interest was building deeper collaboration with governments in the region. Several participants expressed concern that governments in the region tend to view philanthropy merely as a funding source, while others saw this framing as a starting point for building genuine partnership rather than a barrier to it.

The need to invest in data infrastructure ran through nearly every conversation as both an opportunity and a source of tension. Members want stronger, better-funded data infrastructure to guide decisions and demonstrate impact, yet there was real awareness of the harms past standardization efforts have caused, especially for grassroots organizations and the communities philanthropy serves. The clearest consensus was that any regional data infrastructure must be built with communities, not just about them - designed from the bottom up, valuing qualitative alongside quantitative evidence, and treating data as a public good. Dr. Doan left Delhi energized by how much common ground exists across the network, in data ambitions, partnership models, and the shared search for a distinct and significant regional voice.

On July 14, 2026, the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the University of the Witwatersrand, GivingTuesday, and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy co-hosted a half-day, pre-conference session ahead of the ISTR 2026 Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Nearly 100 researchers, practitioners, funders, and ecosystem builders gathered for Cross-Border Philanthropy in a Shifting Global Landscape: Data, Policy, and Practice. During the session, Dean Amir Pasic opened with new findings from the 2026 Global Philanthropy Tracker and the 2025 Global Philanthropy Environment Index. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring: Prof. Gibril Faal, OBE, JP from The London School of Economics & Political Science; Jenny Hodgson, Executive Director of the Global Fund for Community Foundations; Cathy De Wilder, Network Manager of Myriad Alliance; and Tyler Dale Hauger, Head of Collective Intelligence at WINGS global network of philanthropy infrastructure organizations. Following the panel, participants engaged in small-group discussions to identify priority areas and inform actionable recommendations for policy, research, and practice on cross-border philanthropy.

The session surfaced pressing questions about how to capture informal, diaspora, and other philanthropic flows that remain largely invisible in current datasets. Participants debated philanthropy's evolving relationship with policymakers amid rising regulatory scrutiny. Building on the session's momentum, the co-hosts invited participants to contribute towards a collaborative research brief on cross-border philanthropy and a VOLUNTAS special issue on comparative global philanthropy research, with abstracts due September 30, 2026. The session drew independent coverage in Alliance magazine, reflecting a growing appetite for reimagining cross-border giving for a changing global landscape.

Global Philanthropy Tracker offers new baseline to examine the landscape of cross-border financial resources

Funders, donors, NGOs and governments can act more strategically with data from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis is releasing the 2026 Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT). The 12^th edition of this first-of-its-kind report series offers a comprehensive picture of the scale and scope of worldwide cross-border philanthropy flows originating from 47 countries that together represented 83% of the global gross domestic product. The GPT measures cross-border giving from individuals and organizations around the world, tracking resources that support charitable causes abroad.

To place cross-border philanthropy within the broader context shaped by civil society, government, business, and individuals, the report compares it with three externally tracked cross-border financial resource flows: official development assistance (ODA), remittances, and private capital investment.

ODA cuts began in the U.S. and several European countries in 2024 and are expected to reshape the landscape of cross-border resource flows. The 2026 report establishes the 2023 index as a baseline year to compare to 2024 and onward. These data equip global philanthropy stakeholders (funders, donors, NGOs and governments) with the insights needed to evaluate upcoming shifts, pivot intelligently, and address widening funding gaps.

Key findings

• Cross-border philanthropic outflows from 47 countries reached USD 82 billion in 2023.
• When adding all four major cross-border resource flows—philanthropic outflows as well as ODA, remittances, and private capital investment—these 47 countries contributed USD 860 billion in total in 2023.
• Over the past three decades, philanthropic outflows remained the most stable among the four cross-border resource flows.
• Between 2020 and 2023, philanthropic outflows rose by 16%; however, this growth did not outpace high global inflation, translating into a slight decline of 1% when adjusted for inflation.
• The most supported charitable causes are Education and Emergency and Humanitarian Assistance, reflecting a dual focus on crisis response and long-term human capital investment.
• Africa and the Middle East emerged as the most widely supported recipient regions in 2023. The increase in charitable support to the Middle East is primarily driven by the philanthropic donations made for the relief of the 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquakes.

What do the 2023 data suggest?

• Cross-border philanthropy is dynamic and quick to react. Crisis response surges in moments of urgency but does not fully replace other charitable causes.
• Social Services and Infrastructure-focused giving remain a central pillar of cross-border philanthropy.
• Regional solidarity, geographic proximity, long-standing partnerships, and shared development priorities remain important driving forces of cross-border philanthropy.
• To further this catalytic role of philanthropy, especially in a time of fiscal restraint for governments, it is vital to create and strengthen a favorable environment that enables private actors to efficiently mobilize resources for the public good.

Why is this important?

• Global philanthropy stakeholders can act more strategically when informed by data on the broader landscape of cross-border financial flows.
• Philanthropy’s evolving role and future contributions can be assessed using new baseline data from before substantial ODA cuts reshaped the landscape.
• Global philanthropy stakeholders can make more effective decisions when supported by stronger global philanthropy data infrastructure and expanded research capacity.

Read the full report, download the visual executive summary, and learn more about the GPT and the Global Indices.

About the Global Indices

The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis researches and publishes the Global Philanthropy Indices. While the Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT) analyzes the magnitude of cross-border philanthropic contributions, the Global Philanthropy Environment Index (GPEI) assesses the regulatory, social, economic, and political environments for philanthropy, including the environment for cross-border philanthropic flows. Understanding these dynamics is essential for interpreting real-world philanthropic flows, as captured in the 2026 GPT data.

About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy and the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., PhilD, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs, and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Facebook.

IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Celebrates Major Milestones in African Philanthropy Initiative

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, has achieved two significant milestones in its Emerging Scholars on African Philanthropy Initiative. First, it successfully completed a virtual fundraising training for African universities and colleges. Second, it launched a research initiative designed to empower early-career scholars across sub-Saharan Africa.

The eight-week capacity-building course, Developing Annual Sustainability, delivered through The Fund Raising School in partnership with the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the University of Witwatersrand, has concluded. Over 100 African higher education professionals submitted applications. In the end, the course equipped 35 individuals, representing 10 countries and 34 universities, with advanced strategies for institutional advancement and long-term financial planning. The training focused on enhancing universities’ ability to sustain and grow their missions. "The course was both rigorous and enriching," one participant stated. "It has significantly strengthened my understanding of sustainable fundraising, institutional advancement, and philanthropy within our unique regional context." Read more about the course.

Additionally, the Emerging Scholars Research Program has awarded $63,000 in research grants to 14 exceptional scholars, whose work will explore philanthropy and higher education in sub-Saharan Africa. These scholars will receive mentorship from six senior experts and participate in collaborative convenings designed to produce rigorous, context-specific research for publication. “By coupling financial support with rigorous, mentored research, we are not only advancing the careers of these scholars but empowering them to create knowledge that benefits universities and civil society across the continent,” said Amir Pasic, Dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Learn more about the program.

Through these efforts, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and its partners are investing in the intellectual future of African philanthropy—amplifying the continent’s philanthropic story told by its own experts and strengthening global networks committed to sustainable development.

Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs, and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, and Facebook.