About Lynn

Lynn O'Connell has been professionally involved with nonprofit organizations since 1984. She has worked with numerous nonprofits with a focus on educational and healthcare nonprofit organizations. Many "young" nonprofits (i.e., those in existence less than a decade) have relied upon her services.

Currently, she is Director of the Physician Assistant Foundation, a grantmaking foundation whose mission is to advance healthcare through philanthropy. Previously, she had been Vice President of another national healthcare foundation, Americans for Medical Progress.

In her work with The Claude & Mildred Pepper Foundation, she laid the groundwork for what has now been a successful $9.6 million capital campaign to fund a museum/conference facility. Working with Americorps in New York City Public Schools, she led the group through an evaluation of the Project FIRST program in the City's elementary and junior high schools. She has worked with numerous organizations in applying for 501(c)3 IRS determination, developing effective boards and obtaining seed money.

Lynn teaches seminars weekly along the East Coast in fundraising and other nonprofit management topics. She also offers customized courses to organizations serving nonprofits. She frequently serves a presenter at regional conferences for nonprofit organizations as well. Her seminars range from 1.5 hours to 16 hours in length.

A 1983 graduate of David Lipscomb University, Lynn also holds a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Duke University. She is working on her Master's in Philanthropy from Indiana University. She is President of the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Volunteer Bureau. She is a past President of the Association for Women in Communications-DC Chapter. Lynn has served as Chair of the Proposal-Reviewing Committee for the Junior League of Washington. She was recognized as a Fulbright Scholar in 1983. She is a member of the National Society of Fundraising Executives and the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives.