Christopher Dougherty

Instructor in the MPNL program

• BA in Applied Nonprofit Studies (Mount Royal University, Canada). MA in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (Carleton University, Canada). PhD in Public Policy (Carleton University, Canada).
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Christopher Dougherty’s research focuses on the charitable sector in Canada and Scotland. His past work experience in the sector included roles with STARS Air Ambulance and Scouts Canada. He volunteered with the Imagine Canada Standards Program as a peer reviewer, with Canada’s Volunteer Awards as a National Advisory Committee member and regional reviewer, and with the ANSER-ARES annual conference committee.

In 2025, for the MPNL program’s PANL Perspectives, he published a series of papers based on his PhD research:

1. To What Extent Do Politicians Use Canada’s Nonprofit Sector to Access Constituencies and Political Power?
2. Do Private Family Foundations Engage in Political Activities Through Their Granting?
3. Research Shows Increased Political Contributions Correlates with Increased Charitable Donations.

In 2016, Christopher published Scotland’s Foundations: Wealth, Grantmaking, and the Public Good, the first overview of grantmaking foundations in Scotland, where they operate, how much wealth they hold, and how much they grant.

Please visit his website for more about his work.