On October 22nd, our President, Maria S. Pesqueira, participated in “Building Power: A Conversation on Latinx Giving and Philanthropy” with Ana Marie Argilagos, President of Hispanics in Philanthropy, hosted by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Their conversation covered a range of topics from the current trends

Healthy Communities Foundation Expects to Significantly Increase Total Giving for 2020 in Bold Response to Reimagine Health During Pandemic   The Foundation plans to award $8.8M towards general operating support for nonprofit organizations serving Chicago and Western Suburbs and initiatives that address the health and economic impact of COVID-19, and

In the fifth edition of NBC5 Chicago’s “The Path Forward”, three female philanthropic leaders in Chicago, including our President Maria Pesqueira, share their personal stories about how they have been impacted by racism. Watch this episode of “The Path Forward: Personal Stories About Race and How We Can Make a

Twenty women of color leaders in philanthropy, including our President Maria Pesqueira, recently came together to call out anti-Black racism and provided tangible ways the civic and philanthropy sectors can address it for the Black community and all people of color. This year has been brutal for Blacks in Chicago.

Philanthropy for a Racially Equitable Greater Chicago (PREGC), a philanthropic and collaborative effort, seeks a 12-month project manager.  PREGC will play a strategic role in advancing racial equity across Cook County by supporting people of color-led organizations, individuals, and advocates to strengthen their capacity to promote dialogue, advocate for and

We and our partners – Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, Community Memorial Foundation and River Forest Township – are seeking a Project Manager for The HUB, a free, digital resource directory and referral platform.   As The HUB’s footprint in Chicago and western suburban Cook County and

Systemic and institutional racism is intricately woven into the fabric of our society. The senseless murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor—and countless others whose lives were stolen throughout the history of this country—are tragic testaments to this. At Healthy Communities Foundation, our commitment to health goes beyond the absence of illness or disease. It is about creating the conditions for all

Grantmakers in Health named our Director of Programs, Nora Garcia, as a Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy Fellow! Nora will join 17 other health philanthropy emerging leaders from throughout the country. She will have the opportunity to connect with established figures in the field and reflect

Many nonprofit organizations, including our grantee partners, have been exploring loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). There are several questions about the loan forgiveness process and how it will work. In partnership with Fiscal Management Associates and IFF, we would like to share some nonprofit-focused PPP resources that can help

We have seen the unfortunate and disproportionate effect of COVID-19 in our region and are bracing ourselves for its continued impact on our healthcare system, social service sector and individuals and families in our communities. Guided by our values and mission focused on health equity, access and quality, the HCF

We are happy to introduce Lynda Murphy as the new Project Manager for The HUB! Since 2018, The HUB, a free digital resource directory and referral platform, has served as an important tool to connect local nonprofit health and social service providers and community members in Chicago, west suburban Cook

“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.” –Arundhati Roy, “The Pandemic is a Portal,” Financial Times. This quote guided the Healthy Communities Foundation staff as

Equity is everywhere. More than ever, organizations are asked to demonstrate how they address social inequities, not just by what they do, but by who they are and how they do it. Funders are no exception. How does an organization start? How can equity be embedded in grantmaking, policies, and

The newest member of the HCF team, Gillian Knight, introduces herself and talks about her work to help establish an evaluation framework for the Foundation that is rooted in equity.  My name is Gillian Knight and I am the new Program Associate at Healthy Communities Foundation. My role is to

Our Director of Finance, Elva Gonzalez, provides some guidance for nonprofit organizations to maintain financial health as we navigate the challenging times of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on unprecedented disruption to our lives and in our work. For our grantee partners, they are diligently adjusting their operations to

In early November, Healthy Communities Foundation sponsored two members of Proviso Partners for Health (PP4H) as Fellows at Upswell Chicago, a three-day convening that gathered changemakers from all over the United States to share ideas and solution-based approaches to issues our communities face each day. Our two Fellows, Deniene Willis,

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there is very encouraging news about breast health equity for our region. Since 1990, there has been incredible progress in narrowing racial disparities in prostate, colorectal and lung cancer deaths between Black and White patients in the US. However, racial disparities in breast

When I teach the “Maternal and Child Health Delivery Systems” class at the University of Illinois at Chicago each spring, I always get anxious during the week I facilitate a case study exercise on Shalon Irving’s life and tragic death. Shalon was a Centers of Disease Control (CDC) epidemiologist and

Everyone deserves a safe and healthy home to live in. Housing is one of the several factors that heavily influence the health and well-being of individuals, children and their families. However, on May 10, 2019, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed a rule that would threaten

Our Director of Programs, Nora Garcia, explains why the Foundation moved to a two-stage application process this grant cycle. It is hard to believe that less than a year ago, our staff and Board of Directors came to the end of a learning-focused planning process and approved a new strategic