Student Spotlight: Lina Dieudonné (MPA-PNP 2025)

Lina Dieudonné (MPA-PNP 2025), chair, Wagner Philanthropy

Could you share a bit about yourself and tell us what inspired you to attend NYU Wagner? 

I have been interested in public service from a young age. I was raised in France but my mother is from Comoros, an archipelago near Madagascar. Growing up, I had the privilege to go there every other summer and saw my grandfather, a public servant, fight to build a better future for his country. He never despaired, even in the face of poverty and corruption. He inspired me to pursue a career focused on creating a more just and equitable world. That’s what led me to study international development and economics in undergrad. I then worked in social impact consulting before transitioning to a small advocacy nonprofit. I quickly realized how challenging it is to run a nonprofit and felt ill-equipped to support my team. I decided to go back to school to build the toolkit I need to be an effective changemaker. I specifically chose NYU Wagner because of its specialization in advocacy and political action. It’s one of the only schools to offer such a wide array of courses on how to mobilize people and run campaigns, which is something I’m deeply interested in. 

How have some of your past experiences helped you to be successful at Wagner so far? 

Before coming to Wagner, I was a junior staff member at a small nonprofit. I had a host of different responsibilities which taught me how to multitask and prioritize effectively. That definitely helped me be successful at Wagner, where I juggle my full-time courseload with a part-time job and chairing a student club. My roles in social impact consulting and advocacy also helped me build strong writing skills and learn how to work well as part of a team. That was useful during my time at Wagner, where memos and group projects are part of almost every class. 

What does it mean to you to be the chair of Wagner Philanthropy? 

I believe it’s important for all public servants to understand the field of philanthropy, but it’s often seen as mysterious. As chair of Wagner Philanthropy, I have the privilege of helping students better understand what philanthropy is and develop the knowledge and skills to work in this field. Philanthropy is also renowned for being hard to get into. It is such a joy to organize networking events and watch students forming connections with professionals in the field. It has truly been an honour to chair such a wonderful club, and I’ll miss my team very much after I graduate! 

What kind of programming does Wagner Philanthropy offer? How can other students get involved? 

Wagner Philanthropy offers a variety of educational and networking events to engage students in the fields of grantmaking and fundraising. Since I joined two years ago, we’ve hosted two panels with alumni working in philanthropy, two book clubs (one on Decolonizing Wealth and one on Giving Done Right), a lunch & learn on social justice philanthropy, a panel on international grantmaking, and a fundraising workshop. We have two more events coming up this semester: a virtual lunch & learn on how foundations can leverage their endowment to advance equity and justice on April 11, and a panel on reparations on April 17! We will also be recruiting for board members very soon. If you’re interested, follow us on Instagram so you don’t miss the announcement!