Healthy Communities Foundation
Healthy Communities Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Riverside, Illinois. Formerly known as The Arthur Foundation (and before that, the MacNeal Health Foundation), the organization was established in 2000 as a conversion foundation from MacNeal Memorial Hospital and rebranded to its current name in 2016. The foundation operates as a community-informed grantmaking organization focused on advancing health equity across its service region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$9.4M
+23.2% YoY
Grant Count
118
+12.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$80K
+9.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To measurably improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities in the service area by promoting health equity, quality, and access.
Vision: All community members, regardless of where they are born, grow, live, or work, have equal and ample access to the care they need to experience full, healthy, and happy lives.
The foundation is guided by health equity and racial equity as overarching principles. It funds organizations and collaborates on community-led solutions that:
- Strengthen community power
- Address root causes of health inequities
- Shift systems and policies that have led to disproportionate health outcomes, particularly for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and People of Color (BILPOC) communities
- Expand opportunities for health and well-being across the service region
Primary funding focus areas include nonprofit human services, human and social service grants, poverty alleviation, and reproductive health.
Grantmaking
The foundation has awarded significant amounts in recent years, including $6.98 million and $6.29 million in separate grant cycles to advance health equity in the Chicago area.
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $40,000 to $368,000, with a median grant amount of $60,000.
Review Cycle
to advance health equity in the Chicago area.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation serves a 27-zip code service region located in Chicago and the western suburbs of Cook County, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $117,469,116 (as of 2024)
Total Giving: $9,426,476 (2024)
Annual Revenue: $2,203,070 (2023)
Total Expenses: $7,980,823 (2023)
Total Liabilities: $1,320,000 (2023)
The foundation ranks in the top 10% of foundations by asset size nationally.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Healthy Communities Foundation
HCF: General Operating Support
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
HCF: Responsive Funding - Community Event Sponsorships
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
HCF: Responsive Funding - Urgent Response Grants
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members:
- Carl Bergetz (Chair)
- Maria Pesqueira (President)
- Amalia S. Rioja (Treasurer)
- Dr. Yesenia Yepez (Vice Chair)
- Joseph W. McInerney (Secretary)
- Grace Hou
- Elyse Forkosh Cutler
- Carolina Grimble
- Dr. Ngozi Ezike (as of January 2024)
Staff:
- Maria Pesqueira (President) – $293,000 annual compensation
- Elva Gonzalez, CPA (Chief Financial Officer) – $202,836 annual compensation
- Jacqueline Rodriguez (Director of Communications)
The foundation employs approximately 10-12 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARIA PESQUEIRA | PRESIDENT | 40 | $292,789 |
| CARL BERGETZ | CHAIR, BOARD MEMBER | 4 | — |
| AMALIA S RIOJA | TREASURER, BOARD MEMBER | 4 | — |
| DR YESENIA YEPEZ | VICE CHAIR, BOARD MEMBER | 4 | — |
| JOSEPH W MCINERNEY | SECRETARY, BOARD MEMBER | 4 | — |
| GRACE HOU | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ELYSE FORKOSH CUTLER | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CHARLES W MULANEY JR | BOARD MEMBER THRU 05/24 | 1 | — |
| CARONINA GRIMBLE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DR NGOZI EZIKE | BOARD MEMBER AS OF 01/24 | 1 | — |
| CRAIG HUFFMAN | TREASURER, BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CORLISS GARNER | BOARD MEMBER AS OF 01/24 | 1 | — |
| EIZABETH SANDOVAL | BOARD MEMBER AS OF 01/24 | 1 | — |
| ELVA GONZALEZ | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $213,197 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced multiple grant cycles in recent years:
Announcing Our 2025 Grants \u2013 Healthy Communities FoundationAnnounced 2025 grants to advance health equity in the Chicago area
Announcing Our 2025 Grants \u2013 Healthy Communities FoundationAwarded $6.98 million to strengthen health equity in Chicago and western suburbs
Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation to Award $3 Million in ...Awarded $6.29 million to advance health equity in the Chicago area in a separate cycle
Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation to Award $3 Million in ...The foundation maintains active engagement with its grantee community and regularly publishes updates on its grantmaking activities and strategic priorities.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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