1. Our People

Joanne Otte

Director of Critical Needs

Joanne Otte is director of the Critical Needs strategy at The Chicago Community Trust.

In this role, she leads grantmaking and changemaking strategies around homelessness and housing instability, caregiving, and responsive grantmaking from the Unity Fund for the Trust’s Critical Needs strategy. She stewards funder collaboratives and builds relationships with partners across the health and human services ecosystem.

Prior to joining the Trust, Otte was the Director of Programs at We Raise Foundation where she provided vision and direction for the program department and was a key architect in the organization’s re-positioning. Prior to We Raise, she served in local and national leadership roles with The Lutheran Volunteer Corps. She started her career working with and on behalf of those experiencing homelessness first in St. Paul and then in Chicago.

Otte has a master’s degree religion with a focus on social justice/urban ministry from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and a bachelor of arts degree with majors in social work and religion from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Joanne lives with her family in the Jefferson Park neighborhood.

Strategy Area

Critical Needs

Supporting essential service organizations that are addressing the most basic and immediate needs of individuals and families across our region.

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