Effective Data Collection and Measurement for Cross-border Philanthropic Contributions

• In Event: Evolution of Philanthropy: Experiences and Trends

Abstract

The increasing role of philanthropy in global development has led to numerous cross-national comparative studies, but one of the major challenges remaining is to develop coherent and appropriate measurements applicable to different national contexts. This study will provide information to improve comprehensive data collection and analysis on the sources and magnitude of cross-border giving and advance mapping private philanthropy contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Existing research offers some insights into the complex factors that influence cross-border giving, such as fundraising practices (Wiepking & Handy, 2015) and regulations on cross-border donations (Indiana University, 2018). Scholars have begun to measure private philanthropic flows for development (Hudson Institute, 2016; OECD, 2018). Simultaneously, scholars are investigating how private donors can align their programs and activities with the SDGs (OECD, 2018; Ross & Spruill, 2018). While efforts have been made in the last few years to measure the magnitude of philanthropic flows around the world, imperfect methodologies might underestimate the real scale of private contributions to development.

First published in 2006, the Global Philanthropy Resource Flows Index (GPRFI, formerly the Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances) pioneered data collection on cross-border giving using local research partners and locally produced data to create a comprehensive view of private philanthropy contributions to development. With the GPRFI’s transfer to the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in 2017, a rigorous review of the methodology commenced, including how data collection and analysis contributes to the quality and external validity of the data and consistency of results. This review included a comparative analysis of other global indices’ methodologies, numerous interviews with former and prospective data partners from across the world, and development of an online data availability questionnaire.

Preliminary results of the study have led to the following recommendations:
1. To increase comparability across countries, researchers should identify and measure philanthropic flows that can be consistently found in all countries to make more credible comparisons
2. To maintain comparability across time, researchers should develop a methodological guideline that can be used across time by all countries
3. To increase the geographic scope of the Index, researchers should identify additional data sources by collaborating with data partners from around the world
4. To address gaps and increase the theoretical scope of GPRFI, researchers should keep in mind new forms of cross-border giving, such as social impact investment and crowdfunding
5. To increase the content validity of GPRFI, researchers should operationalize the main technical terms used in the new index.
6. To improve access to external data, researchers should create partnerships with organizations that are already collecting important data at a global level.

As philanthropy’s contribution to development increases, sources, and magnitude of cross-border giving should be measured to enable a better understanding of the range of donors working on global philanthropy and development. Key findings of this study will contribute to data-driven cross-national research on philanthropy by identifying adequate data collection and analysis on cross-border giving and promoting stronger global collaborations among scholars and research institutions.

Authors

• Una Osili, Indiana University

• Xiaonan Kou, Indiana University

• Jonathan Bergdoll, Indiana University

• Cathie Carrigan, Indiana University

• Kinga Horvath, Indiana University