Fatima Goss Graves Named 2020 Gardner Award Recipient
Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, has a distinguished track record working across a broad set of issues central to women’s lives, including income security, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace fairness. She also is among the co-founders of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, an initiative that aims to help workers connect with lawyers and bring cases of workplace sexual harassment and related retaliation — regardless of industry, rank, or role.
During Upswell 2020, October 14-16, Independent Sector will honor Goss Graves with the 2020 John W. Gardner Leadership Award in recognition of her groundbreaking work to advance the rights of women and girls. Learn more at upswell.org.
About the Award
The John W. Gardner Leadership Award was established in 1985 to honor outstanding Americans who exemplify the leadership and the ideals of John W. Gardner (1912-2002), American statesman and founding chair of Independent Sector. Independent Sector presents the award each year to an individual whose leadership in or with the nonprofit community has been transformative and who has mobilized and unified people, institutions, or causes that improve the quality of life on our planet.

2005
Ronald Grzywinski
Shorebank Corporation

2004
Raul Yzaguirre
National Council of La Raza
(now UnidosUS)

2003
Robert L. Payton
Center on Philanthropy, Indiana University

2002
Harris Wofford
America’s Promise

2001
Rebecca L. Adamson
First Nations Development Institute

2000
Dorothy Stoneman
YouthBuild U.S.A.

1999
Lois Gibbs
Center for Health, Environment and Justice