Message from the Executive Director

The Albert Pick, Jr. Fund has always subscribed to the philosophy of philanthropy as a vehicle to mitigate and help solve today’s challenges, and consequently, we recognize the uncertainty of the larger current political and funding environment and the potential ramifications this may have on your organization’s work. Consequently, we are in the midst of determining how the Pick Fund can best respond to meet this moment and support our existing grantee partners, as well as explore support for potential grantees if and where possible. We will be in a better position to share how we plan to respond after the Spring board meeting. As communicated last year to our existing grantee partners and Letter of Inquiry (LOI) applicants, starting in 2025 we will extend funding invitations by way of invitation only. 

In the meantime, Pick Fund staff will be holding virtual office hours on Mondays for the next several weeks, starting on March 10^th - April 7^th from 9am – 12 noon and 2pm - 5pm. We ask that existing grantee partners make an appointment to meet with Heather Parish, Executive Director, using this Calendly link: https://calendly.com/heather-apjf/one-on-one-meeting. 

If you are a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) applicant from 2023 and/or 2024 and would like to learn more about why your application was declined, please plan to meet with Alexis Allegra, Grants & Operations Administrator, during virtual office hours from 12 noon – 4pm using the following Calendly link: https://calendly.com/alexis-albertpickjrfund/30min. 

A number of you have reached out over the last few months to schedule time to meet, and we greatly appreciate your patience as we figure out how best to communicate with transparency while determining the appropriate actions to take in the near future.



Board members pictured: Shelley Davis, Rachel Lindsey, Nikki Will Stein, (Executive Director) Heather Parish, Alberto Morales, Elva Gonzalez and Verónica Cortez.

Missing from group photo: Ahmadou Dramé, Anna Miran Lee, Clare Golla and Laura Glick.

The Albert Pick, Jr. Fund's Board of Directors experienced a number of significant transitions toward the end of 2024. After eight years in the role, Shelley Davis stepped down as Board President in September and now serves as Immediate Past President, while Alberto Morales was elected as the new President. In addition, Nikki Will Stein stepped down as Board Vice President after eight years and Verónica Cortez was elected as her successor. The Board is grateful for both Shelley and Nikki's leadership and ongoing commitment to the Pick Fund and is excited to have Alberto and Verónica serving in their new roles.

At the same time, the Board elected Elva Gonzalez and Laura Glick as new members, who both previously served as members of the Investment, Finance and Audit (IF&A) Committee. Elva will serve as Board Treasurer and Laura will serve as the IF&A Committee Chair. Finally, previous Treasurer Clare Golla transitioned off the board in September and now serves as a member of the IF&A Committee. We are grateful for Clare's leadership over the last six years in helping to steward our investments and look forward to Elva and Laura serving in their new roles on behalf of the Pick Fund.

Please visit our website to learn more about our Board of Directors.

Laura Glick now serves as a board member and IF&A Committee Chair.

Clare Golla transitioned off as Board Treasurer and is now a member of the IF&A committee.

Congratulations to Marta Sarvas!

The Albert Pick, Jr. Fund Law Student Scholarship Program was established in 2003 to assist a first-year or second-year law student who is a long-term resident of Chicago studying at one of four law schools in the Chicago area: DePaul University College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology - Chicago Kent College of Law, Loyola University College of Law and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Law. One scholarship of $5,000 is offered each year to support full-time study for a student that demonstrates financial need with preference given to historically underrepresented students. Please read below to learn more about this year's recipient, Marta Sarvas, a war veteran from Ukraine that we are honored to support.

"I began my legal career in Ukraine as a legal counsel at the Railway Administration, managing contracts within a governmental entity. Later, I transitioned to the private sector, joining one of Ukraine's top-10 law firms, where I advanced from a junior lawyer to Head of Regional Office. During this period, I earned my attorney license in Ukraine, further solidifying my expertise and commitment to the profession.

In addition to my work in traditional law firm, I supported startups, where I first understood how technology could address unique challenges in the legal sector. This experience led me to see how technology has the potential to bridge the access to justice gap, providing innovative solutions that make legal support more accessible.

After the war began, I made the difficult decision to relocate to the USA to ensure my family’s safety, and I have continued my legal journey here. Currently, I am studying at Chicago-Kent College of Law to become an attorney in the U.S., and I am incredibly grateful to The Albert Pick, Jr. Fund for supporting me in this path. Fairness has always been my guiding principle, and as a woman from Eastern Europe in a traditionally male-dominated field, I understand the importance of equality. I am proud to carry these values forward in my career while raising my two-year-old son."

Resources + Announcements

AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits 2025 Partnership Plan Application is now open!

This program aims to support small Black and Latine-led nonprofits in developing a capacity-building project that is unique to the needs of their organization. This opportunity provides you a consultant, whose services are paid for by AMPT, to support you in completing an individualized capacity-building project of your choice that can be developed within 3 months. Project examples include a strategic plan, a fund development plan, an evaluations strategy, etc.

Healing Illinois is a statewide effort of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), managed in partnership with the Field Foundation of Illinois, to distribute $4.5 million grants for nonprofit organizations to begin or continue the work of racial healing in their communities. Awarded Pick Fund grantee partners include Changing Worlds, Chicago United for Equity, Circles and Ciphers and the Chicago Poetry Center and Palenque LSNA.

Since its launch in 2020, Healing Illinois has empowered organizations to bring racial healing to communities in impactful ways, from developing and implementing engaging programming to creating infrastructure to support long-term healing. At the core of this initiative is the belief that everyone in Illinois can play a role in healing by valuing each other's experiences and honoring the histories of the state's diverse communities. Click here to find a Healing Illinois event near you and learn more information about the initiative.