Introduction: Lindsey McDougle

Why hello there… and welcome to the Third Sector Network! My name is Lindsey McDougle and I very excited about this innovative new blogging collaborative. I hope that the information provided here proves to be useful to those who are interested in issues of strategic importance to the nonprofit/philanthropic sector.

I am currently in the dissertation phase of a doctoral program specializing in nonprofit/philanthropic leadership and management at the University of San Diego. My research interests in the field relate to public perceptions and knowledge of nonprofit and philanthropic sector organizations. In business terminology, then, my interests would be in awareness, attitudes, and usage (AAU) data as it pertains to the nonprofit sector.

Interestingly (or perhaps not so much in nonprofit/philanthropic studies where much of the work is inter- and multi-disciplinary), my academic background has not been in the field of nonprofit management. Both my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in natural resource and environmental policy. Furthermore, the bulk of my professional experience (prior to pursuing my PhD) has centered around environmental and sustainability initiatives. But, moving into the area of third sector research was not that far of a stretch for me.

While completing my masters degree, I worked at IBM in the environmental division where my primary responsibility was to work with environmental nonprofits in my local area and arrange events and opportunities for them to speak with our employees (through various lunch and learns, Earth Day events, and Wildlife Habitat Council: wildlife at work programs). It was during this time that I became very interested in the nonprofit sector and decided that I wanted to pursue a PhD in the area.

Understanding what the public knows about nonprofits, and the perceptions that they hold about the third sector speaks volumes about the perceived relevance of nonprofit organizations (in the public’s eye). So obviously given my interests, I am very excited to be a part of this wonderful blog team, and I look forward to engaging in meaningful dialog with our readers!