Essex County Community Foundation

09/02/2026

Attention nonprofits: Do you offer programs and services for Essex County ? ECCF's Essex County Veterans Fund is now accepting grant applications. We are so proud to support YOUR work to care for and honor our local heroes. Visit www.eccf.org/essex-county-veterans-fund/ to learn more and apply. The application deadline is Oct. 6.

07/21/2026

For 35 years, ECCF's Greater Lawrence Summer Fund (GLSF) has been supporting nonprofits that help increase access to enrichment and academic opportunities for young people throughout Greater Lawrence. This summer, ECCF distributed $344,000 to 50 AMAZING organizations through the GLSF. This is only possible because of a collaborative of generous donors who care, and we couldn't be more grateful for their support. Happy Summer!

Photo from Methuen Arlington Neighborhood, Inc. and their Safe Haven Summer Parks & Recreation Program.

$344,000 awarded to 50 organizations offering engaging summer programming for local youth In Methuen’s Arlington neighborhood, opening day of the Safe Haven Summer Parks and Recreation program means summer has officially arrived. This year, the free program, run by nonprofit Methuen Arlington Neig...

07/14/2026

ECCF is so proud to support nonprofit organizations caring for and honoring local veterans.

Beverly, MA – Data released in 2025 by the Wounded Warrior Project revealed that veterans face an increased risk of loneliness, with nearly three quarters of veterans saying that they feel left out. But a new group of grantees of the Essex County Veterans Fund – a fund launched by Essex County C...

06/26/2026

The continued threat to our immigrant neighbors is taking its toll on our communities.

Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling giving the federal government the green light to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Haiti and Syria thrusts thousands of Massachusetts families into an increasingly heightened state of fear, uncertainty and legal limbo. They will be forced to become ever more reliant on public and nonprofit resources at a time when budgets and resources are already strained.

And because TPS holders fill critical roles in key industries such as healthcare, elder care and construction, the impacts of these actions will exacerbate existing hiring challenges and will have broader ripple effects on Massachusetts and in Essex County.

In a statement yesterday, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said the federal government is “ripping away protections from families and children who have fled devastating earthquakes, violence and other humanitarian crises to build safe, productive lives here in Massachusetts and across the country. These are people who are raising families, paying taxes, caring for our loved ones, opening businesses and filling critical jobs."

ECCF stands with our communities and all people who have sought stability and hope for themselves and their families here in the 34 cities and towns of Essex County. Through our Essex County Community Response and Racial Equity and Social Justice funds, ECCF – in collaboration with our compassionate and generous donors – will continue to do whatever we can to support the organizations working to meet the basic needs of and provide advocacy and legal aid to our immigrant neighbors.

Visit www.eccf.org to learn how you can help.

06/17/2026

We are still glowing from being in community with so many of you last Thursday at the State of Essex County. Thank you.

Michelle Xiarhos Curran Communications Writer Essex County Community Foundation More than 500 people gather at Endicott College; Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll delivers keynote address Beverly, MA – Meaningful, long-lasting change – the kind that makes our local communities more welcoming, equitable ...

06/12/2026

Essex County SHOWED UP last night at ECCF's State of Essex County event! We couldn't be more grateful for the nonprofits, community leaders and donors, engaged citizens and elected officials whose work, energy, generosity, care and compassion give us all hope for the future.

Essex County is indeed stronger together.

Last night, our goal was to inspire people to join us in the belief that change IS possible And it starts right here at home. We hope you heard something that stuck with you - maybe about our collaborative Essex County Community Response Fund or Climate Resiliency work.

We hope we gave you new ways to think about how you can activate or optimize your giving.

Or that you had a meaningful conversation with someone that sparked a new idea or made you say to yourself, "Yes, I see myself as part of this."

We hope you heard something in the data that made you think, "I want to talk more about this."

And we hope you were moved by the lineup of incredible guest speakers - including Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, a longtime champion for Essex County, Marquis Victor of Elevated Thought, Vilma Martinez-Dominguez of Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc and Alexandra Nova of Nectar Community Investments. And, of course the ECCF team members who are alongside our local nonprofits, deeply embedded in the collaborative work to make Essex County more welcoming, more equitable and more resilient.

We also want to give a special thanks to Endicott College President Bryan Cain, Ph.D. for welcoming us to campus for the event.

And whether you could join us last night or not, if you are curious about what we're doing and how you can join in the movement to create change right here at home, ECCF wants to hear from you. There's room at the table for all of us.

THANK YOU, Essex County!

06/11/2026

Today's the day! We can't wait to see you at the State of Essex County!

05/21/2026

We are thrilled for our friends at Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Inc.. An investment of this scale means so much for the city of Gloucester, for Essex County, for the Commonwealth -- and, most importantly, for healthy oceans, resilient fisheries and climate adaptation.

The future of blue innovation looks bright in Gloucester.

Congratulations! 🎉🎉🎉

We are honored to be one of five recipients of the Testing and Demonstrations Assets (TDA) Program, a new Massachusetts Clean Energy Center initiative, which awarded $18 million in funds at an event on Tuesday in Lowell.

GMGI's award of $2.25M will be used to develop the Climatetech Northern Node: an automated and cutting-edge eDNA center, a harborside ocean sensing and eDNA integration station, and a climate innovation hub on Gloucester’s working waterfront.

“GMGI is honored to receive this award from MassCEC and the Healey-Driscoll Administration to advance a new model for ocean-based climatetech innovation on Gloucester’s working waterfront,” said Bonnie Fendrock, GMGI Executive Director. “Over the next several years, through the Climatetech Northern Node at GMGI, we will process thousands of eDNA samples annually, expand ocean sensing capabilities and support emerging climatetech startups, creating a collaborative hub for researchers, start-ups, educators and industry partners. This project will integrate genomics, environmental DNA monitoring, seawater systems, and advanced data infrastructure to support applied research and pilot demonstrations focused on healthy oceans, resilient fisheries, and climate adaptation. By connecting cutting-edge science with entrepreneurship and community collaboration, we’re helping position Gloucester and the Commonwealth as leaders in blue innovation and climate resilience.”

Through the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Massachusetts is investing in clean energy, start-ups, economic growth, and innovation – and GMGI is proud to be part of this critical movement.

Click the link below to read MassCEC’s full press release.

https://www.masscec.com/press/healey-driscoll-administration-invests-18-million-accelerate-climatetech-startups-and

Pictured L to R: Ann Petersen, Ph.D., GMGI Research Program Director, Bonnie Fendrock, GMGI Executive Director, Ben Downing, MassCEC CEO, Secretary Tepper, EEA, Undersecretary Moochhala, EOED

05/13/2026

We are thrilled to announce Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll as the keynote speaker for our 2026 State of Essex County event happening on June 11 at Endicott College.

In 2016, Lt. Gov. Driscoll, then the Mayor of Salem, partnered with ECCF to launch Impact Essex County, the foundation's data initiative to track the quality of life in our region. And she was with us again in 2023 when we hosted our first State of Essex County event to celebrate the progress and promise that collaboration brings.

We are so excited for Lt. Gov. Driscoll's return to this signature event, which will be attended by hundreds of local leaders from the public, private and social sectors.

We hope YOU will join us for an evening of storytelling, data sharing and celebration. See the link in comments to register!

05/12/2026

Rising Loaves at Lawrence History Center is a three-week exploration of arts and writing through history. Students in grades 5-7 learn about Lawrence history, engage in writing in its many forms, including poetry, narratives and memoirs, and work on multimedia projects. Run in collaboration with Andover Bread Loaf, participants become more competent and confident writers, artists and communicators and learn to write more expressively while discovering the joys and rewards of the written word.

For 35 years, the Greater Lawrence Summer Fund has been supporting programs like Rising Loaves and many others that provide high-quality, engaging summer programming for thousand of youth in Greater Lawrence each year.

See the links in the comment below to learn more about the Greater Lawrence Summer Fund and to donate. Thank you for your support.