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Biography
Xiaonan “Coco” Kou, Ph.D., is the Interim Director of Research and International Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She joined the research team as a doctoral research assistant in 2008 while pursuing her Ph.D. A full-time staff member since 2012, her primary research interests focus upon individual prosocial behavior and cross-cultural philanthropy. Coco is deeply committed to advancing applied research in philanthropy and expanding the global reach of the school’s academic and research initiatives.
Upon completing her undergraduate degree in computer science in her native China, Coco became the co-founder of two nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving access to quality education for disadvantaged children and fostering cross-country cultural and educational exchanges. One of these nonprofits is the first non-governmental public-fundraising foundation in China. Energized by the success of this work, she then came to the U.S. in 2004 to expand her knowledge of philanthropy’s capacity for making a positive difference.
Some of Coco’s recent research projects include the 2020 and 2023 Global Philanthropy Tracker, which measures cross-border donations from individuals and organizations around the world, and the 2018 and 2022 Global Philanthropy Environment Index, which is prepared in partnership with over 75 global, regional, and country-level experts who examine the incentives and barriers to giving and the cultures that shape global philanthropy.
Coco has also been part of the report teams for projects such as Digital for Good: A Global Study on Emerging Ways of Giving; Climate Philanthropy; and The Giving Environment: Understanding Drivers for Donor Engagement (experimental research on U.S. donor participation). She also devotes large segments of her time to research proposal development.
Coco received her Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University and her master’s in public policy from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in the Indianapolis area.