Biography
Nathan Koeshall, Project Management Specialist, joined the Research team of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in 2023. With significant prior experience in global philanthropy research and project management, Nathan currently supports a variety of the school’s research activities: these include making use of artificial intelligence in tracking large gifts; implementing methods of data collection on philanthropy from public sources; and philanthropy research network building and exchange in various U.S. and global contexts.
Nathan lived and worked in Belgrade, Serbia for 20 years prior to coming to Indianapolis. While there, he worked with international development programs focused on community engagement and civil society capacity building and grantmaking in the western Balkans. He also served for 11 years as director and co-founder of Catalyst Balkans, a foundation dedicated to transforming the nonprofit sector of the western Balkans through the promotion and measurement of domestically sourced philanthropy and technology.
Since his return to the U.S., Nathan has been a contributor to three editions of the school’s Global Philanthropy Environment Index (GPEI). For the 2025 GPEI, he was also the Regional Reviewer for the Balkans region. In addition, he has contributed to project management, data validation and cleaning, and solution design for the school’s Million Dollar List, the Military & Veterans Community Index, and the South Asian Research Network on Philanthropy.
In each of these projects, Nathan continues to be motivated by a deep belief in long-term, locally led endeavors that lead to systemic change, the development of an engaged citizenship, and the responsible uses for artificial intelligence. He finds great fulfillment in exploring and elevating stories of creative generosity.
Currently, in addition to being a valued member of the school’s research team, Nathan is pursuing a graduate degree in Philanthropic Leadership at the school.