Nora Garcia is the Director of Programs at Healthy Communities Foundation and leads the Foundation’s work on the intersection of health and social determinants, focusing on the impact of direct services, networks, policies, and institutions on health outcomes. Nora is responsible for implementing the Foundation’s overall grantmaking strategy, including strategic initiatives and building partnerships with stakeholders. She believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilled life, no matter their zip code, income, or race/ethnicity. Raised in a neighborhood displaced by gentrification, Nora experienced her long-standing community relocate to the Healthy Communities Foundation region.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Nora was a philanthropic consultant to the Field Foundation of Illinois and Pritzker Traubert Foundation. Before that, she managed the Peace Grants Project, a fund established by the City of Chicago focused on decreasing youth violence. Her early experience focused on educational equity, youth development, and immigration reform with roles at CIS of Chicago, BUILD, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), respectively.
Nora has received fellowships with Grantmakers in Health’s Terrance Keenan Institute, Nonprofit Quarterly’s VoiceLab, and Field Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship. She earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Nora lives in Chicago with her husband, two children, and dog, Mr. Wendal, where they like to take long walks to visit new bakeries and bookstores. In her free time, Nora relaxes by reading Zadie Smith essays and historical fiction.