Richard Tran

Field Fellow 2020-2022

Richard Tran is the Director of ART & Leadership Initiatives for the Field Foundation of Illinois. In this role, he oversees two key collaborations between the Field and MacArthur Foundations: the "A Road Together" (ART) initiative, and the Leaders for a New Chicago Award. A former Field Fellow, Richard now leads the Field Fellowship program, bringing his journey full circle.

Tell us about your fellowship experience. My fellowship experience at the Field Foundation was exactly what I needed at the time. I was entering my second year of graduate school at the University of Chicago during a peak point of the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation’s 2020 social & political reckoning.

There was so much that needed to be done in our world, and I found myself in Zoom rooms with arts and cultural strategists, community organizers, non-profit leaders, foundation program officers, and more—taking in all the power and splendor that created, sustained, and continues to push the Chicago I was born and raised into. Having worked on the fundraising side of community organizations, I was eager to learn more about the grantmaking world and its ability to mobilize critical resources to communities like my own.

What is one memory that stands out to you from your experience with Field? This is not a single memory, but a collection of experiences that perfectly sums up so much of why Field has a unique and special place in my heart and soul—the level of care and accountability every Field team member has to their community and to Field’s partners.