2026 News & Events

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.