Social Impact Leader with More than Two Decades of Experience in Nonprofit Growth and Community Impact Steps Into Role
New Cradles to Crayons CEO Christine Morin.
FEBRUARY 5, 2025 – Cradles to Crayons® (C2C®), the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to ending Clothing Insecurity, today announced the appointment of Christine Morin as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective February 24, 2025. The announcement followed an extensive national search guided by valuable input from C2C staff and stakeholders. Morin succeeds founder and longtime CEO Lynn Margherio, whose visionary leadership established C2C as a pioneering force in the fight to end Clothing Insecurity—a hidden yet solvable crisis affecting more than 20 million children across the U.S. who lack access to basic necessities like pants, shoes, diapers and school supplies needed to thrive in their critical developmental years.
Clothing Insecurity contributes to three of the top ten reasons kids miss school, underscoring the profound social and economic costs when basic needs are unmet. C2C, founded in 2002, has tackled this pervasive issue by redistributing free unused, high-quality children’s items to communities in greatest need across Chicagoland, Greater Philadelphia, Massachusetts, New York City and San Francisco. Headquartered in Greater Boston, C2C has distributed more than 6 million packages of essential items like clothing, shoes, diapers and school supplies to children lacking access to these critical resources. Under Margherio’s leadership, the organization expanded across Massachusetts (led by Alicia Kabir), Chicagoland (led by Dawn Melchiorre) and Greater Philadelphia (led by Michal Smith), engaging more than 700,000 dedicated volunteers to date. She also launched Giving Factory Direct® (GFD), a groundbreaking online platform enabling donors nationwide to ship clothing free of charge, expanding C2C’s distribution reach to children in New York City and San Francisco.
“Lynn’s leadership has brought a hidden national crisis into public view, inspiring a legacy of service and compassion at Cradles to Crayons,” said Christine Morin, incoming C2C CEO. “I am honored to carry forward her vision of ensuring every child has the essentials they need to thrive. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff, Board, volunteers, and community partners to expand our impact and inspire even more people to join our fight against Clothing Insecurity.”
Morin is an accomplished nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of expertise in growth strategy, operations and fundraising. She is known for cultivating a people-centered culture and mobilizing stakeholders to drive impact. In her previous role as Chief Operating Officer at The Trustees of Reservations, she oversaw operations for 120 locations, connecting 2 million annual visitors to nature, with a focus on engaging the next generation through educational initiatives. During her 15-year tenure at City Year, a nonprofit dedicated to students’ and schools’ success, Morin held multiple C-suite roles, driving the organization’s expansion into 12 cities, forging critical community partnerships and securing significant philanthropic funding to support student success initiatives. She also developed a national marketing campaign to inspire a diverse generation of young people to engage in service. Throughout her career, Morin has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering growth and opportunity for under-resourced communities and a passion for empowering young people.
“Christine is a dynamic leader who embodies the mission-driven focus, compassion and longstanding commitment to uplifting youth necessary to propel Cradles to Crayons into its next growth phase,” said Lynn Margherio, Founder and outgoing C2C CEO. “Her talent for building connections and driving collective action will be instrumental in expanding our efforts to end Clothing Insecurity for children across the country. I am incredibly proud to pass the torch to her and confident she will continue to drive this vital mission forward, in partnership with our dedicated community of supporters who make our success possible.”
As Cradles to Crayons looks ahead, Morin inherits a solid foundation, built by Margherio, to further advance C2C’s mission to end Clothing Insecurity and ensure every child has the resources they need to thrive. She aims to deepen the organization’s impact by expanding services, raising awareness about the barriers faced by children without adequate clothing resources and tapping into the insights of staff and partners to build a comprehensive multi-year roadmap for addressing Clothing Insecurity. Margherio will continue to support C2C in an advisory capacity over the next year while remaining a dedicated advocate in the fight against Clothing Insecurity.
“Christine is exceptionally well-suited for this role, and I have complete confidence in her ability to excel,” said Dean Athanasia, president of Regional Banking, Bank of America, and Chair of Cradles to Crayons National Board. “Lynn turned her vision for Cradles to Crayons into a true force, making lives tangibly better for millions of kids. Christine’s enthusiasm, leadership, extensive experience in operations, marketing, fundraising, strategy and growth, combined with her passion for the organization’s mission, will help take Cradles to Crayons’ impact to new heights.”
Morin’s appointment follows an extensive and inclusive national search conducted by Spencer Stuart, a leadership advisory firm, in partnership with Cradles to Crayons’ National Board Search Committee. The process involved comprehensive stakeholder engagement and participation, including all staff and leadership, to define the CEO position profile and ensure the selected leader aligns with C2C’s mission and the priorities of its key stakeholders.
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