Meg Gardinier

Meg Gardinier is the Secretary General of ChildFund Alliance, a position she has held since July 2015. ChildFund Alliance works with 14 million children, their families and communities in 60 countries investing close to $500 million each year. Together with children, ChildFund Alliance creates sustainable solutions that protect and advance their rights and well-being.

Ms. Gardinier provides strategic leadership to increase the impact and growth of Alliance Members. As the chief advocate for the Alliance, she works with Members to define strategy and ensure that it builds on the experience of ChildFund in the field. She oversees the Alliance's Child-friendly Accountability initiative, which empowers children to hold governments accountable for protecting children from violence. The initiative – aligned with target 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals – directly engages children, including those in and out of school, primarily between the ages of 13 and 18.

Ms. Gardinier is an international, not-for-profit advocate specializing in women’s and children’s issues. She has more than 25 years’ experience in NGO development, advocacy, fundraising, strategic leadership and volunteer management. She has held leadership positions in a range of child rights organizations, including senior coordinator of the Elevate Children Funders Group; director of Arigatou International – New York; managing director of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF; and executive director of the International Catholic Child Bureau – North America. She has also undertaken consultancies for Save the Children and the Global Network of Religions for Children. Ms. Gardinier is a founding member of the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and a board member of End Child Prostitution and Trafficking.

Ms. Gardinier holds a Master’s Degree in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University. She is married to Thomas Lawder, and is the mother of three daughters.