Department
Nonprofit Administration & Research
Biography
Afshan Paarlberg is an interdisciplinary researcher and lawyer who engages in policy-driven work on nonprofits, philanthropy, law, and society. Overall, she has dedicated her legal career to supporting access-to-justice efforts. At Saeed and Little, she provides general counsel to nonprofit entities on a range of issues, including fundraising compliance, cross-border operations, advocacy and lobbying activities, and contractual agreements. She previously helped incubate a nonprofit governance-risk-compliance project at Indiana University and served as immigration counsel to people seeking legal status in the United States.
Her legal acumen is bolstered by ongoing policy-driven research she conducts about nonprofits and philanthropy. Afshan has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed articles in top nonprofit and philanthropy journals, including VOLUNTAS and the Nonprofit Policy Forum; she has also presented at conferences and invited talks across the United States, Canada, Türkiye, Finland, Croatia, and Switzerland. She recently completed a Global Philanthropy Fellowship and continues to serve as Project Director of the Global Philanthropy Indices, leading a research team to provide an updated mapping of the enabling and regulatory environment for philanthropy across 95 countries and economies in the Global Philanthropy Environment Index.
She has a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and a B.B.A. and B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Ph.D. candidate with the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Her dissertation, under the supervision of Dr. Patricia Herzog, examines the role of nonprofits in bridging access to legal representation for asylum seekers across legal deserts.
Over the past two decades, she has served on several nonprofit boards including the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and Exodus Refugee Immigration, and she currently serves as the secretary and board member of The Appellate Project to support law students of color to thrive in the appellate field. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with family.
Degrees
Research Interests
Philanthropy, law, & society
Interdisciplinary & mixed-methods
Nonprofit law & policy
Immigrants & refugees
