As I step into the role of Chapter President, I think often of the wisdom and leadership style of our Immediate Past President, the late Yvonne White-Morey. Yvonne was a connector. She had a gift for quickly seeing the best in everyone, and helping you connect to the best in yourself. 

Last year, Yvonne shared a President’s letter, and her words sit strongly with me still today: 

Now, more than ever, the world needs resilient, persistent advocates, crafting life-changing programs, and pursuing funding to ensure a just world for all. We hope you will share gratitude with your fellow grant professionals, or simply take a moment to appreciate all you’ve accomplished and the power you possess. BREATHE. 

Yvonne was instrumental in our chapter in many ways, serving on the Program Committee and then leading our conference back to an in-person meeting in 2022 after the pandemic, and shifting us to the meeting space at Impact House in 2023 as Conference Co-Chair. In 2024, she became Chapter President, and was just beginning her second two-year term when she passed in January. As the Principal Grant Strategist at GrantStream Consulting she helped community-based organizations advance their mission via grant-funded strategies and programs. She was a true example of the power of partnerships, community-driven impact and grant solutions. 

When I think of collaborative work with fellow grant professionals, I am immediately grateful for our amazing 2026 chapter Board of Directors (Please see the full list in this newsletter). This year’s board now also includes two new but familiar faces. The board has appointed Joe Wycoff, a colleague of Yvonne’s and a regular at our annual conference, to fill the vacancy as Vice-President; and Maureen Stabile, our Chapter President for 2019, 2020 and 2021, to serve in a non-voting role as a Past Presidential Advisor for this year. It’s my privilege to lead together with each of them during this transition time, and also in our milestone year of the 20th anniversary of our chapter. I greatly appreciate the unique perspectives and passion for the industry that each member of our board brings to our chapter activities. 

This year, as we look forward to International Grant Professionals Day, we have a special opportunity to celebrate together around a few themes that meant so much to Yvonne: leadership, community and advocacy. 

GPA is organizing an Advocacy Day for our March 13th celebration. This is particularly special to me because the last time I had the chance to be together with Yvonne was on October 29th in Washington DC (during shutdown!) for grant pro Hill Visits. We had an empowering day together, meeting with the office of her Rep. Krishnamoorthi, and then joining additional chapter members for visits in the offices of Sen. Duckworth and Sen. Durbin.

Thanks to Yvonne’s encouragement, the Chicago Area Chapter had the most participants on the Hill Visit Day, provided a template that made it easy to participate, and set a pattern for this year’s Advocacy Day. GPA announced last month that the Advocacy Day will include the specific opportunity to ask Members of Congress for support of the Streamlining Federal Grants Act which was just reintroduced in the Senate last month. I know the opportunity to shape federal policy related to grant-making in its early stage is something Yvonne would have whole-heartedly embraced. I know she would have celebrated marking International Grant Professionals Day in this way, and I smile that her persistence in supporting the DC visits will make the Advocacy Day more impactful. 

To our over 120 chapter members, I celebrate your work and our connections to each other. Together we are advancing the profession, supporting our chapter, and making life better across Chicagoland and wherever the ripples of your work may flow. In this newsletter, you can find more information about our chapter’s plans to connect through leadership, community and advocacy on March 13th for International Grant Professionals Day, and then again on April 24th for our Annual Conference. To acknowledge our industry day this year, we’re also opening a Zoom meet up to connect as peer professionals. Pour yourself a cup of tea as Yvonne would have and join for conversation about leadership, community and advocacy. I look forward to gathering then, and invite you especially this year to find ways big or small to advance the work we’re doing together as the Grant Professionals Chapter for the Chicago Area. 

With gratitude, 

Laura