Una Osili

An internationally recognized expert on philanthropy and on economics, Una Osili conducts research and speaks across the globe on issues related to national and international trends in philanthropy. She is the Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy, associate dean for research and international programs, a professor of economics and philanthropic studies, and dean’s fellow, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Osili directs the school’s research, pioneering new approaches to using data to better understand global and national trends in philanthropy. She has testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee and has appeared in news outlets such as NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, The New York Times, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and others.

She leads the research for, among other studies: Giving USA, Giving USA Foundation’s annual report on American charitable giving; two internationally recognized indexes of global philanthropy; the Bank of America Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy; the Million Dollar List of charitable gifts; and Generosity for Life, which chronicles U.S. household giving.

Osili holds a B.A. in economics from Harvard University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Northwestern University.

Areas of Expertise

Philanthropy, charitable giving, donations, contributions, giving, economics, economics and philanthropy, economy and giving, international philanthropy, immigrants and remittances, tax policy and giving, tax policy and charitable contributions, diversity and philanthropy, diversity and giving, African American philanthropy, black philanthropy, wealth and philanthropy, high-net-worth philanthropy, technology and philanthropy, crowdsourcing, online giving, international development, social innovation, cross-sector initiatives, financial development, African philanthropy, generosity, Philanthropy Panel Study, trends in giving, impact investing.

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