Una Osili
Una Osili is the Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Una Osili is also the Associate Dean of Research and International Programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the world’s first school on philanthropy.
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Una Osili is the Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Una Osili is also the Associate Dean of Research and International Programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the world’s first school on philanthropy.
In their own words…
IEA – Can you tell us a little bit about your life story, what got you interested in economics, and how you decided to pursue an academic career?
Una – I grew up in Nigeria, one of Africa’s leading oil-producing countries. In the 1970s, the nation was marked by a sense of unbounded optimism and economic possibility during the oil boom. Sadly, following the decline in oil prices in the 1980s, the country experienced corruption, painful economic reforms, military coups, and structural adjustment.
Living through economic shocks and political upheaval sparked my interest in how households navigate crises and manage their resources during uncertain times and how public policy can play a role in improving lives. I was profoundly affected by the questions of that era.
My initial exposure to economics classes in high school convinced me that the field offered a powerful toolkit to analyze timely and relevant questions on global poverty and prosperity. Economists were studying questions that could improve lives for the most vulnerable individuals and households. I was also intrigued by the interaction of data collection, theory development, and rigorous empirical analysis that many economists were starting to explore. Those early observations have continued to inspire my professional research; I have sought to use original data sources and rigorous data analysis to examine previously underexplored research questions.
IEA – What got you interested in Philanthropy research?
Una – I grew up in a family that emphasized the importance of generosity. My parents were both deeply involved in supporting others in their community. We were exposed to volunteering opportunities as young people, and my parents helped spark our interest in how we could use our talents and resources to help others.
As an undergraduate, I observed a gap in research on how households support each other, often classified as “informal giving” by social scientists.
Graduate school provided me with a unique opportunity to combine my interests and values with a new set of data collection and analysis skills to shed light on a previously under-researched topic.
As a doctoral student at Northwestern University, I observed first-hand the role of international migrants in Chicago’s neighborhoods supporting their origin families and communities in far-flung corners of the globe. Remittances between international migrants and their countries of origin are an underexplored aspect of the migration process.
Remittance flows are globally significant in both volume and impact. In 2023, remittances were estimated at US$831 billion, exceeding foreign investment or aid flows to many developing countries.
Observing a lack of knowledge about these remittance flows, I embarked on an ambitious doctoral dissertation project involving collecting and analyzing a unique data set on international migrants and origin households.
This was the start of my interest in philanthropic research. Since my graduate days, I have been involved in several large-scale projects on data collection in national and global philanthropy.
I currently lead the Global Philanthropy Indices project that measures and tracks cross-border giving and compares these flows to remittances and Official Development Assistance. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, philanthropic flows and remittances proved to be resilient in the face of economic shocks.
IEA – What is an interesting finding from your recent work on the report on What Americans Think About Philanthropy and Nonprofits that you would like to share with our readers?
Una – The report, What Americans Think About Philanthropy and Nonprofits, examines public awareness and perceptions of institutions and policies that govern and affect charitable giving. It is based on a nationally representative survey of 1,334 U.S. adults conducted in summer 2022.
At a time when there is concern about public confidence in society’s institutions, Americans have a broadly favorable impression of charitable giving and nonprofit organizations. Still, many need to learn more about how philanthropic organizations work.
Our study finds that the American public appears to have confidence in philanthropy compared to the government or private sector. However, there are some key challenges that nonprofits and policymakers must pay attention to; American households may lack knowledge about the role of philanthropy and have concerns about the overall transparency of the sector.
IEA – A big question, given recent increase in inflation in several parts of the world, is how are people supposed to continue giving when they can’t afford basic necessities? What would be your response to this?
Una – Studies have documented that generosity persists during both times of adversity as well as during more prosperous times. While it is accurate that households tend to give when they have a sense of financial and economic security, they are also generous when they are asked to give to a specific cause that speaks to them.
Initial evidence suggests that Americans generally gave less to charity in 2022, as rising inflation and volatile financial markets took a significant toll on charitable giving.
Total giving fell to $499 billion, down 3.4% from a record year of donations in 2021, according to Giving USA 2023: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2022, released in June 2023.
However, there is also statistical evidence that even during difficult times an awareness of need can spur giving. We note, for example, that the combined shocks and devastation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with an outpouring of generosity and pro-social behavior in many countries. In the last few years, private donors have expanded their giving. Many countries have also witnessed the rapid advancement of new tools and vehicles for giving, including impact investments, collective giving, and pooled funds. The expansion of new giving tools and vehicles allow smaller donors to pool their resources for larger impact.
IEA – Why is it important for economic research to be diverse and inclusive?
Una – Studies have shown that there remain significant barriers to building a more diverse and inclusive economics profession. In the next decade, the economics profession has an opportunity to expand pipelines to include historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
I was exposed to research opportunities in economics when I participated in the American Economic Association (AEA) summer minority program as an undergraduate student. We need to expand policies and strategies that can attract more diverse researchers to join the pipeline in the first place. We must also recognize the importance of supporting emerging scholars from diverse backgrounds.
The field of economics has the potential to make meaningful changes in people’s lives worldwide. It will need to be enriched by including diverse life experiences and innovative methods. By ensuring that diverse scholars can be successful within the economics profession where their influence has been limited up to this point, we can ensure a more inclusive research agenda for the future. My experience suggests we need more intentional pathways to build the pipeline in fields where diverse voices have been scarce or silent.