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Meredith Slater

Meredith Slater

Director of Development

Meet Meredith! She is a fundraising guru with the heart of a storyteller.

Meredith started her career at World Food Program USA, where she learned firsthand the power of fundraising to alleviate hunger and support those in need. After building on her grant writing skills at the Henry Street Settlement, her passions expanded as an organizer and blogger at Change.org, mobilizing activists to make a positive impact on the world. Meredith also served as an Associate Director at New York University's Office of Development and Alumni Relations, where she sharpened her fundraising prowess.

After several years, she joined ActionAid USA as Foundations Manager, working to build and sustain strong relationships with foundation partners to support ActionAid’s work around the world. Now, as Director of Development, she leads the fundraising team, with a particular focus on Foundations giving.

With an M.A. in Food Studies from NYU and a B.A. in International Affairs & Spanish Language and Literature from The George Washington University, Meredith brings a unique and powerful perspective to her work at ActionAid.

When she’s not finding unique pathways for funding, she is making moves on the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council to influence policy that fosters food security and promotes a healthy, equitable, and sustainable local food system. She is also an enthusiastic backyard beekeeper and gardener based in Denver, where she lives with her husband and child.

Why are you working with ActionAid?  

My passions for social justice, human rights, and food systems brought me to ActionAid. But it’s the incredible colleagues who keep me here – the organizational adage – ‘Once an ActionAider, always an ActionAider’ – really rings true. 

I’m an expert! Talk to me about:

Women’s Rights and Gender Equality; Feminist Leadership; Food Security; the Right to Food and Agriculture; Emergency Response; Humanitarian Aid; Disaster Response; Philanthropy; Fundraising; Social justice. 

Selected Media:

US News (October 2023)
Aid Groups Poised to Provide Gaza Relief After Biden Deal Opens Border Crossings

Westword (March 2023)
Commentary: My Miscarriage Taught Me What’s Missing From the Abortion Debate

POSTS BY Meredith Slater

Blog Post

Is financial sustainability a feasible goal for nonprofits?

May 28, 2024 By

I recently had the opportunity to take a step back and review my seven years as Director of Development for ActionAid USA. I was putting together an internal presentation about my job, and realized it gave me the perfect excuse to reflect on accomplishments as well as think through where…

Blog Post /

Recommitting to Palestinian rights this Passover

April 22, 2024 By

Tonight marks the first night of Passover – a celebration of the Biblical exodus of the Jewish people out of slavery and into the Promised Land.  Passover happens to be my favorite Jewish holiday, as I have always found strong connections between the exodus of the ancient Israelites and the…

Blog Post /

Eight Reasons to Support a Ceasefire this Hanukkah

December 7, 2023 By

The story of Hanukkah is one of the Jewish people fighting against a tyrannical ruler for the freedom to practice their religion. The Jews then rededicated their holy temple and witnessed a small amount of oil – meant to light the temple’s menorah for just one night – miraculously last…

Blog Post /

Losing everything to water

April 25, 2023 By

Every morning when I was a child, my dad would declare, in a sing-song voice – “There’s nothing like a nice, hot shower!” – as he stepped into the steaming shower and the first deluge of water hit the top of his head. It’s a motto that has stuck with…

Blog Post

Patagonia is a unicorn. But it doesn’t have to be. 

September 15, 2022 By

While much of the corporate sector is out there making claims about social responsibility through greenwashing and pinkwashing and bluewashing, Yvon Choinard has put his money where his heart is. In giving away his entire company, Choinard has truly broken new ground.   Most philanthropic millionaires and billionaires put their money…

Insight

Problem-Based Learning: What This School in Rural Thailand Is Getting Right

March 6, 2019 By

About two hours’ drive northwest of Bangkok, a small farming community in the Kampangsaen district of Thailand is making huge strides to develop young people. Led by Mrs. Pichsinee Cheunchoowong, Baan Huai Rang Ket Primary School is piloting a cutting-edge program that challenges traditional methods of teaching. Situated in a…