At Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, our in-house research team serves as a vital resource for the philanthropic sector. Drawing on decades of specialized experience, our researchers offer a unique depth of knowledge ranging from donor behavior to international giving. Meet the experts dedicated to advancing the field of philanthropy.
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.
Jon Bergdoll, M.A., currently serves as the Interim Director of Data and Research Partnerships. He initially joined the Research team of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in 2015 as an applied statistician. With rich experience in U.S. and international philanthropy data, Jon’s current research interests at the school include the measurement of philanthropic giving, data analytics, and policy analysis.
Christina Daniken, M.A., joined the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in 2024 as a Research Associate and Editor-in-Chief of Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy, which is the longest running report on charitable giving in the United States. In addition to her extensive writing and editorial skills, she brings many years of experience in market research and grant management as well as a deep interest in education and children’s health.
Dana R. H. Doan, Ph.D., M.P.P., is the Director of the Global Philanthropy Indices. She joined the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy research team in 2024 and is currently the Global Philanthropy Fellow for 2025-2026, a competitive fellowship selected from philanthropic scholars from all over the world. She has over two decades of work experience with social purpose organizations in the United States, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, and has also designed and led courses for nonprofit professionals. In 2008, Dana founded the first philanthropy support organization in Vietnam, which operated out of Ho Chi Minh City until 2022.
Matt Griffith, M.A., joined the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in 2025 as a Research Associate. Prior to his joining the research team at the school, Matt had more than 15 years of experience in international development. His research interests focus on evidence-based organizational learning in government, philanthropy, and nonprofit settings, both internationally and in the United States.
Xiao "Jimmy" Han, M.A., joined the Research team at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy as a research associate in 2015. An economist by training, his primary research interests include household charitable giving and tax policy.
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.
Phuong Tran Nguyen, M.A., joined the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy research team in 2024 as Associate Research Innovator. Her primary research focuses on the ways philanthropy impacts the economy – both nationally and globally. She is also interested in behavioral economics, tax policy, game theory, and philanthropic behaviors.
Shivant Shrestha, M.A., is a Research Associate on the Research Team at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Shivant joined the team in 2021 and brings particular expertise on research related to giving to environmental conservation and climate change, as well as skills in communications and editorial and project management. He also serves as the Associate Editor and Production Manager for Giving USA.
Diantha Daniels, M.A., joined the research team the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in 2019 after a long career in nonprofit leadership in the education sector. She manages most of the logistical details (calendaring, presentations, travel) for the research team and then stepped back to part-time and supports the other members of the research team as well as some editing of reports.
Afshan Paarlberg, J.D., is currently a part-time Assistant Research Scholar with the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy research team. After a lengthy career as a practicing attorney, she first joined the school in 2021 as a visiting assistant professor. The next year she joined the research team as an assistant research scholar and served as the director of the Global Philanthropy Indices from 2023-2025.
Andrea Pactor, M.A., is currently a project manager at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy on the research team. She has served in this part-time role since her retirement in 2020 as the interim director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute [WPI] at the school. In these roles, she has contributed extensively to research on women's philanthropic motivations, giving circles, and has organized numerous national symposia on the topic.
Patrick Rooney, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Economics and Philanthropic Studies, as well as the Emeritus Executive Associate Dean for Academic Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Patrick offers part-time expertise and support to the research team – particularly in areas of tax policy, as well as ongoing signature projects such as Giving USA and the Philanthropy Panel Study [PPS], conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Most recently, he was part of the study team for the report Measuring the Financial Health of Mid-sized Nonprofits, funded by Bernstein Private Wealth Management.
