Essex County Community Foundation

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.

05/08/2026

May is

Did you know that Essex County represents 20% of all Medal of Honor Recipients from Massachusetts, while only representing just over 10% of the state's population (according to the Southern Essex Registry of Deeds)?

We honor all those who serve or have served our country - today, throughout the month and every day of the year. Thank you to all members of the military, past and present, for your service.

Stay tuned because later this month, we'll be announcing some exciting news from our Essex County Veterans Fund.

04/30/2026

Nonprofits across Essex County continue to persevere and show up for our communities, despite the sustained fallout from federal funding cuts making their work increasingly more challenging.

ECCF is thrilled to announce that since the launch of our Essex County Community Response Fund, we have collectively deployed $2M to local organizations doing incredible work to support our friends and neighbors who need it most.

See the link in comments below to read more about how this is supporting Essex County's nonprofits as they navigate this moment.

04/23/2026

Have you heard? Registration for ECCF's State of Essex County is now OPEN! And we hope you will join us on June 11, from 4-7pm at Endicott College for updates to ImpactEssexCounty.org, our countywide data website (link below), and to connect and learn about the people, organizations and community coalitions across our region that are building a more resilient future for all of us. Registration link is in the comments below too. We hope to see you there!

04/16/2026

Love Your Magic is a Boston-based organization that uplifts and supports the positive identity development of Black and Brown girls from the region - including Lawrence - through programming that empowers participants to use their voices, cultivate meaningful relationships, develop leadership skills and so much more. The organization's summer camp, supported by ECCF's Greater Lawrence Summer Fund, offers a transformative overnight experience for participants to lean into joy and learning. Rooted in self-love, advocacy, leadership, and self-care, these summer sessions empower girls to embrace their individuality. From culturally significant activities like Double Dutch to traditional camp adventures like swimming and rock climbing, participants celebrate their heritage while honing vital life skills, fostering confident leaders grounded in community and chosen kinship.

If you want to be a part of a collaboration of donors supporting programs like these and others that close opportunity gaps, keep youth safe and healthy, and help them make lasting memories, consider making a gift to the Greater Lawrence Summer Fund. Our young people need YOU.

Check out the link in comments below to learn more and donate. Thank you.