| Nancy Robertson |
 Nancy Robertson decided in 1994 that she would dedicate her life's work to helping orphaned and disadvantaged children in China. She chose this path after she and her husband adopted their daughter Grace on Christmas Eve that year in Shanghai. Nancy was born in Albany, New York and lived all over the United States and Europe as a child in a military family, developing her sense of diplomacy early on. She attended the State University of New York at Albany and went on to pursue a career in acting. She then lived in Washington, D.C., studying acting while working in local theaters. Nancy moved to New York City where she pursued her acting career in the 1980's and early 90's. She performed in the New York theater and daytime television. She worked with such talents as Tennessee Williams, Tom Stoppard and Jose Quintero. Her background in theatre and her communication skills served her well in developing an infrastructure of individuals who pledged support for her passion for helping children. She conceived the idea of an organization that would target the children who don't get adopted, the ones who spend their childhoods in the orphanages or those disadvantaged children who spend their lives living on the periphery of society. Nancy Robertson and a handful of like minded people came together in this endeavor and in 1997 The Grace Children's Foundation (TGCF) was born. TGCF's mission is to improve the lives of orphans and disadvantaged children, many without basic life skills and vocations, many without the crucial anchor of family or living in families with little or no access to essential resources. The organization has developed three core programs: medical, education and humanitarian aid, in cooperation with caregivers and officials responsible for the well being of the children. In response to appeals from around the world on behalf of children in need, the Foundation has developed an innovative, coordinating and replicable mechanism for the delivery of resources pertaining to its core programs - TGCF's Children's Resource Exchange Center, connecting the need to the remedy. TGCF’s work is centered on the creation of a template for a systematic approach to healing and learning that can be replicated for children in need around the world. Nancy’s single-minded passion for Chinese orphans and disadvantaged children or any child in need is the underpinning of The Grace Children's Foundation. Nancy Robertson has been honored in many ways since beginning her work on behalf of children. She serves on the International Advisory Committee for the Independent Sector in Washington, D.C. She lives in New York City and Beijing with her husband, TGCF’s co founder Brooks Robertson, and her daughter Grace Kathleen Ayres Robertson – the light of her life. Nancy Robertson’s vision is to see the children to a place where they may elevate themselves beyond survival to a place where they flourish and have a chance for lives with dignity and purpose. Nancy is dedicated to the children who wait. |
