Professional Grantor Award

 David Pesqueira
From his first days in Chicago as a Community Block Organizer and VISTA volunteer in East Humboldt Park, David Tlateollin Pesqueira has been a tireless voice for those most in need. Early on, he trained diverse working poor citizens to address pressing local issues affecting their livelihood, and helped residents and gang-involved youth learn to problem solve and access social service programs. David helped build the confidence of residents to convene community meetings with key city leaders. He also helped community based organizations design capacity building strategies, and offered guidance and steadfast support to grassroots leaders in Chicago neighborhoods.

In 1986, after completing a Minority Fellowship at the Chicago Community Trust, David’s life took an exciting turn. He was selected for the position of Senior Program Intern at the Chicago Tribune Foundation. With his vast community experience David helped develop the Chicago Tribune Charities, a newly established grants program. Now, more than 20 years later, David is the Senior Program Officer of the Communities Program at the notable Robert R. McCormick Foundation. For more than 50 years, the McCormick Foundation has been serving the needs of children, communities and country. As one of the nation’s largest public charities, the Foundation grants more than $1 billion to organizations in local communities across the country.

David is responsible for partnering corporate funds in and outside of Chicago that support several areas, including children & families, youth development and homelessness, with a personal focus and passion on literacy and hunger issues. As an advocate for the Latino and Native American communities, David creates inclusiveness across many sectors.

A recipient of a Foundation grant recently wrote, “David demonstrates an incredible understanding of and commitment to the most difficult issues we face as non profit organizations. His sincerity and sound advice is evident in all phases of the grant making process, as he rolls up his sleeves to dive into the most complex of issues. His spirit of encouragement and professionalism is unrivalled; he is respected and loved by colleagues and organizational staff alike.”

David and his wife Maria Socorro, President & CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, live here in Chicago with their son Ollin. David is a founding member of Chicago Latinos in Philanthropy, the Latino Community Donor Awards and the Latino Giving Circle, and a member of the steering committee for the Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition.