Christine Kendall is an expert on poverty and uses her expertise to advise philanthropic strategies.  She is the Founder of SmarterGive. Christine is deeply passionate about moving the needle on issues related to poverty and her work focuses on supporting donors to make effective and impactful decisions.  She believes strongly in the need for rigorous, data-informed grantmaking, because she has seen firsthand the power that donors can have with well-informed and strategies. Christine combines her expertise in poverty with analytical and strategic thinking to advise on a wide range of philanthropic questions her clients face. In addition to her work with donors, she also speaks and writes on high impact philanthropic strategies.

Christine developed her knowledge of social impact and strategic philanthropy as a strategy consultant at both LEK and FSG. While at FSG, a consulting firm focused exclusively on the social sector, she worked with many cutting edge donors and implementers.  Her clients included foundations such as the Gates Foundation, the Hilton Family Foundation, the Barr Foundation, and the Knight Foundation. Christine has developed a unique skill set with a deep understanding of the social sector, but she has also developed a strategic business mindset, and she has often acted a facilitator between these different sectors. She has extensive experience working with corporate donors such as Royal Dutch Shell, Eli Lilly, Barclays Bank, and McKesson Corporation.  She has not only worked with funders but has experience working with many non-profits, collaboratives, and government organizations.  She has balanced domestic work with global experiences having worked on projects across the world including in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Christine has been a board member for over 8 years at Roca, an anti-poverty organization that is based in Chelsea, MA and has programs along the eastern seaboard.  She is currently board chair at Roca.  Christine also currently teaches a class on leadership, complexity, and public health at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Christine has a doctorate in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and a master’s in healthcare management from HSPH and a B.A. cum laude in economics and history from Colby College. Her doctoral thesis focused on multi-system-involved vulnerable mothers. She has lived in Nepal and Ghana and now resides in the Boston area.  In her free time, she enjoys distance running, yoga, hiking, skiing, and spending time with her family.